Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing Announces 2026-2027 Board of Directors

OAK BROOK, Ill., Jan. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the benchmark for nursing specialty certification across the emergency spectrum, today announced its 2026-2027 board of directors, including two new members, and recognized outgoing board members for their service.

Comprised of national experts in adult and pediatric emergency, flight, critical care ground transport, trauma, and burn nursing, BCEN's board of directors oversees the organization's strategic direction including activities pertaining to the quality and rigor of BCEN's six accredited and Magnet-accepted national nursing specialty certification programs, its award-winning BCEN Learn continuing education platform, and other certification support services and resources.

BCEN's 2026-27 board of directors members—whose volunteer, two-year terms began on January 1, 2026—are:

Chairperson: Julie Ruddy, BS, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, former emergency/trauma/acute care nurse with more than 40 years' experience, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Chairperson-elect: Sean Elwell, DNP, RN, NE-BC, TCRN, CPEN, EMT, senior director of pediatric trauma center, critical care transport and emergency services, Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, in Wilmington, Delaware

Secretary/Treasurer: Roger Casey, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, FAEN, lead nurse, freestanding emergency department, Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Kennewick, Washington

Immediate Past Chairperson: Allen C. Wolfe Jr., MSN, CNS, APRN, CFRN, CCRN, CTRN, TCRN, CMTE, FAASTN, senior director of clinical education, Life Link III, Bloomington, Minnesota

Returning Members-at-large:

• Brody Eick, MBA, BSN, BS, RN, CEN, CCRN, TCRN, NE-BC, director of trauma services, Eisenhower Health, Rancho Mirage, California
• Emily Werthman, PhD, RN, CBRN, patient care manager and burn program coordinator, The Johns Hopkins Burn Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland

New Members-at-large:  

• Rebecca Geyer, MSN, RN, TCRN, director of performance improvement, Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
• Pamela Vanderberg, MSN, MBA, CEN, TCRN, vice president, trauma and burn services, Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia

Public Representative: Robert Corrao, executive chairman, Harbor, Scottsdale, Arizona 

Ex-officio Member: BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, ICE-CCP, CENP, CPHQ, FABC

Outgoing board members being recognized for their service are:

• Rebecca Steinmann, MS, APRN, CPEN, CEN, TCRN, CCRN, CCNS, FAEN, AHA instructor, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio

Rebecca has served on BCEN's board of directors since 2016, including most recently as immediate past chairperson for the 2024-2025 term. She has been a Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) exam writer since 2009 and chairs BCEN's CPEN Exam Construction Review Committee (ECRC). With a nursing career spanning more than 40 years, she is a recognized pediatric emergency nursing expert, a respected clinical nurse educator and adjunct faculty member, an award-winning nurse leader, a prolific author and presenter, and a mentor to countless pediatric emergency nurses and nurse leaders.  

"Becca has led our board of directors effectively—successfully raising the bar for BCEN, our nurses, and all of our customers. She has a brilliant mind, demands high quality, and cares deeply about the experience that people have when they interact with her and BCEN," said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker. "Over the years, Becca has been instrumental in developing and executing our CPEN exam from the ground up to what it is today. She is a role model for the nursing profession, has impeccable character, and anyone would be lucky to have her as their nurse."

• Steven P. Talbot, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, professional practice leader, emergency & neuroscience service lines, Center for Professional Excellence, Houston Methodist Willowbrook, Houston, Texas

Steven has served on BCEN's board of directors since 2019, including a term as secretary/treasurer. His 26 years of nursing experience includes roles encompassing emergency, trauma, flight, administration, education and paramedics, along with authoring three emergency nursing textbooks and speaking at local, state, national and international conferences.

"Steven has brought high quality and rigor to our exam programs and BCEN as a whole, and I admire and appreciate his dedication and passion for professional development and making a difference in the nursing profession," said Schumaker. "He has been a dedicated volunteer for BCEN since 2011, and while his board service is concluding, we look forward to continuing to work with him in his other roles as an ECRC member and conference speaker."  

For additional 2026-2027 board member details and photos, visit https://bcen.org/board-of-directors/.

About BCEN
Founded in 1980, the independent, not-for-profit Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN®) offers emergency, pediatric emergency, flight, critical care ground transport, trauma, and burn nursing specialty certifications, including the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®), Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN®), Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®), Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN®), Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN®), and Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN®). More than 50,000 RNs and APRNs are board certified through BCEN and collectively hold more than 60,000 BCEN credentials. Learn more at bcen.org.

SOURCE Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing