Director of Certification and Accreditation
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
Sing
What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
Buy a house on one of Michigan’s beautiful lakes
If you could meet anyone dead or alive, who would that be?
My maternal and paternal great-grandparents. I have heard stories about how wonderful they were.
What is your goal for your role with BCEN?
My goal is to ensure that BCEN certifications reflect the expertise and commitment to excellence of emergency, pediatric emergency, transport and trauma nurses practicing at the top of their profession.
What do you love most about your job?
I appreciate the opportunity to work with our subject matter experts and being active in the credentialing community, and I particularly enjoy talking with BCEN certificants and candidates.
What kinds of things do you talk about with candidates and BCEN-certified nurses?
Our candidates often ask what they can do to best prepare for our exams, and I coach everyone to approach each question as an ED nurse with (typically) two years’ experience—that is, read each question, select the best answer and move on … and don’t “read into” the questions. For those who don’t pass the first time, we talk about ways to reduce text anxiety and the benefits of practice exams. Certificants often have questions about how the audit process works and what CEs are acceptable. BCEN’s Recertify page can be a helpful resource.
What do you most want nurses to know about BCEN exams and certification programs?
Our exams go through a very rigorous process to ensure our content is current and accurate. We have an ongoing process that is fueled by the passion of over 75 subject matter experts who very generously volunteer their time to ensure that when every nurse earns a BCEN credential, the letters that follow their name and the badge they proudly wear truly signify that they are at the very top of the emergency nursing profession.
