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For Immediate Release Bonnie Niebuhr, MS, RN, CAE Chief Executive Officer, ABNS & ABSNC 330.995.9172 abns@nursingcertification.org ABNS Recognizes Four Institutions with 2015 Award for Nursing Certification Advocacy Honorable Mentions The award honors advocates of specialty nursing certification. Aurora, Ohio, (March 25, 2015)—The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) Awards and Recognition Committee announced during the organization’s Spring Assembly meeting it has selected four institutions as honorable mention recipients of the 2015 Award for Nursing Certification Advocacy. The four institutions are: CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs, IA; Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA; St. Elizabeth Hospital, Gonzales, LA; and West Kendall Baptist Hospital, Miami, FL; “These institutions are dedicated to promoting the value of specialty nursing certification and making it accessible for all interested and eligible candidates,” Cynthia Nowicki Hnatiuk, EdD, RN, CAE, Chair of the ABNS Awards and Recognition Committee, said. “We welcome them to the family of hospitals and institutions who have demonstrated their outstanding support of nurse certification.” Recognition as a certified nurse is an important reward for nurses at all four institutions, and they have found creative ways to honor the achievement.  CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs recruits the Chief Nurse and Magnet Program Director to surprise newly certified nurses with gifts of appreciation.  Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC sponsors a “Certification Station” at an annual nursing education event where nurses can learn about a variety of certifications available and the process to obtain them.  St. Elizabeth Hospital presents a “Celebrate your Credential” video set to music, featuring certified nurses, during a breakfast reception on Certified Nurses Day.  West Kendall Baptist Hospital opens up its Certified Nurses Day celebrations to all nurses, certified or not, so all can benefit from learning about the value of certification as well as sponsors a “Certified Nurse of the Year” award. These institutions also shared the goal of recognizing certified nurses through newsletters, plaques and web sites. Other criteria for the Advocacy Award include how the organization or unit supports certification as part of the professional development process and through financial reimbursement. These institutions use certification as part of their hiring decisions as well as for advancement through the clinical ladder. Additionally, financial support is provided to candidates by providing reimbursement of examination fees, exam review courses, and paid time off to attend review courses and examination dates. “It is exciting to see the support and recognition that these institutions provide their nurses who are certified as well as those on the certification journey,” Bonnie Niebuhr, MS, RN, CAE, ABNS Chief Executive Officer, noted. “The strategies used serve as exemplars to other institutions.” Through efforts such as those demonstrated by CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, St. Elizabeth Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital, the ABNS Vision – Specialty nursing care is the standard by which the public recognizes quality nursing care – will be achieved. For more information on the requirements of the award, visit www.nursingcertification.org. Editor’s Note: The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) is a membership organization whose mission is to promote the value of specialty nursing certification to all stakeholders. Currently, 34 ABNS Regular Member organizations represent nearly 750,000 specialty certified registered nurses. Its 13 Affiliate Member organizations include providers of key certification‐related testing products and services. One Public Member represents the consumer’s perspectives on issues about specialty nursing certification. For further information about ABNS, visit www.nursingcertification.org or email Bonnie Niebuhr, MS, RN, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, at abns@nursingcertification.org.