Sarah Bush Lincoln celebrated Certified Nurses Day March 19 by honoring its board certified nurses and respiratory therapists. Thirty-one nurses and nine respiratory therapists were recognized for their professionalism, leadership, and commitment to excellence in patient care.
Board Certification of nurses and respiratory therapists plays an increasingly important role in the assurance of high standards of care for patients and their loved ones. Nursing and respiratory therapy, like healthcare in general, has become increasingly complex. While a registered nurse (RN) license provides entry to general nursing practice, the knowledge-intensive requirements of modern nursing require extensive education, as well as a strong personal commitment to excellence by the nurse.
“I congratulate our nurses and respiratory therapists for their dedication and commitment in earning and maintaining board certification in their specialty. This takes personal dedication and persistence and not only validates their knowledge, but demonstrates their commitment to excellence and to the patients we serve,” SBL Vice President Patient Care Continuum & Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Woodward said.
Registered nurses earning or maintaining board medical surgical certification include Lynn Berner, Ruth Bray, Elizabeth Davis, Taylee Eldridge, Lanette Stuckey, Deb Rich, and Denise Foley. Nurses certified in perioperative care are Linda Coleman, Kim Jones, Becky Clement, Sheri Oakley, Carol Ray, and Kacie Richey. Nurses certified in wound, ostomy and continence care are Monica Callaway, Kaitlin Denson, Debbie Murray, Krista Schulte and Karen McComas. Nurses certified in critical care are Enna Torrepalma and Lisa Dyer. Nurses certified in case management are Lisa Johnson and Darla Lawson.
Nurses certified in other specialties include Diane Dow, gastroenterology care, Joene Wheeler, hospice care, Mindi O’Rourke, board nurse executive, Dena Cochran, obstetric care, Pam Hood, nurse educator, childbirth educator and lactation consultant, Paula Enstrom, diabetic educator, Sally Leitch, emergency communications, Ramona Tomshack, infection control, wound care and clinical nurse specialist and Lisa Woodward, executive nursing practice.
Respiratory therapists certified in neonatal/pediatric care are Lexie Caraway, Jody Deters, Rita Heuerman, Jennifer Hortenstine, Jennifer Markwell, Brent Ryherd, Nathan Thayer, Morgan Wagner and Krista Wolke. Deters is also certified in adult critical care and Ryherd as a respiratory care practitioner.
Sarah Bush Lincoln encourages national board certification for all its nurses and respiratory therapists. Certified Nurses Day is an annual worldwide event dedicated to celebrating certification as a means to ensure high standards of patient care and to promote continuing excellence in the nursing profession. Earning and maintaining certification is not a requirement, yet many nurses and respiratory therapists at Sarah Bush Lincoln have taken that extra step to show their commitment their profession, Woodward explained.
SBL President and CEO Tim Ols said, “It’s all about people being inspired to be the best they can be, so they can do the best for their patients and also be the person that inspires and helps the next generation. We have very high quality, dedicated people here who are certified and the environment encourages everyone to be insightful and as knowledgeable as they can be in their chosen field.”
Certification validates a nurse’s specialty knowledge for practice in a defined functional or clinical area of nursing. In addition, certification benefits patients and their families, validating that the nurse or respiratory therapist caring for them has demonstrated experience, knowledge and skills in the complex specialties of acute and critical care.
Interested in becoming a nurse at Sarah Bush Lincoln? Join us for our RN and LPN recruitment open house from 10 am to 3 pm, Saturday, April 2nd at the Lumpkin Family Center for Health Eduation. More information here.