Nearly 500 RNs now board certified in burn nursing
After one year since the introduction of the first burn nursing specialty certification, nearly 500 nurses have earned the BCEN’s Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN) credential
The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) launched the world’s first burn nursing specialty certification one year ago and reports that there are now nearly 500 practicing nurses with the CBRN credential in both civilian and military settings, including many flight nurses.
Burns are among the most devastating and complex injuries, and research shows that burn care expertise contributes to high-quality care and optimal patient outcomes. To earn the CBRN credential, registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice nurses (APRNs) must pass a rigorous exam that validates their advanced clinical and professional knowledge across every phase of burn care – including pre-hospital and initial management; acute and critical care; patient and family support; rehabilitation; aftercare; education; and injury prevention.
“Burn nurses play a vital role in caring for burn survivors, providing physical and psychosocial support,” said Johns Hopkins Burn Center Burn Program Coordinator and BCEN board member Dr Emily Werthman. “Burn nurses are unique for their ability to combine medical acumen with learned skills to assist survivors in psychological recovery, and the CBRN provides a visible way for burn nurses to demonstrate their excellence.”
“The compassion and level of commitment exemplified by nurses who earn the CBRN mirror the extraordinary courage and resilience of patients with burn injuries,” said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker.
At the CBRN’s one-year mark, the BCEN:
- Now has sufficient data to pursue accreditation of the CBRN certification program by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC), which has accredited BCEN’s five other specialty certifications
- Offers continuing education (CE) courses and free CE webinars on burn care topics, with more in development, plus a CBRN practice exam on its award-winning BCEN Learn online platform
- Has updated the research-backed Commitment to Excellence series backgrounder, ‘Burn Nursing Excellence: The Certified Burn Registered Nurse’.
Jon Adams
Jon is the Editor of AirMed&Rescue. He was previously Editor for Clinical Medicine and Future Healthcare Journal at the Royal College of Physicians before coming to AirMed&Rescue in November 2022. His favorite helicopter is the Army Air Corps Lynx that he saw his father fly while growing up on Army bases.