As the New Year is being welcomed in, it is interesting that the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) is making the last few plans for the 2015 STN annual conference themed "River of Dreams." Over the past 2 decades many dreams have been realized through the hard work and dedication of the STN leadership and membership. Like any project that an organization takes on, there are many who have been involved over the years with the "seed planting, nurturing and harvesting" to finally actualize the dream. With the trauma nurse certification, that is the case: there are too many to count or acknowledge!! But the dream of many for years is a reality for our organization!
I have asked Stephanie Czuhajewski, Executive Director of STN, to participate with the President's Message in this journal. She has been intimately involved with this project and has been exceptional in demonstrating the chronology and partnership of the STN and the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN). Below are Stephanie's comments.
I echo Stephanie's sentiment. This is an exciting time for trauma nursing. In the months going forward, Melissa Harte, Past President STN, will serve as the official trauma nurse certification liaison. Thank you, Melissa.
In closing, may this New Year bring time to rebirth, reawaken, rethink, revitalize, rekindle, redefine, relive, repurpose, reinvent, reclaim, and restart your dreams.
Birthing a certification program is a lot more time consuming than I ever imagined. Since 2010, STN has been actively pursuing the idea of developing a trauma nursing certification-and nearly 5 years later, thanks to the leadership of the BCEN and the tenacity of your STN leadership, this dream is going to become a reality over the next 18 months.
Looking back at the events leading up to the BCEN's recent announcement of the development of a trauma nursing certification program has given me a real appreciation of its value to STN members and the broader trauma nursing community.
In 2010, STN conducted a series of organizational self-assessments, including a comprehensive membership survey to study the desire for a unique trauma certification among members (many of whom already carry other certifications) and also to determine whether there was a well-defined protocol and business case for STN to undertake such an endeavor as a membership organization. It was an incredible learning experience that allowed STN leaders to, for the first time, fully understand what would be required financially and philosophically to create and sustain a highly regarded credentialing program for trauma nursing.
After researching the issue at length, it became apparent that it would be better to partner with an organization that is experienced in credentialing, rather than to try to develop a program "in-house." Part of the rationale centered on the financial aspects of developing such a program, but the most compelling reason was to ensure that the required firewalls were in place between STN and the certifying body so that there would be no question about the integrity of the certification and oversight of the process.
In the spring of 2012, STN leaders met informally with leaders from the BCEN to discuss the concept of collaborating to develop trauma certification program for nurses. STN instantly recognized that BCEN carries both the experience and expertise to develop and manage a certification program that meets the highest professional standards.
The BCEN houses and oversees several certification programs, including the Certified Emergency Nurse credential, which is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification. Today, there are more than 36 000 BCEN-certified nurses.
In 2013, STN and BCEN established a formal Memorandum of Understanding and agreed to cofund a formal Needs Assessment Survey, which was distributed to the entire trauma nursing community (and beyond), in the hopes to capture as much feedback as possible about the need and feasibility for a trauma certification program. The survey was conducted and analyzed by a professional firm to ensure that the data were valid. The results of the needs assessment survey were incredibly positive and prompted both BCEN and STN to move forward to the next phase of research in considering a trauma nursing certification program.
In early 2014, STN and BCEN commissioned a Role Delineation Study to obtain critical information from the trauma nursing community about their day-to-day tasks and responsibilities to determine whether the body of knowledge in trauma nursing would lend itself to being measured through a certification examination-and whether or not there was enough independent knowledge to be tested beyond what was already being evaluated through other certification programs. The Role Delineation Study confirmed that a trauma nursing certification is viable, feasible, and much needed!
It is important to note that the decision to move forward with the development of this certification program rested with BCEN leaders. That is because BCEN, as the owner and operator of the certification program, will carry all of the risk in its development. STN is delighted that BCEN made the decision to move forward in October-and according to the preliminary timeline, the first Trauma Nursing Certification examination will take place in early 2016.
Because of the necessary firewalls, STN cannot have a hand in the development or implementation of the examination. We have, however, allocated $30 000 to help with marketing initiatives to ensure that all trauma nurses are aware of the examination, and we are also in the process of developing preparatory materials to assist trauma nurses in preparing for the examination. I am also very pleased to report that BCEN, as is consistent with its commitment to excellence in nursing, is planning to offer a discount on examination fees for STN members who register to take the examination.
This is an exciting time for trauma nursing-and for STN and BCEN as collaborative partners!