Resilience" is the word that comes to mind when I think of nursing, especially orthopaedic nursing. Regardless of whether your practice setting is office, clinic, ambulatory, or a hospital setting, every nurse felt the impact of the pandemic. I was working on a 100-bed orthopaedic unit, and within 1 week, we shifted to an 80-bed COVID unit. I reflect on how nurses from all over the hospital pulled together to care for these patients and help encourage each other while navigating through unchartered territories. The dedication of peers so resilient when facing complex clinical challenges and circumstances was noticed by surgeons who said: "It is the constant strength of the orthopaedic nurses that forged the path so well." This is testimony to the value of nurses with core communication, cohesive collaboration, and collective strength in a unified mission.
I would like to continue this mission as I serve my first term as Orthopaedic Nurse Certification Board (ONCB) President. I have been a volunteer since 2008. I initially served on the Item Writing Committee, Exam Prep, and then as a Director in 2020. After recently attending the 43rd NAON Congress in Pittsburgh, it was both exciting and inspiring to see so many first-time attendees who want to be involved in a similar vision of expansion and excellence in our field. Whether it was cutting-edge information we learned from informative presentations or the networking opportunities and exchanges from colleagues of all different practice settings, these new faces shared the same mission: a collective spirit of how to achieve and advance exemplary orthopaedic outcomes.
Such opportunity exists through professional growth through both ONCB and National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON). Whether the objective is to expand your orthopaedic knowledge, develop and curate your leadership skills, or become certified, there are exponential advantages in doing so professionally and personally. The notion of certification being reserved only for hospital-based nurses is not the case and is far more expansive. There are three different certifications, ONC and ONP-C, which are exam-based and the portfolio-based ONC-A certification. In addition, ONCB's Retest for Success program offers those taking the ONC or ONP-C exam the ability to retake the exam, if unsuccessful during their first attempt, free of charge. To qualify for the program, participating organizations need to register a minimum of three applicants and test within 1 year of their contract.
In 2022, ONCB, in collaboration with the National Certification Corporation (NCC), participated in a campaign to increase the awareness of certified specialty nurses. A public service announcement (PSA) with 12 nursing specialties, including orthopaedics, was aired with more than 23,000 views. Cumulative impression totals have reached 36.9 million (36,906,796) through the end of June 2023. This has been an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the expertise and important role that orthopaedic nurses play within healthcare. If you would like to view the PSA, you can visit https://www.oncb.org/certified-nurses-make-a-difference-national-psa-campaign.
We live in a world of change, and orthopaedics is no different. Musculoskeletal health is everywhere in terms of practice, settings, and roles. I have been involved in several different roles including bedside RN, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, and more recently a nurse manager. An ONC credential has proven both instrumental and beneficial in providing extensive experience, emerging skills, and resources in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
There is a quote by Robin Sharma: "Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you." We have such a diverse reservoir of individual talent and opportunities to grow. Whether you chose to serve on a committee, or obtain specialized nursing certification, I encourage you to visit http://oncb.org to explore potential options. I look forward to sharing information and innovations with others at the 44th Annual Congress in Louisville, KY.