Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN)

04/28/2026

In this episode, we're joined by Niki Shimko, a national leader in neonatal and pediatric transport and disaster preparedness. Niki Shimko is a leader in neonatal and pediatric transport with more than 26 years of nursing experience and over 12 years leading a pediatric and neonatal transport team.....

04/27/2026

Certified nurses are mission critical! 🚀 Congratulations to Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Meredith Marlowe, member of the U.S. Navy Medicine’s Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS) team, on supporting the successful recovery of the NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Artemis II crew and the Orion spacecraft.

SAN DIEGO (April 15, 2026) — As NASA’s Artemis II crew returned to Earth following their historic mission around the moon, a team of Navy Medicine professionals stood ready in the Pacific

04/26/2026

Meet Carly Johnson, BSN, RN, CPEN, TCRN, CCRN, in today's spotlight, Hot and Bothered: From Heat Exposure to Multi-System Failure. 🥵

Carly has been a night shift nurse in the pediatric emergency department for several years, and now works at the bedside in one of the busiest pediatric EDs in the country.

When a teenage athlete comes to the ED from his summer practice with leg cramps, the answer may seem obvious. Heat exposure is common; rhabdomyolysis has a well-documented treatment plan—but when the body doesn’t respond to basic treatment, the complications can catastrophically impact multiple systems.

As the patient sits in the ED and waits for disposition, how does the bedside nurse recognize that he is declining? What is the team looking for, and what would we do if that happens? Is he medically an adult or a child?

The intention of this presentation is to understand what exactly is happening in the body, recognize clinical symptoms of decline (without relying solely on lab work), then escalate and intervene when the patient needs more support.

🎟️ Get tickets or see more speaker sessions: https://ow.ly/jpUU50YLrtX

04/25/2026

🤝 Get to know 2026-2027 BCEN Board of Directors Chair Julie Ruddy, BS, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, and the choices and experiences that defined her nursing career path—from early certification to leading with accountability, compassion, and curiosity.

In a candid conversation, Julie reflects on her journey from candy striper to board-certified RN, and how nurses’ roles and patient acuity have changed dramatically over time. She shares insights on patient-centered care—including the importance of active listening and setting compassionate boundaries—as well as important and well-earned advice for new nurses.

Get to know 2026-2027 BCEN board of directors chair Julie Ruddy, BS, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

04/24/2026

🔴LIVE May 6 | Crisis in Motion: A Trauma System Response to a Bus Rollover (1.5 CE)

Examine a real-world case study reviewing critical components of the emergency response to a multi-casualty school bus rollover on an interstate highway. 🚌🚨

This live CE session will emphasize rapid scene assessment, field triage, incident command establishment, and effective management of hazards and logistics, as well as coordination of patient transport to hospitals across two states, communication among multiple EMS agencies and receiving facilities, patient tracking, and family reunification.

Gain insight into how state and regional trauma systems are activated, how preparedness plans support response, and how post-incident debriefs identify successes, challenges, and opportunities for improvement—with practical, actionable lessons to enhance inter-agency coordination and readiness for large-scale incidents.

🦺 Describe effective on-scene management strategies for a multi-casualty incident.
🚑 Demonstrate how to coordinate scene safety, triage, and transfer of patients.
📢 Examine processes for preparedness to include: family reunification, communication, regional and state response, and post-incident procedures.

Attend free (1.5 CE): https://ow.ly/B41r50YPgxW

04/23/2026

4 CE Video-Based Course 🎥 From Airflow to Alarms: Ventilator Essentials for Nursing

With frequent patient intubations and possible prolonged ED stays before ICU transfer, nurses need to accurately identify ventilator modes, settings, alarms, and abnormal findings to manage complications effectively.

BCEN's latest online course offers an overview of mechanical ventilation, covering basic management principles and common challenges. With over 20 videos, interactive elements, and knowledge checks, this course provides essential strategies and practical insights, leveraging patient scenarios to highlights pitfalls of ventilation for direct clinical application.

Take the course on BCEN Learn: https://ow.ly/ZecI50YOOgW

04/22/2026

Innovation. Growth. Leadership. 🩺✨ Throughout 2025, the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing advanced emergency, trauma, transport and burn nursing—by elevating our certification programs, expanding continuing education and certification prep offerings, publishing new research, and more—all while earning industry and global recognition.

See how BCEN specialty certification is shaping the future of nursing across the emergency spectrum—and supporting a worldwide community of 55,000 RNs (and growing!) committed to clinical and professional excellence.

Read the BCEN 2025 Annual Report: bcen.org/year-in-review/

04/20/2026

Happy ! 🙌 As a volunteer-based organization, BCEN extends our deep appreciation and gratitude to each and every volunteer RN who has dedicated their valuable time and expertise to the advancement of emergency, trauma, transport and burn nursing. We are so grateful for your contributions!

Please join us in thanking our extraordinary volunteer Board of Directors, Exam Item Writers, Exam Construction Review Committee members, BCEN Learn Subject Matter Experts, and Role Delineation Study and Passing Point Study participants who help BCEN maintain the validity and rigor of our nursing specialty certification programs.

Shout out a BCEN volunteer and share your appreciation in the comments below! 👏

🙋 Get involved at BCEN.org/volunteers

04/19/2026

Meet Bruce Hoffman, EdD(c), MSN-RN, CFRN, FP-C, CCP-C, C-NPT, in today's spotlight, The Pentad Truths of AMAX4: Prioritizing Processes for Challenging Resuscitations. 🧠

Bruce is a critical care registered nurse and paramedic whose clinical background includes the ICU, ER, trauma, cardiology, and critical care transport/flight. He holds graduate degrees in education and advanced practice.

This summer at , he'll be presenting a CE session on AMAX4, a structured resuscitation framework designed to improve survival in patients experiencing severe anaphylaxis or asthma-related hypoxemia. Developed from the AMAX4 initiative by Dr. Ben McKenzie, the model emphasizes five essential priorities to prevent hypoxic brain injury.

Explore the intersection of physiology, performance, and decision-making during high-stakes clinical events—and improve outcomes in the most challenging resuscitations!

🎟️ Get tickets or see more speaker sessions: https://ow.ly/1sB450YLonl

04/18/2026

Hope, Grit, and Growth: Blending Science and Soul in Trauma Leadership 🎙️ Pam Vanderberg - BCEN & Friends Podcast S7E8

In this episode, we're joined by Pam Vanderberg, a nationally respected trauma leader and newly appointed BCEN Board member.

Pam serves as Vice President of Trauma and Burn Services at GradyHealth Memorial Hospital, one of the nation’s busiest Level I trauma and burn centers. Pam oversees comprehensive trauma and burn operations, aligning clinical excellence with operational and financial sustainability. Nationally, she has advanced trauma nursing as an item writer for the TCRN and as a contributor to the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program Best Practice Guidelines and the Advanced Practice Trauma Management course. Pam also serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Trauma Foundation, supporting statewide trauma system advocacy. Her career reflects a deep commitment to strengthening certification, advancing trauma systems, and elevating standards of care across the continuum.

Pam shares powerful insights drawn from her journey through career disruption, trauma system expansion, violence prevention, and certification—offering a thoughtful perspective on leadership, resilience, and the future of emergency and trauma nursing.

04/17/2026

BCEN had a blast this week connecting with RNs, admins, and leaders across several industry events: Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference, the American Burn Association Annual Meeting, and Society of Trauma Nurses TraumaCon! Thank you to everyone who visited BCEN's booth to learn more about specialty board certification, pick up certification badge ribbons, and take home some fun conference freebies.

We hope to see you again soon at 2026! 🤩 Get tickets: https://bcen.org/bcen-learn-live/vegas-2026/

04/14/2026

Shout out to every student nurse and who met with BCEN at the National Student Nurses' Association 74th Annual Convention in Houston, Texas! We had a fantastic conference connecting with BCEN-sponsored Foundation of the National Student Nurses' Association scholarship awardees and hundreds of students representing organizations across the country.

🗝️ For more info about nursing specialty certification, professional and educational nursing resources, visit BCEN.org/resources