North Country Hospital honors their 53 board certified nurses

North Country Hospital is celebrating Certified Nurses Day, March 19th by honoring its board certified nurses. Board Certification of nurses plays an increasingly important role in the assurance of high standards of care for patients and their loved ones. Nursing, like health care 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 post-secondary and continuing education and a strong personal commitment to excellence by the nurse.
A little over a year ago, a staff member of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) had an idea that quickly ignited the imagination of others. The American Nurses Association (ANA) joined the ANCC and a consensus quickly emerged that there was no better day to celebrate Certified Nurses Day™ than March 19th, the birthday of Margretta "Gretta" Madden Styles. Known as the 'Mother of Nurse Credentialing' Gretta Styles was the architect of the first comprehensive study of nursing credentialing in the 1970s; her legacy is the powerful and growing role of board certification in contributing to high standards of patient care.
The decision to pursue certification requires considerable thought, and the challenges of preparing and actually taking a test can be stressful. So, why do we do it? To assure our patients that we have the knowledge and skills to understand the intricacies of their disease process within our specialty area and that we can help to create their safe passage through the healthcare system. Nurses also complete the certification process for personal reasons: pride, respect, professional development and a sense of accomplishment. Certified nurses are enthusiastic, motivated and energized. Studies from the Institute of Medicine have demonstrated that specialty-certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction, as well as lower rates of work-related errors in patient care. They offer many suggestions to improve performance, and become leaders within their units and within the institutions where they work.
North Country is proud to honor our certified nurses on this 1st annual Certified Nurses Day. We have much to celebrate! Approximately 25% of nurses nationwide hold a specialty certification; here at North Country 41% (53) of our RNs are certified. Those 53 nurses hold a total of 65 certifications; eight of them have two certifications and two have three. Additionally, 100% of our Preop/PACU staff is certified making NCHS one of a handful of hospitals nationwide with this distinction.
The following nurses are being recognized for their professionalism, leadership and commitment to excellence in patient care:
Cardiac Rehab: Joan Wheeler, Diabetes Educator; Central Sterile Processing/Infection Control; Jean Holcomb, Sterile Processing and Distribution Supervisor & Infection Central & Epidemiology; Derby Green: Lisa Bohlman, Case Manager; Education, Rhonda Howard, Critical Care. Emergency Department: Ann Edgerly, Betty Babcock, Donna Toohey, Joann Erdman, Lindy Perry, Rachel Geoffrey, Robin Hahn, Sue Barrup, Sue Burgess, and Susan Birge, Emergency Care Certification; Intensive Care Unit: Kim Major, Progressive Care.
Maternal/Child Health: Ann Flynn, Brigitte Sicard, Peggy Marckres, Inpatient Obstetric Nurse; Faye Poutre-Hilliker, Lactation Consultant; Kathy Fabian, Nursing Administration; Susan Morin, Inpatient Obstetric Nurse & Lactation Consultant; Lesley Rae Larson, Certified Nurse Midwife.
Medical/Surgical: Ann Guy, Infusion & Med/Surg; Kathy Brule-Lazarra, Perioperative Nursing; Jean Jordan, Joanne Root, Laurie Lord, Lisa Anderson, Mary Short, Roberta Hurd, Suzanne LeBlanc, Wayne Mutrux, Medical/Surgical Nursing. Nursing Administration: Sheryl Washburn, Healthcare Executive & Nursing Administration.
Surgical Services: Aura Andrade, Julie Perron, Ambulatory Perianesthesia & Post Anesthesia; Bruce Dougall, Dareth Gage, Debra Beauchesne, Linda Dufield, Robert Williams, Perioperative; Cecile Gelineau, Perioperative Gastoenterology, Perioperative Operating Room & Ambulatory Perianesthesia; Cheryl Heath, Christina Lawson, Devon Swanson, Gigi Gobeil-Judd, Nancy Noble, Paula Goudreau, Ambulatory Perianesthesia; Christine Wolf, Post Anesthesia; Gail Meunier, Perianesthesia, Ambulatory Perianesthesia & Critical Care; Jackie Hamblett, Jennifer Sudlow, Post Anesthesia; Rita Nye, Gastroenterology & Perioperative; Melanie Graham, Ambulatory Perianesthesia & Medical/Surgical.
North Country Hospital encourages national board certification for all its nurses. Patients are encouraged to inquire whether there are certified nurses on staff when they visit a hospital or their primary care provider. Many nursing certification bodies exist to serve the full range of specialized nursing care offered in the contemporary health care system; national nurse-certifying bodies should be accredited by either the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) or the National Organization for Competence Assurance (NOCA), or both.
Please join North Country Hospital, ABNS, NOCA and the nation’s national nursing certification organizations in honoring those hardworking, dedicated nurses for their professionalism, and a job well done.