St. Mary’s Health Care System is celebrating Certified Nurses Day today, March 19, by honoring its 79 board-certified nurses for their professionalism, leadership, and commitment to excellence in patient care.

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 ongoing education, as well as a strong personal commitment to excellence by the nurse.

“St. Mary’s encourages national board certification for our nurses,” says Nina Evans, RN, St. Mary’s Health Care System Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. “It’s an important way of staying up-to-date on best practices in our many nursing specialties, and that helps us provide the highest quality care possible to our patients and community. 

Evans notes that nurses are found in a wide variety of roles across many of today’s healthcare settings, not just traditional inpatient care. “Nurses are a vital part of our entire continuum of care, from Family Birth Center to home hospice,” she says. “Settings range from the emergency department to critical care to imaging to home care. But in all those settings, the nurse’s role is always to be a compassionate healing presence, a hands-on provider of care, and the physician’s eyes and ears.”

“Ultimately, board certification contributes to higher standards of patient care and helps to keep our communities safe and healthy,” adds Celia Covington, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital, where 10 of the system’s certified nurses work. “Nurses who voluntarily chose to achieve professional certification deserve public recognition and appreciation. In addition to the recognition, Certified Nurses Day is an opportunity to encourage other nurses to push themselves and seek certification themselves.”