The Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board (ONCB) honors leaders in the field of orthopaedic nursing by sponsoring the Orthopaedic Nursing Certification Advocacy Award for individual applicants and the Orthopaedic Nursing Certification Recognition Award for units, institutions, or health systems. The award is designed to recognize individuals and facilities for their promotion of orthopaedic certification and recertification on a local level.
- The individual award winner will receive either a paid registration to the next NAON Congress (to publicly receive the award) or a complimentary recertification.
- The award-winning facility will receive a beautiful plaque to allow recognition of all its orthopaedic certified nurses.
- Winners will be recognized in ONCB’s media and social media outlets.
Winners will also receive a framed certificate to announce their award attainment. Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board and Committee members are not eligible for this award.
Orthopaedic nursing certification promotes continuing professional development, and recognizes excellence in knowledge and its application through expertise in the field of orthopaedic nursing. Regardless of the practice setting, orthopaedic nursing certification benefits patients and their families, nurses, and employers. Orthopaedic nursing certification validates nurses’ attainment of stringent requirements for knowledge and experience through performance on a standardized examination.
ONCB has established the following criteria for the nomination process:
A. Individual:
The nominee must hold current certification from the Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board. The applicant must provide documentation for at least two of the following four criteria in describing how the nominee has served as an advocate for orthopaedic nursing certification (examples of how to meet each criterion below). More criteria addressed may yield more points in reviewer evaluation.
1. Nurtures orthopaedic nurses in professional development and mentors future leaders in obtaining orthopaedic nursing certification.
- Acts as an ONCB Ambassador.
- Mentors a nurse preparing for the orthopaedic nursing certification exam.
2. Creates passion for the orthopaedic nursing certification.
- Presents at formal meeting about benefits of orthopaedic nursing certification.
- Publishes an article about the benefits of orthopaedic nursing certification.
3. Fosters an environment conducive to orthopaedic nursing certification.
- Assists with certification review course by facilitating a discussion or teaching a class.
- Hosts an exam as a special site administrator
4. Utilizes leadership skills to promote orthopaedic nursing certification.
- Organizes and facilitates a certification review course.
- Collaborates with employer to facilitate a certification review course.
B. Unit, Institution, or Health System:
The applicant must provide documentation of at least two of the following four criteria in describing how the nominee has created a culture that recognizes orthopaedic nursing certification (examples of how to meet each criterion below). More criteria addressed may yield more points in reviewer evaluation.
1. Advances excellence as the standard of care by supporting nurses to obtain and maintain orthopaedic nursing certification.
a. Gives financial support to orthopaedic RNs to obtain and maintain certification (e.g., payment or reimbursement of examination and/or recertification fees, paid time off to take certification examination or attend review course).
b. Supports an orthopaedic review course being offered on the premises and facilitates staff attendance at the course, or reimburses for attendance at an external review course.
c. Provides continuing education programs or reimburses for attendance at continuing education programs, with paid time off for continuing education activities.
d. Uses specialty nursing certification as a criterion on the clinical ladder/clinical advancement program.
e. Pays differential or bonus for orthopaedic-certified nurses.
f. Other.
2. Encourages nurse leaders to mentor orthopaedic nurses in professional development and promote orthopaedic nursing certification.
a. Nursing leaders are recognized/rewarded for the certification of orthopaedic nurses whom they have mentored.
b. Facility/unit has a formal mentoring program for orthopaedic certification, examination preparation, and certification maintenance.
c. Other.
3. Recognizes the impact of orthopaedic-certified staff on the facility in the preceding year.
a. Identify impact on patient care of orthopaedic-certified nurses.
b. Promotes professional development and participation in specialty nursing organizations.
c. Publishes names of orthopaedic-certified nurses in hospital newsletter and/or in public areas in hospital/unit.
d. Sponsors an event to honor orthopaedic-certified nurses.
e. Places plaques with the names of orthopaedic-certified nurses where the public can view them.
f. Displays certification credentials on RN name badges.
g. Other.
4. Supports activities related to orthopaedic nursing certification that have influence beyond the unit or organizational, with impact felt in the community or state, nationally or internationally.
a. Grants written to seek support for specialty nursing certification.
b. Partnership with other agencies or specialty nursing associations related to certification.
c. Activities to promote orthopaedic nursing certification to the public.
d. Other.
Additional Information:
Individuals may self-nominate or be nominated by others; units, institutions, or health systems may be nominated by an employee or other stakeholder.
The complete application package must include the application form and all documentation in support of the above criteria (e.g., policies). No DVDs or VHS tapes will be accepted. No faxed copies of applications will be accepted. Incomplete applications will be ineligible for consideration.
Applications must received by midnight, December 31, 2016.
One award will be given in each category if there are qualified applicants. Recipients will be notified by February 1, 2017.