Members of the Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board (ONCB) are pleased to announce the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center (Towson, MD) as the 2016 recipient of the Orthopaedic Nursing Certification Recognition Award.
The University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center is a champion of certification. Medical Center leaders have encouraged nurses to continue their education by supporting a schedule that allows nurses to attend review courses, conferences, and examinations. Criteria for the facility’s clinical ladder also include certification. Certification is discussed as a goal for every newly hired registered nurse, and certified nurses receive a quarterly bonus. Continuing education is supported onsite to help nurses maintain certification. Nurses’ certification is recognized in public viewing areas and on their facility badges.
Building on a $30,000 gift from a patient who underwent bilateral knee arthroplasty, nurse leaders have added funds from physician partners to reach approximately $150,000 in support of orthopaedic nursing education and certification. The Orthopaedic Supply Chain also contributed to the funds by reducing the number of orthopaedic implant vendors. The Medical Center now has 31 ONC®s and one ONP-C®. The University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center is also an ONCB “Retest for Success” facility.
Director of Nursing Michele McKee, MS, RN, ONC®, NE-BC, nominated the Medical Center for this award. She noted, “I would like to thank the ONCB for this prestigious award! I am incredibly proud of our orthopaedic nursing staff and with this award feel that all their hard work and efforts have been validated. We are thrilled to receive this national recognition of nursing excellence!”
Ms. McKee continued, “Here at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center Orthopaedic Institute, nursing leaders are extremely focused on doing everything we can to support nursing development and certification. Evidence shows us that patient outcomes are directly correlated to professional certifications in nursing. We embrace this concept and support our nurses to study for certification, sit for the examination, and recertify. Our physician colleagues have helped establish an orthopaedic nursing education fund for this endeavor. Without their efforts, we would not have been as successful in achieving our goals as we have been since 2008.”
“The University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center is an exceptional role model for recognition of orthopaedic nursing certification. It is our great pleasure to honor their commitment through this prestigious annual award,” said Katherine Bolme, RN, ONC®, President of ONCB.
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Editors Note:
The Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board (ONCB) offers the only certification examinations for registered nurses in orthopaedic practice in the United States. The mission of ONCB is to improve musculoskeletal health by providing orthopaedic nurses with certifications that promote their professional development and advance the practice of orthopaedic nursing. Currently, over 7000 registered nurses hold the board’s three credentials: Orthopaedic Nurse Certified (ONC®), Orthopaedic Clinical Nurse Specialist Certified (OCNS-C®), and Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner Certified (ONP-C®). A volunteer board of 11 members, including a consumer representative, provides strategic direction for orthopaedic nursing certification examination development and maintenance activities.
For further information about ONCB, visit www.oncb.org or email Dottie Roberts, EdD, MSN, MACI, RN, OCNS-C®, CMSRN, Executive Director, at oncb@oncb.org.