Friday, May 6, 2016, is the kickoff of National Nurses Week, in which the American Nurses Association (ANA) leads a celebration of the pivotal and multifaceted clinical role nurses play in the US healthcare system. Go to the ANA website to download a resource toolkit and learn more about all of the week’s activities.
The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) would like to recognize all of the nurses that provide exceptional care to patients with bleeding disorders through our hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs). These nurses are on the front lines of patient care. They are an essential component of the highest quality treatment, education and support. We are grateful for all of their work and encourage the community to thank them this week.
National Nurses Week is also a perfect time to remind HTC nurses of an excellent new opportunity to become board certified through a program of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The “Hemostasis Nursing Certification Through Portfolio Program” provides a validated assessment of the clinical knowledge and skills of registered nurses in the hemostasis specialty, including those who care for bleeding disorders patients. HTC nurses who successfully complete both the eligibility requirements and peer-led assessment/review process are awarded the credential: Registered Nurse-Board Certified (RN-BC), which is valid for five years and eligible for renewal.
Learn more about the program by going to the ANCC website.
“The ANCC certification is finally a way to validate the expertise of hemostasis nurses,” said Regina Butler, RN-BC, Hemophilia Nurse Coordinator at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It will recognize the skills and knowledge of specialty nurses in the field, and motivate hemostasis nurses to keep abreast of current guidelines and seek new skills and knowledge to better serve patients and families.”
“I am so thankful that we now have certification through Portfolio for Hemostasis Nursing. This provided me the opportunity to gain board certification specifically related to my practice, my goals and my accomplishments in my professional career growth and in my delivery of care to families,” said Susan Hunter, BSN, RN, RN-BC, Senior Hemophilia Nurse, Hemophilia Treatment Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. “The process led to formal recognition of my accomplishments. This is important to me and to my institution (hospital) as it is documentation and recognition of quality performance. It says 'well done.' For me, the process also served as a valuable tool that revealed areas where I could spend more time on projects that could enhance and expand my practice in hemophilia nursing. It is motivation to keep aiming higher and higher.”
In a related development, the Partners in Bleeding Disorders Education will reimburse a significant portion of the application fee of successful certification program candidates working with bleeding disorders and employed at federally recognized HTCs. Founded in 1996 by the Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center in Indianapolis, “Partners” offers educational programs and online modules for both HTC professionals and other healthcare providers who treat people with bleeding and/or clotting disorders. Eligible nurses are strongly encouraged to avail themselves of this added incentive offered through Partners.
Learn more about the application fee reimbursement.
“Thank you Partners and ANCC. It is about time that hemophilia nurses have a way to define and be rewarded for the quality care we provide to our patients,” added Jennifer Maahs, MSN, PNP, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at the Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. “The Nursing certification provides an opportunity to finally define the important role of the nurse in caring for patients with bleeding disorders. It also demonstrates to colleagues, employers and patients that continuing professional development and high standards is a priority.
Lastly, in honor of National Nurses Week, NHF would like to recognize the hard work of the NHF Nursing Working Group and the educational resources it has created for colleagues who work in the bleeding disorders community. These valuable sources of information are free and readily accessible on the NHF website.
