ABNS News

The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) is proud to announce that Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CPHQ, CENP, CCP-ICE, FABC, CEO of the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing, is the recipient of its prestigious Janel Parker President’s Award for the 2024-2025 year. The Janel Parker President’s Award recognizes an individual or organization within the ABNS membership that has made significant contributions to specialty nursing certification and to the association. The award was presented on April 4, 2025 at the annual ABNS Spring Conference.

Janie stepped into the role of President of the Board of Directors for ABNS in 2018 having not previously served on their board to ensure continued operations and success. She did an outstanding job bringing a new vision for ABNS to the organization and did a significant amount of work improving the internal operations and oversight of the work of the association. Janie was an ex-officio board member of ABSNC as President of ABNS and provided insightful and valuable insight on the revision to the accreditation standards.

Janie implemented rigor and expectations with ABNS's management company to ensure they were meeting obligations to member organizations. Much of the work she did in this regard was behind the scenes and not visible to members but contributed to the value of ABNS for member organizations and the public, nonetheless. Further, as president during the COVID pandemic, she held weekly townhalls with member organizations to allow for information sharing and community. Janie was also instrumental in working with ANCC to bring Certified Nurses Day into ABNS. Janie also led a research initiative with Morning Consult to understand the public perception and understanding of nursing certification, which led to the collection of actionable data that ABNS shared with member organizations to inform their marketing and communication efforts. She improved the member survey, oversaw the update of the certification bibliography and contributed to the organization's financial stability.

"We are so incredibly fortunate to have had Janie's leadership at a time of great change for the organization and the industry," said Terri Hinkley, EdD, MBA, BScN, RN, CAE, Past President of ABNS.

Please join us in celebrating 2025 Janel Parker President’s Award recipient Janie Schumaker for her tireless promotion of the value of nursing certification!

For more information about ABNS, please visit https://nursingcertification.org/.

Now is the time to recognize service, achievement, and impact in our industry! Applications for the 2024-2025 annual awards are open and the deadline for submission for all awards is January 31, 2025. 

The four awards are:

• The ABNS Research and Innovation Award (specific to ABNS Members) recognizes noteworthy achievement in research and innovation specific to the work of specialty nursing certification and in promoting the mission of ABNS.

• The Janel Parker President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Certification (specific to ABNS Members) recognizes an individual or organization within the ABNS membership that has made significant contributions to specialty nursing certification and to the association. 

• The ABNS Rising Leader Award recognizes and honors a young professional (forty years old or younger) who has made a significant impact in advancing the nursing certification industry.

• The ABNS Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes sustained, exemplary service to the nursing credentialing industry. The nominee must be an active participant in ABNS for at least 10 years with demonstrated involvement in activities that advance the mission of ABNS.

Please contact the ABNS Executive Office at abns@nursingcertification.org if you have questions or comments about these awards.

The 2024 Spring Conference will be held in Alexandria, VA April 5-6, 2024. More details to come. 

Call for Award Nominations

The American Board of Nursing Specialties is excited to announce that applications for the 2024 annual awards are now open. The deadline for submission for all awards is January 31, 2024.

• The ABNS Research and Innovation Award (specific to ABNS Members) recognizes noteworthy achievement in research and innovation specific to the work of specialty nursing certification and in promoting the mission of ABNS.
• The Janel Parker President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Certification (specific to ABNS Members) recognizes an individual or organization within the ABNS membership that has made significant contributions to specialty nursing certification and to the association. 

• The ABNS Rising Leader Award recognizes and honors a young professional (forty years old or younger) who has made a significant impact in advancing the nursing certification industry.
• The ABNS Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes sustained, exemplary service to the nursing credentialing industry. The nominee must be an active participant in ABNS for at least 10 years with demonstrated involvement in activities that advance the mission of ABNS.

Please contact the ABNS Executive Office at abns@nursingcertification.org if you have questions or comments about these awards.

American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS)

We're still in need of volunteers. Enrich your ABNS membership experience by serving on a Committee! Share your experience and expertise, gain knowledge, and enlarge your network - all while being part of ABNS' work to continue moving our field forward. ABNS is issuing a call for members to serve on, or chair, the following Committees:

• Nominating Committee (2 volunteers needed): Prepare the slate of potential board members and officers. Vet and present candidates for positions. 
• Conference Committee (3 volunteers needed): Conduct educational needs assessments and provide feedback and suggestions for program planning.

We know you are all busy professionals so annual time commitment is minimal. However, your participation will help further the ABNS mission in 2023 and beyond. 

Email your interest in serving to abns@nursingcertification.org

Enrich your ABNS membership experience by serving on a Committee! Share your experience and expertise, gain knowledge, and enlarge your network - all while being part of ABNS' work to continue moving our field forward! ABNS is issuing a call for members to serve on, or chair, the following Committees:

Awards Committee (2 volunteers needed): Administering the ABNS Awards Program that recognizes individuals and/or organizations internal and external to the organization. Review applications for the Nursing Certification Advocacy Award and the Janel Parker President’s Award

Conference Committee (3 volunteers needed): Conduct educational needs assessments and provide feedback and suggestions for program planning.

Email your interest in serving to abns@nursingcertification.org

A major milestone, BCEN is introducing the world's first burn nursing specialty credential, on track to launch summer of 2023. Learn more about the CBRN credential, exam outline and the partnership between BCEN and the American Burn Association.

For more information please reach out to Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CENP, CPHQ, FABC jschumaker@bcen.org

Exam Outline

More Information Here