Certified Nurses Highlight Commitment to High-Quality Care, Patient Safety, Clinical Education and Professional Development

South Burlington, VT – As a charge nurse in the Emergency Department (ED) at University of Vermont Medical Center, registered nurse Christopher Doran, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, often sees people on what they would likely call their worst day.

Emergent medical situations, traumatic injuries, pediatric emergencies and more: Doran has worked as a critical care nurse for a dozen years, spending about half that time as a travel nurse before joining UVM Medical Center. Patient care – specifically trauma nursing, emergency nursing and pediatrics – is what drove Doran to pursue a career in health care. What’s kept him here is a desire to expand and test his own clinical knowledge and skills while also teaching others. He is a certified emergency nurse, a certified pediatric emergency nurse and a certified trauma nurse, and holds a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN).

“I really want to help ED nurses become the best that they can,” said Doran, who also helps run an annual 10-week trauma nursing fellowship program at UVM Medical Center. “I feel like I was raised to educate, found the passion that I enjoyed and married the education with it. Over the years I’ve been lucky to have support and excellent colleagues who help bring me along.”

The certifications and clinical degrees Doran holds each represent hundreds of hours of study and years of practical experience – as well as demonstrating that knowledge on certification exams and completing dozens of hours of annual continuing education required to maintain the certifications after they are earned.

Doran said he puts in the extra effort because he’s driven to practice and teach at the leading edge of clinical care – and because he’s inspired by the number of colleagues at UVM Medical Center who do the same.

“The number of certified nurses in our department [the ED] is ridiculously high,” he said. “We’re not doing it for the notoriety or to put the letters behind our name. We want to be the best nurse that we can be and work at the top of our license. You’re learning cutting-edge medicine and putting everything you know to the test.”

Doran has a lot of company, said registered nurse Betsy Hassan, DNP, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, director of nursing education and professional development at UVM Medical Center. Of the 2,299 nurses employed at the medical center, more than 560 hold specialty certifications or are certified as an advance practice registered nurse (APRN), she said. That number grows every year.

“Nurses are the eyes and ears and voices for patients,” said Hassan. “By supporting our nurses to become certified, we ensure they possess the advanced expertise needed to deliver exceptional care for each patient’s needs. These certifications also empower nurses to effectively advocate for patients – especially when they face challenges in expressing their own needs – while demonstrating to our patients and colleagues alike our unwavering commitment to excellence.”

Hassan said organizational support – including financial incentives for nurses who want to pursue specialty certifications – are a major facilitator of the hospital’s high number of certified nurses.

Each nurse is eligible for an annual stipend to support certification reviews and studying; UVM Medical Center also offers tuition reimbursement programs and annual scholarship awards for nurses – and financial incentives that reward nurses for obtaining certifications are also baked into union contracts and the hospital’s career ladder for nurses.

Self-Driven and Patient-Focused

Marcia Abdelrahman, BSN, RN, CHFN, has always felt a passion for cardiology, as a specialty that combines her passion for nursing and patient education. In 2019 she began working as a heart failure nurse clinician at UVM Medical Center and earned her certification as a heart failure nurse in 2022.

Abdelrahman works one-on-one with heart failure patients – between 50 and 60 each month – and those experiencing flare-ups of heart failure symptoms. She focuses on everything from medication education to diet planning to proper use of home medical equipment.

“I meet patients where they are at and we tailor their plan to their specific needs,” she said. “These are people who come in sick, afraid and overwhelmed – so it’s important to find the appropriate time and manner to help them absorb the information they need.”

In addition to her patient-facing work, Abdelrahman also works with newly hired nurses and recent nursing graduates. She is part of the Nursing department’s preceptor program, which pairs new nurses with more experienced colleagues. She earned her bachelor’s in nursing degree earlier this year, and said the experience reinforced her desire to continue learning and possibly pursue a career in nursing education.

“You’re never too old to go back to school,” she said. “And you’re always updated with information on medications and treatments.”

Sharing knowledge and pursuing a clinical passion is what drives registered nurse Terry Setien, MSN, CSC, CMC, to maintain multiple specialty certifications as well. Setien is a nurse clinician of nearly 40 years and holds specialty nursing certifications as a critical care nurse, cardiac surgery nurse and cardiac medicine nurse.

“The job I’m in right now is the job I wanted in my heart to do,” said Setien of her work as coordinator of ECMO, a specialty life support system used for patients in need of extraordinary cardiovascular support. “You must have a degree of self-directed learning, and certification is a great way to do that. It’s how you get great outcomes for patients; it’s staying current in your practice.”

Setien encourages younger nurses to pursue certifications as soon as they are able. Most certifications require a nurse to have been in their practice for two years before they are eligible to take the certification exam. She is also working with a group of nurses to help reform a local chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, to help engage nurses in critical care.

“There are so many opportunities for whatever your strength might be,” she said.

Supporting Colleagues

Pushing more nurses to obtain specialty certifications is a newfound passion for registered nurse Melissa Vizvarie, BSN, RN, CRRN, as well. Vizvarie is an assistant nurse manager on UVM Medical Center’s rehabilitation team and recently earned her clinical certification. She leads the hospital’s Rehabilitation Quality Committee, reviewing patient surveys and developing interventions that improve patient outcomes.

A particular point of pride for Vizvarie is that Rehabilitation has a high number of certified nurses (about one-quarter) and also boasts one of the lowest staff turnover rates at UVM Medical Center. The team works with a wide variety of patients, including a high volume of individuals with brain and spinal injuries due to trauma and neurological conditions such as strokes.

“Certification is an investment for me and in my own practice, but also in UVM Medical Center as a whole,” she said. “It validated my knowledge and experience and motivates me to continue with my research and education. It’s got me passionate about gathering information, knowledge-sharing and how we can apply it in our practice.”

Vizvarie said her goal is to help at least three nurses on the team earn their own certifications this year. The department supports self-study options for nurses and has course books and test prep materials available for anyone interested in pursuing a certification.

“Certified Nurses Day is about recognizing nursing professionals who have committed to excellence and high-quality care through their specialty knowledge,” said Hassan.