World’s First Professional Credential for Burn Care Nurses On Track for Summer 2023 Launch
 
OAK BROOK, IL (November 2, 2022) – In a major milestone on the way to introducing the world’s first burn nursing specialty credential, the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the benchmark for nursing specialty certification across the emergency spectrum, has published the detailed exam content outline for its upcoming Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN) certification program.
 
“What is noteworthy and exciting about the CBRN content outline is that the burn care community, the civilian and military healthcare communities, and even consumers can now see the scope and depth of the advanced burn nursing knowledge, skills and abilities — from prehospital and acute care, patient and family support, recovery and rehabilitation, and prevention and education — that will distinguish board certified burn nurses,” said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CENP, CPHQ, FABC.
 
The fourth most common type of trauma and a major global public health issue, burn injuries are among the most devastating and complicated injuries. Burn injuries typically involve nurse-intensive care through all phases of burn care, and burn care expertise is known to significantly contribute to optimal care and outcomes for patients with burn injuries.
 
In August 2020, burn nursing was formally recognized as a nursing specialty by the American Nurses Association, following years of advocacy by burn nurses and the American Burn Association (ABA). Less than a year later, BCEN entered into an agreement to collaborate with the ABA on the initial development of a burn nursing specialty certification program.
 
“Since summer 2021, BCEN’s credentialing experts and an elite cadre of the world’s leading burn nurses have moved the development of the CBRN forward diligently and thoroughly,” said BCEN CEO Schumaker. “Next year, burn nurses around the world will have the opportunity to demonstrate their advanced expertise and competencies across this complex and consequential specialty.”
 
The CBRN is scheduled to be introduced in summer 2023. Now that the content outline has been
finalized and approved by BCEN’s board of directors, burn nursing subject matter experts are developing items for the CBRN exam.
 
To earn the CBRN credential, and thereby be board certified in burn nursing, RNs and APRNs will need to pass a rigorous, standardized national exam. BCEN has an International Credential Evaluation process to facilitate the certification of eligible nurses educated and/or practicing outside of the United States, Canada or Australia.
 
As the sole owner of the CBRN, BCEN will offer, operate and maintain the CBRN specialty certification program. A complete timeline of the development of the CBRN certification is available at https://bcen.org/burn-nursing-specialty-certification/.
 
Specialty certification, also known as board certification, independently validates a nurse’s advanced knowledge and experience across a well-defined specialty practice area. As nursing’s highest professional credential, specialty certification promotes optimal health outcomes and advances nursing specialty knowledge, best practices and professionalism.