Certified Nurse’s Day is celebrated on March 19 and is a special day to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of our certified nurses. The efforts to achieve certification continue to advance the nursing profession through specialized knowledge, skill and practice. The passion and commitment our certified nurses bring to the nursing profession has the power to strengthen confidence in our patient families and inspire excellence in the broader nursing community.
Certified Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Steve Odom achieved his certification in February 2012. Steve shares what inspired him to achieve certification: “I had one clear objective in mind – I wanted to prove to myself that I had ‘what it takes.’ What it takes to establish myself as a professional. What it takes to gain a solid grasp of the complex subspecialty that is pediatric critical care nursing. What it takes to begin to approach the greatness of the many nurses I look up to.”
Certified Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Stephen “Steve” Odom, BSN, RN, CCRN
“Achieving certification was a significant confidence booster and a source of pride and validation,” reflects Steve. “There’s solid data to support the idea that nursing certification results in better patient outcomes, and I gained a substantial amount of knowledge during the certification process that I’m quite certain has improved the care I’ve provided our patients. If this improved or saved the life of even one child, that alone would make certification worthwhile.”
Nurses who achieve certification are committed to being lifelong learners, impacting the future of nursing and improving patient care.
“We are ultimately responsible for building our practice on that foundation. The real magic of certification lies in the journey one must take to obtain it,” says Steve. “Whether you’re a recent graduate or a seasoned veteran, this journey can help you grow as a nurse.”
Steve is one of more than 400 nationally certified nurses at Valley Children’s Healthcare. We thank all of our certified nurses for their commitment to providing the best quality of care to our patients.
Learn more about the pediatric nurse certification process by visiting the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) website.