Updates and Exciting Developments

I hope everyone is having a safe and amazing summer. I know it is a busy time of year for everyone but do take time for yourself and your family. Please do not forget to take care of you! We tend to do that as nurses, and we must remember that we cannot take care of others until we take care of ourselves.

It has been a busy time for MSNCB as well. We have successfully transitioned from our former national office headquarters at Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. (AJJ) in Pitman, NJ to Smithbucklin in Chicago. I do want to thank AJJ for all they have done for MSNCB over the last twenty years. We would not be the strong organization we are today without their support and leadership. I also want to thank Terri Hinkley for all she has done for MSNCB over the last six years as our CEO. She is an amazing leader, and we wish her well as she becomes the Executive Director for the National Association of School Nurses.

I do want to welcome some new folks to MSNCB.

Matt Fenwick as our new Executive Director. Newly appointed to MSNCB and the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN), he was previously the Chief Operating Officer for the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and a long-time employee with the American Hospital Association serving in various leadership positions. 


 

Kirk Terry is our new Certification Services Director. He has been with Smithbucklin for eight years and has previously served as Director of Education for two medical associations within Smithbucklin.

 

Leeza Taboada is our new Certification Coordinator. She joined the Smithbucklin team in late-July and is bringing with her a passion for client stewardship.


 

Guy Nagbe is the new Certification Senior Associate. He joined the Smithbucklin team in January and is based out of the Washington D.C. office. Since 2009, he's had the pleasure to work with multiple nonprofits and associations in the D.C. Metropolitan area.


 

Ethan Killin is our new Certification Associate. He joined the Smithbucklin team in mid-June. He's passionate about providing exceptional customer experiences and ensuring customer satisfaction.


 

After a lot of work over the summer, we have established the updated passing score for our CMSRN® credential. This standard setting is work that is required for our accreditation with the American Board for Specialty Nursing Certification. We had a great team of nurses involved in this work and I cannot thank them enough for their time and dedication to this important endeavor. For those of you that have been waiting for your results, you should have received that information in late August.

We are also gearing up for the AMSN Annual Convention. This event will take place September 21-23 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. I do hope to see many of you there!

MSNCB has also been consulting and working with nurses employed in the virtual component of health care delivery. These nurses are an incredible addition to the health care team. Virtual nurses are ready to help with admitting and discharging patients, providing patient education, assisting with monitoring patients for any changes in condition, and a host of other activities that support and sustain the bedside clinician. After much discussion, planning, and meetings, I am happy to report that we will launch a new credential for these nurses. The Certified Acute Care Virtual Registered Nurse (CAVRN) will make its debut in 2024. I am very excited that MSNCB will be recognizing the work of these amazing nurses. More details on this new credential will be released in the months ahead.

I do want to mention I read that the first major hospital I worked at early on in my nursing career is dealing with the strong potential of nurses going on strike this week. I am saddened to see this, but I also do understand the frustration of all involved parties. I want to remind you that our companion organization, AMSN, has great resources to help you with issues in your practice setting.

As you can see, there are a lot of great things happening with MSNCB! Keep an eye on your emails for other exciting developments as we move forward with our work. Enjoy the rest of your summer.