Donations from Professional Baseball Healthcare Providers Support 80+ Nurses on Path to CCRN, PCCN Certification

More than 80 progressive care and critical care nurses have been awarded scholarships to support their pursuit of CCRN or PCCN specialty nursing certification, thanks to a generous donation to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) from two groups of professional baseball healthcare providers.

Funding for the scholarships was contributed by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS), which represents athletic trainers at all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs and their Minor League affiliates. Colleagues from the Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association (MLBTPA) matched the donation, doubling its impact. The support is in recognition of nurses’ dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to the generosity of PBATS and MLBTPA, this is the first time AACN professional development scholarships have been available to support its nursing certification programs. Each scholarship covers the fee to take the certification exam, as well as registration for an online review course.

“These scholarships are helping dozens of critical and progressive care nurses earn their specialty nursing certification, which will have a lasting impact for the recipients, their colleagues and their patients,” said AACN President Beth Wathen. “Donations to AACN, such as these generous gifts from PBATS and MLBTPA, support nurses at every step of their careers, as well as support excellence in nursing as a whole. We welcome opportunities to partner with the community in achieving this important mission work.”

AACN member and certified nurse Shelby McLellan helped facilitate the initial donation from PBATS. “When a PBATS member approached me about recognizing nurses, I immediately thought of certification and AACN,” she said. “I know the impact that certified nurses have on patient care and how important it is that nurses receive continuing education and stay up-to-date with best practices. These scholarships are helping so many nurses as they strive to be clinical experts and deliver excellent care to patients, and have this continued abundance of resources to grow and keep up with the latest developments in professional nursing practice.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a spotlight on the complex and challenging nature of healthcare and the irreplaceable contributions of certified nurses. Specialty certifications reaffirm nurses’ commitment to excellence and to using the latest evidence to provide the best care for patients and families. Achieving certification demonstrates to patients, employers and the public that a nurse’s knowledge reflects national standards and underscores a strong personal dedication to patient safety. 

Some of the first AACN scholarship recipients to successfully earn their certification shared their reasons for becoming certified nurses. 

• “It’s my goal as a certified nurse to maximize the use of evidence-based, practice-driven expert resources and promote a shared governance approach within my hospital. By doing so, I’ll support efforts to improve patient outcomes and effectively reduce hospitalization costs.” ― Tina Marie Wong, of Louisiana
• “As a newer nurse, I feel ready to challenge myself and obtain this certification to really test my knowledge and growth. Since I work at a level 1 trauma center, obtaining my CCRN would help me provide better care to my patients. By being more competent within my own nursing role, I can make necessary recommendations and recognize when other members of the healthcare team need to be alerted. I will use the knowledge from my CCRN to come together with other colleagues within committees and share information that can help the unit and our patients.” ― Esraa Tresh, of California
• “I believe becoming certified will strengthen my ability to use my gained clinical knowledge and increased confidence to collaborate with staff to provide effective patient care. By becoming certified, I will improve my clinical understanding of patient diagnoses, their pathophysiology, and be able to collaborate with the interdisciplinary team during rounds with my assessment and make appropriate recommendations to give the patient optimal care.” ― Jessica Passwater, of New York
• “Having the knowledge gained by studying for the CCRN as well as achieving that certification can help me contribute more confidently to the nursing profession. Passing the CCRN motivated me to continue my studies, and I’ve since added the CSC and CMC cardiac-focused certifications to my CCRN. The main outcome I hope for is to help provide top-notch care to our patients.” ― Carrie Papera, of California

Funded solely by donations, AACN professional development scholarships support opportunities to help nurses continue their professional and personal growth, including nursing education, health policy, evidence-based practice and leadership development, conferences, local events, skills to create a healthy work environment, and personal growth and communications.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with more than 130,000 members and over 200 chapters in the United States.

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme