March 19 is Certified Nurses Day, an international day of recognition celebrating certified nurses’ contribution to the nursing profession. Leading up to the day, the Canadian Nurses Associations wants to get nurses and employers thinking about ways to shine the spotlight on the value of being certified in a nursing specialty and having certified nurses in their workplace.
Created by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Nurses Association in 2008, it’s now celebrated around the world. Those organizations chose March 19 to commemorate the birthday of Margretta ‘Gretta’ Madden Styles, the renowned American nurse credentialing expert who advanced practice and regulation for more than two decades worldwide.
For Certified Nurses Day on March 19, we’re inviting all CNA-certified nurses to proudly wear their certification pins. Also, take a few moments to tell your colleagues and employer why you became nationally certified in your nursing specialty.
If you’re an employer:
- Promote International Certified Nurses Day within the workplace and to media and the public through your facility’s communications vehicles
- Acknowledge the day with a celebratory message on your facility’s bulletin board and intranet, and include an honor roll of certified nurses
- Sponsor a health break for certified nurses
- Send an appreciation letter to each certified nurse at your facility
- Set up an information table displaying certification material (tip: print copies of CNA certification poster for interested nurses to take)
If you’re a certified nurse:
- Show your pride in your achievements by wearing your nursing specialty certification pin on March 19
- Post the Impact of Certification infographic on bulletin boards throughout the facility
- Suggest ideas to the communications department of certified nurses who could be profiled in upcoming newsletters
- Organize a virtual event to bring together certified nurses and other team members
- Take part in social media activities on Certified Nurses Day such as sharing why you became CNA Certified and using the hashtag #CertifiedNursesDay
Learn more about Certification
Impact of Certification infographic
English: https://hl-prod-ca-oc-download.s3-ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/CNA/2f975e7e-4a40-45ca-863c-5ebf0a138d5e/UploadedImages/documents/17_0971_Certification_Infographic_ENG_2022_Copy.pdf
Certification Numbers by Specialty and Province or Territory (March 2021)
English: https://hl-prod-ca-oc-download.s3-ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/CNA/2f975e7e-4a40-45ca-863c-5ebf0a138d5e/UploadedImages/documents/Certification-statistics-2021-by-specialty-area-and-province-territory_e.pdf
Certification Numbers by Specialty (2016-2020)
English: https://hl-prod-ca-oc-download.s3-ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/CNA/2f975e7e-4a40-45ca-863c-5ebf0a138d5e/UploadedImages/documents/Certification-statistics-2021-by-specialty-area-aggregate-5-year_e.pdf