Professional Development & Continuing Education | Excellence in Critical, Emergency, Progressive & Acute Care!

Certification Drives & Certificate of Strong Interest to Get Certified


AACN's BOLD VOICES Commitment in Critical Care, Progressive Care & Emergency Care

The Bold Voices movement signifies the importance AACN places on each nurse’s accountability for 
using his or her “bold voice” when problems arise affecting nurses, patient safety and healthcare. Since 2009, every nurse appointed to these areas sign the Certificare of Commitment during nursing 
orientation and vow to have a Bold Voice. As an aspiring unit moves forward with its official BEACON, Lantern, HHW or other equivalent Journeys, a recommitment is needed by each nurse to actively create a HEALTHY Work Environment & HEALING CARING environment  for all as well as strengthen that unit's transformational journey.

AACN's Practice Alerts and Clinical Toolkits Enhance our Journeys of Excellence!

Note: Click here for VHA ONS EBP FAC. The path to excellence in our BEACON Journey starts with evaluating our clinical practice vis-a-vis the published AACN Practice Alerts. AACN Practice Alerts are succinct, dynamic directives that are supported by authoritative evidence to ensure excellence in practice and a safe and humane work environment. 

Clinical Toolkits are conveniently packaged, easy-to-use resources for sharing knowledge and implementing new practices. AACN Clinical Toolkits are online collections of evidence-based knowledge and resources that simplify sharing of critical learning and implementation of new initiatives in patient care units. Most tools are available in a customizable format that allows editing to meet individual facility needs.

C-E-N DRIVE 2017-2025!


Since the launch of C-E-N in TWENTY T-E-N in January 2010, this certification campaign for DVAMC's
Emergency Department has become an Annual New Year's tradition to renew ED's certification quest
of 100% participation in the Journey and a targeted percentage goal of 65% of DVAMC's ED staff to
be CEN-credentialed in preparation for the department's official LANTERN Journey which took root
at our ED in 2011 inspired by ENA's move to recognize emergency nursing excellence in U. S. EDs.

With DVAMC's Let's Get Certified Campaign continuing Phase 14 on Jan 1, 2021, our CEN 
aspirants or those simply participating in the CEN Journey, may avail of the Emergency Nurses 
Association's Official CEN Review at ENA eLearning in the Fall of 2014.

CCRN Quest 2017-2025!

Since the VISN6-sponsored CCRN Test Prep Review Course hosted by Durham VAMC in July 2009, the three critical care units namely the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), and Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) have embarked on an Annual CCRN Quest Initiative to renew the ICUs’ certification quest of 100% participation in the Journey and to achieve a targeted percentage goal of 65% of DVAMC's ICU staff to be CCRN-credentialed in preparation for the three ICUs' official BEACON Journey. 

With DVAMC's Let's Get Certified Campaign continuing Phase 14 on Jan 1, 2021, our CCRN aspirants or those simply participating in the CCRN Journey, can now access the CCRN eReview through this S Drive address: 
S:\Nursing\
 (paste in URL box, please)

PCCN for Progressive Care Settings
2017-2025...

As acutely ill adult patients are cared for outside of the walls of the ICUs, the need for specialty knowledge on progressive care science has never been greater. The PCCN Initiative at DVAMC was launched in 2010 to address this need with a goal of 100% participation in the Journey and to achieve a targeted percentage goal of 65% of your progressive unit staff (or any nursing unit) to be certified in preparation for your Journey of Excellence such as NCNA's Hallmarks of Healthy Workplaces.
 PCCN® specialty certification was introduced in 2004 for nurses providing care to acutely ill adult patients regardless of the geographic location of their nursing care. Nurses interested in this certification may work in such areas as intermediate care, direct observation, stepdown, telemetry, transitional care or emergency departments.

With DVAMC's Let's Get Certified Campaign continuing Phase 14 on Jan 1, 2021, our PCCN aspirants or those simply participating in the PCCN Journey, can now access the PCCN eReview through this S Drive address: 

S:\Nursing\

 (paste in URL box, please)

Call x6157 or visit the Nursing Education Office (B3008) to preview PCCN materials!

Incorporating Clinical Nurse Leaders (CNLs) Into Our Hospital Units & Appreciating their Value 2014-2024

ECHo-NICHE at Durham VAMC
2017-2025

ECHo is Elder Care in Hospital which is a grant-funded program and NICHE, a program for the elderly population we have now at this VA. NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) is the  leading U. S. nurse-driven program designed to help hospitals improve the care of older adults. 
Durham VAMC has recently been designated a NICHE hospital (April 2013). Click here or paste this address to URL box: S:\Nursing\ECHO Program

We encourage our Transition to Practice Program RNs to participate in ECHo learning activities.

While on your individual journey towards VA Career Advancement, pls. click here for more info.
Click the following link on the lower half of the ONS page under NPSB to see sample proficiency write-ups for Nurse 1, 2 & 3:
http://vaww.va.gov/nursing/npsb_rsrc.asp