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AACN News—August 1998—Staffing Changes Enhance Certification Programs

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Vol. 15, No. 8, AUGUST 1998

The AACN Certification Corporation recently underwent a staffing reorganization to help maintain its position as a leader in providing credentialing for specialized nurses. Headed by Melissa Biel, RN, MN, executive director, the AACN Certification Corporation has promoted Jo-Ann Eastwood, RN, MN, CCRN, to certification director. In her new role, Eastwood will oversee the new CCNS� certification process for clinical nurse specialists.

Eastwood’s former position as certification specialist was filled by Nancy McGrath, RN, MN, CPNP, CEN, formerly the pediatric nurse practitioner in the Pediatric Emergency Department at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, Calif. She will oversee the CCRN� program, which currently has more than 50,000 certificants.

McGrath has been a consultant to the National Emergency Medical Services for Children Resource Alliance (NERA) on developing resources to improve pediatric emergency care. She has lectured extensively and published numerous articles on pediatric emergencies and trauma care. She received her master’s degree in nursing from UCLA in 1991.

Providing support to the AACN Certification Corporation are two certification associates, Lisa Valencia and Cheri Weiss, as well as Treasurer Doug Mills and Secretary Denise Flanagan.

Test development, policies, and eligibility criteria are complete for the CCNS certification program. Applications will be accepted beginning in November 1998, with testing to begin in January 1999. The test blueprint is based on the Synergy Model, developed by the AACN Certification Corporation to match nurse competencies to patient needs.

In the meantime, work to reframe the CCRN test, based on the Synergy Model, is in progress.

For more information about certification opportunities, call the AACN Certification Corporation at (800) 809-2273 or visit the AACN Certification Corporation home page at www.certcorp.org.
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