New AACN Certification Corporation Board Takes Office

Jul 14, 2022

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Elizabeth Scruth, of Northern California Kaiser Permanente, begins two-year term as board chair of AACN Certification Corporation


ALISO VIEJO, Calif. — July 14, 2022 — AACN Certification Corporation — the credentialing arm of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) — announces its board of directors for fiscal year 2023, with terms effective July 1, 2022.

AACN Certification Corporation drives patient health and safety through comprehensive credentialing of acute and critical care nurses, advancing practice consistent with standards of excellence. To carry out its mission, the organization offers 15 specialty, subspecialty and advanced practice nursing certification programs and has granted more than 130,000 certifications.

Elizabeth Scruth, PhD, MPH, RN, CCNS, CCRN, FCCM, FCNS, CPHQ, begins a two-year term as chair of the AACN Certification Corporation board of directors. She is regional director for clinical quality programs, data analytics and tele critical care at Northern California Kaiser Permanente.

“As a voluntary process, certification points to nurses’ commitment to career development and dedication to patient care, particularly in this constantly changing environment,” Scruth said.

“Certification provides patients and their families with validation that the nurse caring for them has demonstrated a level of expertise and a focus on quality and safety. It demonstrates to employers and colleagues their commitment to professional development and the highest standards of quality care. It helps the nurse position themselves for meaningful recognition of achievement in nursing,” she said.

Lisa Falcón, MSN, RN, TCRN, NE-BC, director of trauma and injury prevention at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, serves a two-year term as immediate past chair.

Chair-elect Myra Ellis, MSN, RN, CCRN-CSC, has worked in critical care throughout her 43-year nursing career, with a long-time focus on the care of cardiothoracic surgical patients. She most recently practiced at Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina.

Jodi Berndt, PhD, RN, CCRN-K, PCCN-K, CNE, CNEcl, CHSE, serves a second one-year term as secretary/treasurer. She is an associate professor of nursing at College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University in St. Joseph, Minnesota.

Joining the board for a three-year term as director is Jennifer Adamski, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, FCCM, clinical associate professor and director of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) Program at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Atlanta, and a critical care ACNP for Cleveland Clinic’s Critical Care Flight Team.

Kathleen Siedlecki joins the board as a director and the consumer representative. She is the founder of KAS Strategies, a consulting firm where she designs programs to raise awareness, engage thought leaders, influence health policy, mobilize advocates and motivate positive health behavior.

Returning to the AACN Certification Corporation board with Dana Woods, MBA, AACN chief executive officer, are the following directors:

  • Nanette Logan, DNP, RN, CCRN-K, CNL, RN-BC, NE-BC, chief nursing officer at Regional Medical Center, San Jose, California
  • Clareen Wiencek, PhD, RN, ACHPN, ACNP, FAAN, professor of nursing at University of Virginia School of Nursing and program director of advanced practice

Each year, two members of the AACN board of directors are appointed to concurrent terms on the AACN Certification Corporation board:

  • Janet Mulroy, DNP, MSN, ACNP, CCNS, CCRN, an acute care nurse practitioner at Threlkeld, Threlkeld & Omer Infectious Disease Associates, in Memphis, Tennessee
  • Paula Levett, MS, RN, CCRN-K, nursing practice leader in the pediatric ICU at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City

About AACN Certification Corporation: Established in 1976, AACN Certification Corporation, the credentialing arm of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, drives patient health and safety through comprehensive credentialing of acute and critical care nurses, advancing practice consistent with standards of excellence. Currently, more than 130,000 acute and critical care nurses hold AACN Certification Corporation credentials.

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.