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The Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team

ANCC Celebrates Certified Nurses Day
March 19th
Featuring the Story of
Debra Hogan Byrne, MA, BSN, RN, APNc, ANP-BC, NPD-BC 

Debra Byrne's passion for nursing began in childhood. The infamous question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” always prompted Debra’s unwavering response: “I want to be a nurse!” This was particularly notable, as she was the first in her family to pursue a career in nursing and to obtain a college degree, leading to her success of being ANCC dual certified in Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC) and as an Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP-BC). 

Since the pandemic, her career has evolved to focus primarily on professional development through nursing education, dedicating less time to direct patient care as an NP. Passionate about career alignment, Debra encourages nurses to periodically reflect on their certifications, ensuring they align with their current roles and professional aspirations. She consistently applies the knowledge gained from her NYU graduate degree in her certified roles and highlights the importance of maintaining credentials that reflect her expertise and career trajectory.

Debra's organization participates in the Success Pays® program, which helps eliminate common barriers to achieve certification—such as cost and test anxiety—by offering zero out-of-pocket expenses and a second attempt if needed. In addition to her own certification journey, Debra serves as the Certification Coordinator for two hospitals within the health system. In this role, she supports registered nurses in obtaining certification, leveraging the program to provide enhanced assistance in overcoming these obstacles.

 At the Magnet® designated hospital where Debra works, Certified Nurses Day (CND) is particularly significant due to the strong endorsement of certification in both theory and practice. Led by the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), the organization fosters a culture that values certification. Celebrated on the birthday of Dr. Margretta “Gretta” Styles—who recognized the importance of credentialing long before it was widely acknowledged—CND honors certified nurses and inspires others to achieve this professional milestone.

For Debra, CND is extremely meaningful as a mentor by helping nurses reach their certification goals and advance in their careers!

A Special Certified Nurses Day Message from the Director of Certification Services

Marianne Horahan, MBA, MPH, RN,
CPHQ, NEA-BC, CAE
Director of Certification Services &
ANE Customer Service

As the Director of Certification Services & ANE Customer Service, and as an ANCC certified nurse myself, I deeply understand the value of certification. It reflects not only the determination and perseverance required to achieve it but also the commitment and dedication needed to maintain it—serving as a testament to your lifelong professional journey. Inspired by my mother, a certified Critical Care Nurse who strongly valued certification, I aspired to follow in her footsteps and become certified as well.

My invaluable experiences in nursing have shaped my path to this role, and I am truly honored to celebrate Certified Nurses Day with you. This day recognizes the passion of nurses who go above and beyond to support their colleagues and provide exceptional patient care. It also serves as an inspiration for those considering ANCC certification—a meaningful way to demonstrate commitment to excellence in nursing. To support your celebration, I am pleased to provide you and your organization with the ANCC Certified Nurses Day Toolkit.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to each of you for your loyalty and service in delivering patient-centered care. A special thanks to Debra Hogan Byrne, MA, BSN, RN, APNc, ANP-BC, NPD-BC, our above Stories of Inspiration contributor, for her continued support of the Success Pays® program. The program serves as an added benefit to participating organizations. It helps reduce test taking anxiety and removes financial barriers. This streamlined program makes the certification process simple and accessible. It's as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Define your organization’s success.
2. The nurse takes the initial certification test or completes renewal requirements with zero out of pocket cost.
3. Your organization increases its number of board-certified nurses, with no financial risk.

Discover more about this exceptional program:

Interested in Success Pays^®? 

Learn how this Program can Support Your Organization

Lourdes B. Careaga, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Certification Outreach Program Manager 
successpays@ana.org

nursingworld.org/certification/success-pays/

Meet Lourdes B. Careaga, who manages our ANCC Success Pays^® program. She is here to help support your nurses with their professional journey through ANCC certification. 

Program FAQs:

• Launched in 2013
• Over 600 Success Pays Partners
• Monthly Townhalls, hosted by Lourdes to stay connected

Benefits:

• Nurses are given two (2) opportunities to pass.
• The organization only pays for the nurses who pass.
• Reduces anxiety and financial barriers for nurses.
• No minimum or maximum limit for number of certification renewals.

Structure:

• A signed agreement between the organization and ANCC to promote nursing excellence through certification among clinicians.

Qualifying Programs:

• Initial Certifications
• Certification Renewals

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Meet Katelyn Bern who manages customer engagement through social media and at ANCC tradeshows. She is committed to delivering engaging and meaningful content to keep you informed about important updates, including celebrations of certified nurses, stories of inspiration, newsletters, upcoming webinars, and more!

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Katelyn Bern, MA
Outreach Engagement Manager &
Tradeshow Liaison 
certificationoutreach@ana.org

Monthly Stories of Inspiration from ANCC Certified Nurses began in May of 2024. You can view all of the 2024 stories by visiting our Meet the Team's page, under the Resources for You tab. We also encourage you to read our 2025 stories:

1. January Edition: Celebrating the New Year Through Examples of Mentorship
2. February Edition: Celebrating Black History & Heart Health Awareness Month

Please let us know if you are interested in sharing your story with us.