The Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team
Year-End Celebration of Achievements with Support from the ANCC Success Pays® Program Featuring the Story of Frankie Hamilton, MSN, MBA, AGPCNP-BC, AMB-BC, MEDSURG-BC, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, CCRN-K, CPXP
Frankie Hamilton's journey into nursing began during childhood as he learned to care for his brother with spina bifida. From a young age, Frankie developed the skills necessary to provide medical care for his brother, ranging from light wound care to umbilical catheterization. Frankie's mother recognized his innate caring nature and knew a career in healthcare was in his future.
As an adult, Frankie began to seriously consider nursing as a profession while working as a Session Assistant at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) after graduating from Cornell in 2004. In his role at MSK, he helped establish care and made follow-up appointments for oncology patients. Frankie quickly noticed that patients always asked for their nurse upon arrival, indicating a special bond between patients and nurses that differed from their relationship with physicians. Witnessing this deep and unique connection, Frankie decided he wanted to be the nurse that patients would come in and ask for.
While Frankie admits he wasn’t always an ideal student, he always valued education and professional growth. Excelling in math and science, he routinely only ranked within the 50th percentile in reading during his elementary school years. In fifth grade, he had a teacher named Ms. Napolitano, who had a profound impact on him academically. She took a personal interest in his progress, assigning him extra books to read and reserving homework passes exclusively for math and science—not reading. Her dedication marked a turning point for Frankie, enabling him to succeed across all subjects. Having undergone this transformative educational journey, he vowed never to take education for granted and pursue every opportunity possible to learn.
When his hospital offered him the chance to earn an MBA at no cost, he eagerly accepted. Recognizing his desire to teach nursing, he simultaneously pursued an MSN. After earning both graduate degrees, he realized he had even more to contribute to the profession. Motivated to make a greater impact, he enrolled in a DNP program to become an expert nurse leader while also pursuing a PhD in Nursing to conduct original research and advance the field.
Alongside his value of education, Frankie also holds his achievement of earning several ANCC certifications to a high regard, recognizing them as a testament of expertise across various specialty areas. These certifications were especially important to him as he aimed to demonstrate proficiency in any specialty he pursued. His dedication in obtaining various certifications reflected his commitment to lifelong learning, professional growth, and his belief that being certified in a specialty enhances practice and leads to improved outcomes.
As a nurse leader, he aims to serve as a role model for frontline nurses. The certifications he has earned have shaped him into a versatile leader and often become a topic of discussion during job interviews. He is confident that these certifications have played a key role in helping him secure several leadership positions throughout his career.
To Frankie, being ANCC-certified reflects a commitment to excellence, dedication to the nursing profession, mastery of clinical specialties, and a passion for continuous learning and growth. He views the ANCC Success Pays program as a crucial resource in removing barriers for frontline clinical nurses, providing a streamlined path to specialty certification.
He achieved several of his certifications through his organization’s participation in the Success Pays program, which made a significant impact, demonstrating the hospital's value of certification. Their willingness to invest in their clinicians, covering the costs, ensuring the process was seamless, structured, and well-organized, provided a clear framework and support to facilitate achieving the outcome of well-earned specialty certification credentials.
Reflecting on the past year, Frankie takes pride in his contributions to patient care, both direct and indirect. He has volunteered with not-for-profit organizations, precepted students pursuing MSN, DNP, or MHA degrees, and served the first year of his term as President of the NYC chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing. Additionally, he was selected to be promoted to Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy Nurse Reserve Corps and appointed as the Assistant Awards Officer for his Navy Command.
Frankie also volunteered as a member of the Awards Committee for the American Nurses Association, judged a hackathon focusing on patient safety, attended several professional nursing conferences, and was elected as a Clinical Inclusion Advisor for the Healthcare Leaders of New York chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Furthermore, he began his DNP and PhD programs.
Each of these achievements holds great significance, as they enable Frankie to contribute uniquely to the nursing profession. Whether mentoring future healthcare leaders, expanding his knowledge to advance the field, progressing in his Navy career to serve the nation, or recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of nurse leaders and military medical personnel in the field who have made profound contributions in nursing, and military service members who have positively impacted military medicine, Frankie's efforts continue to shape and strengthen both his own profession and the careers of others.
As a nurse leader, he finds the most fulfilling aspect of his role is the opportunity to pay it forward. Having committed to a lifetime of service, he recognizes that his responsibility extends beyond serving patients to also supporting clinical nurses and advancing the nursing profession as a whole. He believes it is his duty to elevate the profession, nurture future nurse leaders, and make decisions that positively impact care delivery in the community.
He understands that participation in professional organizations, whether as an active member or serving on the board, demonstrates a commitment to nursing and allows engagement in critical conversations within the profession. Mentoring and precepting graduate students provide opportunities for knowledge transfer, enabling him to share valuable insights and perspectives with the next generation of healthcare leaders.
Volunteering beyond his professional responsibilities is another avenue through which he gives back to the community while connecting with individuals outside the healthcare industry. While networking with colleagues within healthcare offers significant benefits, he acknowledges the importance of building relationships in diverse fields to gain broader perspectives. Through volunteering, he collaborates with people from various backgrounds, finding new ways to make a meaningful difference in the community, distinct from his everyday work.
A Special End of Year Message from Our Certification Outreach Program Manager
Lourdes B. Careaga, MSN, RN, NE-BC Certification Outreach Program Manager successpays@ana.org
Season's greetings to everyone!
As the Certification Outreach Program Manager, I have had the distinct privilege of connecting with primary contacts and executive leaders from the ANCC Success Pays program and collaborative organizations I support and oversee. Guided by our mission to lead the profession to shape the future of nursing and healthcare, we have achieved remarkable growth in ANCC certifications. I’m excited to share that since its launch in 2013, we now have over 600 Success Pays partnering organizations!
Together, through certification, we continue to grow professionally and advance our commitment to providing patient-focused care. As an ANCC-certified nurse myself, I deeply understand the importance of obtaining and maintaining certification, as well as the accomplishments it enables and supports.
The highlight of the year has been our ongoing collaboration through monthly townhalls and engaging with our certified nurses at numerous conferences where I have had the opportunity to exhibit.
As our above featured contributor Frankie Hamilton mentioned, volunteering and engaging with communities beyond the traditional work setting is vital. Our role as nurses extends beyond the workplace, and it’s essential to embrace these additional opportunities. Volunteering and going the extra mile to help others brings a deep sense of purpose. It also resonates with my role in the programs I manage, reinforcing my firsthand understanding of the importance of fostering the knowledge and growth of nurses.
Picture from PNAMDC's General Assembly Picnic
With that being said, I am also proud to be a member of the Philippine Nurses Association of Metropolitan DC (PNAMDC), serving the communities of District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Through our healthy lifestyle outreach efforts and participation in international medical missions, I am honored to contribute to improving the well-being of others both locally and globally.
Picture from PNAMDC's National Nurses Month Picnic
The members of PNAMDC, my team, and individuals like you inspire me to be the best version of myself. I personally thank you for an amazing year. I look forward to connecting with each and every one of you in 2025. Have a safe and blessed holiday!
Connect With Us if you are Interested in Providing a Testimonial
Meet Katelyn Bern, MA, who manages customer engagement through social media and at ANCC tradeshows. Reach out to her if you would like to share your motivational story with us and what being ANCC certified means to you. We would be honored to share your story!
