The Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team
Celebrating 2026 Graduates
Featuring the Story of Jessicah Michira, DNP, RN, GERO-BC, CDP Recognizing ANCC Certified Specialty Nurses
Dr. Jessicah Michira's passion for nursing began during her childhood in Kenya. As a ninth-grade student, she played an active role in caring for her grandmother, Tabitha, during a prolonged hospitalization related to dementia. Witnessing the nurses provide compassionate, skilled care during her grandmother's most vulnerable moments left a lasting impression and sparked her interest in a career in healthcare
Raised with strong values of service, faith, family, and respect for elders, Jessicah learned that caring for older adults is both a responsibility and an honor. These encounters and cultural values continue to shape her nursing practice today.
After moving to the United States and beginning her healthcare career, Jessicah was fortunate to work alongside exceptional nurses and leaders who helped shape her professional journey. As a Patient Care Technician and later a nurse on the Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit at ChristianaCare, she learned the importance of clinical excellence, professionalism, attentive care, patient advocacy, attention to detail, and lifelong learning. Jessicah credits the mentors she encountered along the way with instilling the value of treating every patient with dignity and respect while maintaining the human connection at the heart of nursing. Their guidance laid the foundation for her clinical practice and leadership style and continues to influence how she cares for patients, supports colleagues, and mentors future nurses.
These experiences shaped her nursing career. Whether working in hospitals, assisted living communities, memory care units, or home health settings, her calling has remained constant: providing nurturing, dignified care for older adults. She is especially passionate about dementia care and supporting families through complex healthcare decisions. For Jessicah, the greatest reward is building meaningful relationships with patients and families while helping older adults maintain a sense of worth, independence, and quality of life. One of Jessicah’s proudest accomplishments was leading the development and expansion of a dementia care unit.
The goal of this unit was to focus on person-centered care, meaningful engagement, staff education, family involvement, and celebrating each resident’s individuality. The program helped residents maintain connections, routines, and purpose, earning overwhelmingly positive feedback from families. This opportunity deepened her appreciation for gerontological nursing and inspired her to further strengthen her expertise in caring for this population. Driven by this commitment, Jessicah earned her ANCC board certification in Gerontological Nursing (GERO-BC), validating her expertise in evidence-based care for older adults. The credential solidified her clinical knowledge, enhanced her leadership credibility, and reinforced her mission to advocate for these individuals.
For Jessicah, ANCC certification represents quality, impact, and devotion to lifelong learning, reflecting the dedication, perseverance, and ambition that have guided her nursing career for more than two decades. The GERO-BC certification has opened doors to leadership opportunities, professional recognition, and meaningful connections with nurses across the country.
Jessicah pursued a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to expand her clinical outcomes from individual patient care to healthcare systems, performance improvement, and population health through nursing leadership. For her DNP project, she developed and evaluated a Nurse Leader–Driven Depression Screening Protocol to improve early identification and management of depression in adults through evidence-based screening and implementation strategies. This work reinforced her belief that nurses are uniquely positioned to identify unmet needs, advance system-level improvements, and promote holistic care.
Jessicah’s DNP journey strengthened her ability to lead organizational change, apply evidence-based practice, improve healthcare delivery, and advocate for better patient outcomes while balancing leadership, family life, divorce, and parenting. She is especially proud of setting an example for her two daughters and becoming the first in her family to earn a DNP, reflecting her faith and values.
Earning her doctorate marks both a significant achievement and the start of a new chapter in 2026 focused on advancing innovative care for the geriatric population. She also plans to teach, speak, and mentor future nurses, paying forward the support she received throughout her own journey.
Featuring the Story of Rebecca Pak, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS, PMHNP-BC Recognizing ANCC Certified APRNs & the Benefits of the ANCC Readiness Test
Rebecca Pak's passion for nursing began at a young age. At just eight years old, she was fascinated by her aunt’s stethoscope and often played with it while managing her own medical conditions. As she listened through the stethoscope, she remembers thinking, “One day, I want to help people like me.” Her desire to become a nurse grew even stronger at age 16 when she supported a mentor who was hospitalized on bedrest during pregnancy. While visiting, Rebecca assisted with small tasks, including providing ice chips.
It was through this experience that Rebecca realized nursing was the career she was meant to pursue, as she was drawn to the profession’s commitment to caring for and supporting others. As a first-generation college student, Rebecca understood that achieving her goals would require determination and perseverance. To support herself while pursuing her education, she began her nursing career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Although becoming a Nurse Practitioner (NP) once seemed beyond reach, she steadily advanced through the profession, progressing from CNA to Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Registered Nurse (RN), and earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), ultimately fulfilling her dream of becoming an NP.
After several years of practicing in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Rebecca transitioned to pediatric endocrinology, a specialty focused on caring for children with hormone-related conditions that affect growth, development, metabolism, and other essential body functions. Pediatric endocrinology became a special interest for Rebecca after her youngest daughter was diagnosed with an endocrine disorder at 18 months, deepening her understanding of the challenges families face.
This personal exposure to managing these chronic health conditions further strengthened Rebecca’s devotion for caring for pediatric and adolescent patients, particularly in supporting their emotional well-being and guiding them through complex healthcare journeys. It reflects both her current experiences as a parent and the compassion shaped by her own childhood. As a child, she eagerly babysat for neighbors and found fulfillment in caring for younger children. Having experienced severe bullying during her youth, she developed a deep empathy for those who felt overlooked or marginalized. From a young age, she aspired to support underserved children, particularly those living in orphanages—a dream she later partially fulfilled through the international adoption of her youngest child.
During one of the most challenging periods of her life, an NP provided empathetic care for Rebecca’s daughter. Inspired by her kindness, joy, and dedication, Rebecca thought, “I want to be just like her,” which sparked her dream of becoming a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP). During her studies, she developed a strong interest in caring for children with mental and behavioral health needs and serving underserved populations, while recognizing through clinical experience the unique needs of each child and the profound impact healthcare providers have on their care experience. Her commitment to children became central to both her personal and professional life as she balanced raising three children while advancing her nursing career and education.
After 24 years as an RN, Rebecca’s understanding of nursing evolved to include the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patient care. While working in a community health center during the global pandemic, she witnessed the impact of limited access to mental health services, with many patients returning frequently for support and reassurance in the absence of available behavioral health care.
These events, along with the personal loss of her nephew to suicide, deepened her commitment to mental health care and solidified her decision to pursue this specialty. This path led her to complete a post-master’s certificate in May 2026 and become an ANCC board certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). For Rebecca, ANCC certification affirms both her professional preparation and the fulfillment of a long-held goal, reinforcing her belief that dreams can become reality.
She chose to take the ANCC Readiness Test while preparing for her PMHNP-BC exam to build confidence and strengthen her preparedness for the certification process. Going to the testing center and completing the readiness assessment helped her better understand the ANCC exam environment and expectations. Although it does not guarantee a passing score, Rebecca believes this experience contributed to her success on the exam.
Build Confidence with the ANCC Readiness Test A Special Message from Our Product Program Manager
Ready to take the next step toward ANCC certification? Begin your certification journey with the ANCC Readiness Test. Each readiness test question has been developed, validated, and reviewed by a panel of content experts certified in the applicable advanced practice or specialty nursing area to ensure accuracy and relevance.
The ANCC Readiness Test provides a simulated testing experience in a timed, live-proctored environment, either at a Prometric Testing Center or via remote proctoring. It helps candidates become familiar with the format and conditions of the actual certification exam. After completing the assessment, you will receive a performance report that highlights your strengths and identifies areas for further study.
While the ANCC Readiness Test and other preparation materials do not guarantee eligibility for or success on a certification exam, many candidates find the experience valuable for building confidence and reducing test-taking anxiety.
If you have any questions, my team and I are happy to assist you.
Get Started:
Consult the appropriate Test Content Outline available on each ANCC certification page to review the content categories before scheduling.
Schedule your test with Prometric at your preferred location and time.
The test allows 75 minutes to answer 60 questions.
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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, inspirational stories, newsletters, upcoming webinars, and more!
Stories of Inspiration from ANCC Certified Nurses began in May of 2024. You can view all previous stories by visiting our Meet the Team. Please let us know if you are interested in sharing your story with us by completing the below survey:
