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The Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team

Celebrating 2024 Graduates
Congratulations to
Maria Karina Padilla Straszheim, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FNP-C

The Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team congratulates Spring 2024 graduates! Today we highlight Maria Karina Padilla Straszheim, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FNP-C, also known as "Kim" by her family and friends, a recent graduate. 

Kim migrated to the US from the Philippines in the fall of 2011 and was motivated by her mother, Meredith, to pursue a career in nursing. She has an unwavering passion for the pursuit of health in those she encounters.

During her senior year in high school, she realized that she desired to pursue a professional career that was both selfless and rewarding. Thus, she chose nursing. 

Throughout her nursing career, she has received countless accolades and awards while also performing numerous acts of charity. Her most prized recognition to date was being distinguished as the Cameos of Caring Winner in 2017 for Grandview Medical Center by Wright State University. The Cameos of Caring Program & Awards was created to honor exceptional bedside nurses who work at acute care hospitals. The program was established in 1999 in keeping with the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing’s commitment to the advancement and promotion of the nursing profession.

After 16 years of emergency room service, she recognized that it was time to broaden and deepen her nursing impact. In 2022, Kim started her nurse practitioner journey while raising four boys under the age of 6, working full-time hours as a bedside emergency room RN at Reid Health in Richmond, Indiana, and managing multiple side businesses with her husband. Kim states, “Indiana University-East, where I completed my master’s program, has the most supportive faculty who are dedicated to seeing that you have every opportunity to succeed. The journey wasn’t easy, but I always had God and my family on my side. With hard work, faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust, everything is possible”.

Beaming with joy, Kim proudly discloses that she finished her nurse practitioner school journey with a 4.0 GPA. If you couldn’t tell thus far, Kim is a bit of an overachiever and has also passed both national certifications and is currently dual-certified.

Being ANCC certified has paved the way to accomplishing her passion and goal of delivering high-quality health care to her patients. 

In August she will transition into the role of nurse practitioner in the Reid Health Emergency Department.

Our team wishes her the very best in her future professional endeavors!

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

Success Pays^® is Here to Help You! 

 Viji George, DNP, MA, RN, RNC-NIC, NEA-BC and her experience as an
ANCC Certified Nurse through the ANCC Success Pays program.  

The Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team wants to take this time to highlight the benefits of our Success Pays program and the nurses who pursue this program. More than a profession, nursing is a passion for Viji George, DNP, MA, RN, RNC-NIC, NEA-BC. 

From an early age, she knew she loved people and wanted to help others. During high school, she became increasingly interested in pursuing a career in health care. Viji considered becoming a doctor and explored the pathways to achieve that goal. However, it seemed extremely expensive and a long journey, which appeared unaffordable at that time and place, where resources and information were scarce. This story dates back to the early 1990s in India.

Although she had a comfortable living situation, there was not enough guidance or funding available to pursue a career in the medical profession. It was during this time that she saw an advertisement in the newspaper for an opportunity to apply for the Military Nursing Service, an Indian government-sponsored program to develop Military Nursing Officers. It was a prestigious program, highly competitive, and difficult to get into. The recruitment process included multi-level testing, interviews, and physical examinations to select only 25 candidates from across India for this fully funded governmental program. Viji was one of them.

In the pre-internet world, where information solely came from printed materials provided by organizations, she did not fully know what this training program entailed. Knowing this was a golden opportunity to be in health care and work directly with people to help them in their time of need connected with her core values. Viji states that accepting admission was one of the best decisions of her life. This turned out to be one of the best dual programs, providing training as a military officer and a professional nurse with a bachelor’s degree in nursing (including midwifery).

Viji is an ardent learner who always seeks opportunities to learn and grow. Professional development is very important to her. Her vast experience around the globe as a military nursing officer, leader in staff development, clinical expert in a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and now as the Magnet® Program Director, testifies to her dedication to achieving excellence.

Having worked in the neonatal ICU, she achieved certification in her clinical field and believes that certification is a validation of one’s specialty expertise. After completing her doctoral program in nurse executive leadership and serving in a system-level leadership position, including being the Magnet Program Director for an entity, she consistently promotes certification. With her executive-level leadership experience and education, Viji knew she wanted to earn a stamp of excellence that validated her executive leadership knowledge and skills. She made it a professional goal to achieve this certification immediately after completing her DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice).

Viji led a study group with a senior nurse leader focused on nurse executive certification, encouraging other nurse leaders who aimed for leadership certification to join her. This collaborative effort resulted in her achieving the Nurse Executive, Advanced certification (NEA-BC®). Her efforts in peer support also inspired many in her organization to pursue and achieve this coveted certification.

Viji states that being ANCC certified means achieving the gold standard of excellence in your nursing specialty. It signifies that the nurse is proactive about their professional development and has met the rigorous standards set by the ANCC for nursing practice, demonstrating a high level of competence in their specialty area. ANCC certification involves credential verification, a comprehensive exam to test knowledge and skills in the specialty area, and confirmation that all certification criteria are met.

Specialty certification is a mark of excellence that provides professional recognition and career advancement opportunities for the nurse. It encourages certified nurses to stay current with the latest developments and trends in their field. Additionally, ANCC certification benefits organizations as knowledgeable and skilled nurses contribute to better patient outcomes.

 The ANCC Success Pays program has significantly supported Viji's journey toward earning her NEA-BC and advancing her professional development. Her organization participates in this program, enabling nurses to achieve certifications without bearing the financial burden. This professional benefit allows organizations to increase their certification rates and promote nursing and clinical excellence. Nurses can get certified without financial risk and feel supported by their organization. The ANCC Success Pays program is highly beneficial, creating a win-win situation for both the organization and the nurses. 

Interested in Success Pays^®? 

Learn how this Program can Support Your Organization

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

nursingworld.org/certification/success-pays/

Meet Lourdes B. Careaga, MSN, RN, CMSRN, NE-BC, 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 500 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
• Retired Certified Nurses Recognition Program

Share Your Story with Us! 

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 #ANCCCertified means to you! 

Follow US & Get Helpful Resources:

• ANCC Certification Facebook
• Meet the Team
• Stories of Inspiration from ANCC Certified Nurses - May Edition

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