The Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team
ANCC Marks Certified Nurses Day with Inspiring Success Pays® Stories March 19
Why Nurses Choose to Certify Through the ANCC Success Pays® Program Featuring the Story of Jade Lugtu, MSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC
Jade Lugtu's passion for nursing began early in her life while growing up in a small province in the Philippines. She was raised by her grandparents after her parents separated when she was young.
Her mother moved to the city of Manila to work so she could send money home and provide Jade with a better future. Even at a young age, Jade understood the sacrifices her mother was making for her, and those experiences shaped her strong sense of responsibility and determination. Her family dynamic soon changed.
When Jade was in elementary school, her grandfather became very ill and eventually passed away. She remembers her grandmother taking him to the hospital during a time when healthcare in the province was limited and not easily accessible. The resources were very simple—no mobile communication devices like rover phones that allow nurses to receive patient alerts and communicate instantly with the care team, no electronic charting systems like Epic, and no advanced technology. Despite these challenges, Jade witnessed something powerful. She saw how the nurses cared for her grandfather. They made his difficult days meaningful and provided comfort during one of the most vulnerable times in his life. They were responsive, dedicated, compassionate, and fully present not only for him, but also for her entire family.
That experience ignited Jade’s passion for nursing. It inspired her desire to be someone’s voice, someone’s strength, and someone who could provide comfort during life’s most difficult moments. She also vividly remembers admiring the nurses’ white uniforms and head caps, reminiscent of Florence Nightingale. Jade told her grandmother that when she grew up, she wanted to become a nurse. Her grandmother responded that it was her dream for Jade as well. That moment became the foundation of Jade’s purpose and the beginning of her journey into nursing.
Coming to the United States and joining her organization in 2010 was a turning point for Jade, helping her grow both personally and professionally. This allowed her to fulfill her purpose by caring for patients during their most vulnerable moments and supporting their families. Through roles as a nurse clinician, charge nurse, and preceptor, she developed a deep commitment to compassion, advocacy, and mentorship, inspired by the support of her leaders and colleagues.
Over her 27-year nursing career, Jade has gained extensive clinical expertise, from placing Foley catheters to starting difficult IV lines. While these technical skills save lives, she believes what patients remember most is how they were treated. Jade has held the hands of frightened patients, listened to their stories, advocated for those who could not speak for themselves, and supported families through grief and uncertainty.
Patients may not always remember her name, but what matters most to Jade is that they leave feeling safe, respected, and cared for. For her, that is the true spirit of nursing. The simple words she hears at the end of a shift—“Thank you for taking good care of me today”—continue to remind her why she chose nursing and why she loves the profession every day.
Jade chose to become ANCC board certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing (MEDSURG-BC) to strengthen her clinical knowledge and demonstrate her commitment to high-quality patient care. This specialty requires strong clinical judgment and the ability to care for patients with complex medical needs.
Becoming certified was a proud professional milestone for Jade and reinforced her dedication to nursing excellence and evidence-based practice. It also reflects her commitment to lifelong learning and accountability to her patients and her organization. Holding this certification allows Jade to lead by example and encourage other nurses to pursue certification and professional development. Certification also supports her role in improving patient outcomes through quality improvement and evidence-based practice initiatives.
The ANCC Success Pays® program played an important role in supporting Jade’s certification journey by removing financial barriers and making specialty certification more accessible. With strong organizational support and leadership that prioritized staff professional development, Jade was able to fully focus on studying, preparing, and building confidence for the certification exam. The program demonstrated that her organization truly values certification.
What Jade appreciated most about the program was the structured support, clear guidance, and encouragement provided throughout the entire process. It made certification feel achievable and reinforced that nurses are supported in advancing their professional goals. The ANCC Success Pays® program also helped strengthen a culture of excellence within the organization by encouraging nurses to pursue certification and continuously improve their clinical knowledge and practice. This experience motivated Jade to continue pursuing professional growth while also encouraging and supporting other nurses interested in obtaining specialty certification. It reinforced her belief that certification not only strengthens individual nurses but also improves patient outcomes and advances the nursing profession as a whole.
The Impact of Nurse Leaders Promoting the ANCC Success Pays® Program Featuring the Story of Warly Remegio, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, FNYAM
Dr. Warly Remegio initially pursued nursing with the long-term goal of becoming a physician. However, mentors encouraged him to consider nursing because it offered the opportunity to care for diverse patient populations across a wide range of diagnoses and acuity levels.
As he progressed through his program and became more involved in community health nursing, his perspective began to shift. Working directly with nurses in the community gave Warly a deeper appreciation for the profession and the meaningful impact nurses have on the lives of others. He witnessed firsthand how nurses empower not only individual patients, but also families and entire communities.
He saw how nursing strengthens primary healthcare delivery and plays a vital role in health promotion and illness prevention. These experiences ultimately solidified Warly’s commitment to the profession. From that point forward, he dedicated himself to advancing his education and continuing in nursing so he could empower others and make a meaningful difference.
Warly is a strong proponent—and proud ambassador—of professional certification. He believes certification elevates nursing practice, advances the profession, and ultimately improves patient care and organizational outcomes. Being dual ANCC board certified in Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC) and Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC) affirmed his commitment to excellence by demonstrating his expertise in executive leadership and nursing professional development. For Warly, certification represents professional accountability. It reflects a dedication to continuous improvement, lifelong learning, and the pursuit of being “the best at getting better.”
As a leader, he believes certification reinforces the responsibility to guide teams effectively and ensure the highest quality of care for patients, families, and communities. Certification is one of the cornerstones of a culture grounded in professional excellence. As Vice President of Nursing Professional Development and Practice Excellence, Warly recognizes the importance of creating pathways that support certification and professional growth for nursing colleagues.
Through the organizational partnership with the ANCC Success Pays® program, many of the traditional barriers to certification have been reduced, helping make professional advancement more accessible for nurses. Warly has seen the impact reflected not only in increased engagement among nursing teams, but also in how certification strengthens the organization’s culture of quality and safety. The program has empowered more nurses to pursue certification with confidence, which in turn enhances professional pride, clinical expertise, and overall organizational performance.
Warly credits the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) with playing a pivotal role in his professional journey through mentorship, advocacy, leadership development, and opportunities for advancement. He often says that he “grew up with PNAA,” reflecting the profound sense of belonging and community the organization provided throughout his career. As a member of the New York Chapter (PNANY), Warly deeply values the compassion, courage, and wisdom of the leaders who came before him—individuals who mentored and sponsored him along the way. The experiences and insights he gained through PNAA have inspired him to give more, do more, and continue empowering others. His involvement has strengthened his commitment to healthcare advocacy, mentorship, leadership development, and service excellence within the nursing community.
Happy Certified Nurses Day! March 19 A Special Message from Our Certification Outreach Program Manager
As the Certification Outreach Program Manager with the Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all ANCC certified nurses for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence in their fields of practice. I also want to wish everyone a Happy Certified Nurses Day! This is a special day to celebrate your achievements and the important contributions you make to patient care.
To support your celebration, I am pleased to share the below toolkit which you and your healthcare organization can use to recognize and honor certified nurses:
As the primary contact for the ANCC Success Pays® program, I hope you enjoyed the inspiring stories above and learned more about how the program is designed to help nurses achieve certification. If you or your organization are interested in pursuing this program, please feel free to contact me at successpays@ana.org for more information.
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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!
Stories of Inspiration from ANCC Certified Nurses began in May of 2024. You can view all previous stories by visiting our Meet the Team page, under the Resources for You tab. Please let us know if you are interested in sharing your story with us by completing the below survey:
