CCI Blog

As the only accredited credentialing program for perioperative registered nurses, CNOR certification is the gold standard. Earning the CNOR credential is a mark of distinction and a highly sought after personal and professional accomplishment. CNOR-certified nurses are committed to providing the highest quality care to their surgical patients. 

In 2013, CCI developed the TrueNorth Award to recognize organizations that use CNOR certification as a “true north” to guide their perioperative nursing staff to be lifelong learners, models of competent practice, and advocates for patient safety excellence. This award is the among the highest honors bestowed upon a perioperative department, with prizes totaling $5,000. The TrueNorth Award includes five certification fee vouchers, funds for a facility celebratory reception, a commemorative recognition plaque, and more.

Interested in applying but not sure where to begin? To assist applicants, CCI has broken the process down into five simple steps.

Located in Scranton, PA, Geisinger Community Medical Center has worked hard over the last couple years to earn recognition as a 2018 TrueNorth Award Honorable Mention. This facility is one of eight hospitals within Geisinger Health System and leads the pack when it comes to CNOR certification.

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital has worked hard over the last several years, striving towards excellence by promoting certification. Their efforts have lead them to achieve the Magnet designation two years in a row as well as being recognized as one of CCI's 2018 TrueNorth Award Honorable Mentions. Boasting a high retention rate in the OR specifically, the facility has not had a need for travel nurses in several years of operation. We are pleased to feature Helen DeVos Children's Hospital (HDVCH) of Grand Rapids, MI as a Hospital Highlight on the CCI Blog.

As the newest VA hospital in 19 years opened in May of 2013, there was no doubt that certified nurses would be highly involved in the activation process. Not only did certified nurses assist with design, equipment ordering, vendor collaboration, and departmental organization, but they collectively wrote 43 new Standard Operating Procedures for the facility. Fast forward five years later and VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System (VASNHS) is still highly encouraging and supportive of their certified nurses, allowing them to be recognized as a recipient of CCI's 2018 TrueNorth Award.

In the suburbs of Reading, PA there is a small borough in Berks County that is home to around 10,000 residents known as Wyomissing, PA. While this quaint town has plenty of charm, we are particularly interested because it is the location of the Reading Hospital SurgiCenter at Spring Ridge, one of two 2018 TrueNorth Award recipients. As a 2017 TrueNorth Award Honorable Mention, this facility was eager to continue toward excellence. Highly committed to supporting nurses through the process of certification, this returning applicant caught CCI's attention when they submitted an application even more impressive than the last. 

CCI's TrueNorth Award was created to recognize those organizations that use CNOR certification to guide their perioperative nursing staff to be lifelong learners, models of competent practice, and advocates for excellence and patient safety. Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital of Orlando Health does this well. A first-time applicant for the TrueNorth Award, Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital stood out and impressed judges with the ways they support and promote certification amongst their perioperative nurse staff. In fact, their 2018 TrueNorth Award application was so impressive, they were named this year's TrueNorth Award Runner Up and received a recent visit from CCI's CEO Dr. James Stobinski. Their commitment to perioperative certification has shown through in numerous ways.

Certification is defined as the process of providing an individual with an official document attesting to a status or level of achievement. Certification is used in the perioperative profession so nurses may demonstrate their mastery of knowledge in surgical nursing, and their ability to apply this knowledge to their clinical practice. With a goal to create a culture of patient safety and extraordinary care, certification benefits the entire healthcare community from the patient to the nurse to the facility. A 2017 TrueNorth Honorable Mention and this month's Hospital Highlight, Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital, is highly aware of these benefits and in return works hard to motivate nurses to become certified within the facility. 

For this month's Hospital Highlight we are pleased to feature the 2017 TrueNorth Award recipient, Stamford Hospital. Located in Stamford, CT, this TrueNorth applicant impressed CCI, the TrueNorth Board, and judges alike with the innovative programs and procedures in place, particularly within their perioperative departments. Determined to provide high-quality health care, Stamford works hard to support their staff and encourage professional advancement, including an emphasis around the importance of obtaining certification.  

Hospital Highlights is a blog series created to showcase a different facility each month, featuring the programs, practices, and/or procedures that allow the organization to provide the best possible experience for their staff as well as their patients. This month, we are pleased to feature 2014 TrueNorth Award recipient, Memorial Hermann, The Woodlands Hospital.