Certified Nurses Day is an annual celebration that takes place every March 19. Certified nurses go the extra mile, having passed a rigorous exam and continuing a learning journey throughout their careers. It’s time to cheer them on!
Ways to Acknowledge Certified Nurses
- Download thank you cards, posters, stickers and more to share with certified nurses in your facility, community and chapter. Urge your colleagues to do the same.
- Order AACN's Certified Nurses Day buttons using our Resource Order Form. Keep in mind that normal processing time is seven to 10 business days. On March 19, give these buttons to the certified nurses you celebrate.
- Provide our sample Certified Nurses Day media release template to your facility or chapter marketing/public relations team, and encourage them to customize and distribute the release to their media list, as appropriate.
- Develop an article for your newsletter or intranet. See our Certification Stories for inspiration.
- Recognize certified nursing professionals during a unit, council or chapter meeting. This recognition not only honors their professional dedication and commitment to excellence, it builds awareness of the value of certification for all other nurses.
- During February and March, please share and add comments, photos and/or videos to our social media posts. Consider posting a recognition photo or video on your own social media pages and tagging AACN (Facebook: @aacnme; Instagram: @exceptionalnurses). Use our sample social media posts as a starting point.
Celebrate Certified Nursing Professionals
- Talk to nurse managers, educators, APRNs and administrators about their plans for Certified Nurses Day. Provide them with a link to AACN's Certified Nurses Day webpage for tips, resources and information. Even if your organization is pressed for time and resources, there are many ways, large and small, to acknowledge and honor certified nurses.
- Invite area hospitals and units to attend your celebrations - or participate in theirs.
- Partner with area chapters of other nursing specialty organizations to jointly recognize and support certified nurses.
- Encourage the certified nurses in your workplace or chapter to be proactive in initiating their own celebrations. Even small gestures are appreciated.
- Send photos, videos and descriptions of your facility's or chapter's Certified Nurses Day festivities to certification@aacn.org so we can include them in social media posts and future promotional communications. Show your pride in the important role of certified nurses.
Empower Certified Nurses
- Motivate certified nurses to pause and reflect on their own achievements and how they've made a difference in the lives of patients, families and colleagues. Nurses often downplay the importance of their nursing contributions, and this day can serve as a valuable reminder that their dedication and perseverance help others.
- Encourage certified nursing professionals to identify and talk to colleagues about considering certification. Engaging in one-on-one conversations with a peer about the benefits of certification and sharing success stories can serve as a powerful source of motivation.
- Sponsor a certification review course at your chapter or facility, and develop a study mentor program.
- Organize employee benefits for certifications and offer scholarships for certification milestones - review courses, exams and renewal during benchmark years (e.g., 5, 10, 20 and 30 years of certification). AACN offers group discounts for at least 10 certification vouchers and organization discounts for at least 30 vouchers.
Share the Value of Certification
Educating individuals about the importance and value of certification is crucial to promote excellence. Certification serves as a testament to a nurse’s knowledge and commitment to maintaining high standards in their field. Certification serves as a pathway to continual learning, professional growth and improved patient outcomes. Help to foster a culture of competence, credibility and excellence, benefiting both nursing professionals and the communities they serve. Visit AACN's Certification webpage to learn more.