Burn nurses now have a nationally accredited, Magnet-accepted specialty certification to validate their expertise and support professional growth.
The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) announced that its Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN) program has been accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC), effective August 1, 2025. With this recognition, the CBRN becomes an ANCC Magnet-accepted nursing specialty certification—a milestone for both burn nurses and the institutions that support them.
Launched worldwide in October 2023 in partnership with the American Burn Association (ABA) and burn nursing experts, the CBRN has quickly gained traction. More than 600 nurses have already demonstrated their specialized knowledge across the burn care continuum by earning the credential.
What Accreditation Means for Burn Nursing
“Accreditation by ABSNC offers an important assurance to burn nurses, burn centers, and patients and their families—based on a rigorous and independent process—that the CBRN certification program meets or exceeds the highest quality standards,” said Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, ICE-CCP, CENP, CPHQ, FABC, BCEN CEO.
Schumaker emphasized that the CBRN is now one of six BCEN certifications that are both accredited and Magnet-accepted, including the CEN, CPEN, TCRN, CFRN, and CTRN. “Achieving the ‘gold standard’ of national accreditation across our certification programs underscores BCEN’s commitment to offering high-value credentials that recognize the expertise of emergency, pediatric emergency, trauma, flight, critical care ground transport, and burn nurses, and promote their continued competence.”
A Voice from the Burn Nursing Frontlines
For burn nurses, the accreditation carries practical benefits. Emily Werthman, PhD, MSN, RN, CBRN, Burn Program Coordinator for The Johns Hopkins Burn Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and a newly appointed BCEN board member, called the accreditation a validating moment.
“Accreditation is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae,” Werthman said. “It validates the integrity of the CBRN exam (and every BCEN exam), the hard work of our item writers, and most importantly the expertise of burn nurses around the country.
“Accreditation of the CBRN certification allows burn nurses to contribute to their hospital’s Magnet efforts and may also allow more nurses to apply to their hospitals for reimbursement, promotions, and advancement through a clinical ladder. Accreditation gives burn nurses a way to demonstrate the validity of our specialty certification—allowing us to highlight our expertise in caring for burn patients across the continuum of care and reinforcing our commitment to delivering the high-quality compassionate care that all of our patients and families deserve.”
Why ABSNC Accreditation Matters
According to Amy Grand, MSN, RN, ICE-CCP, BCEN Director of Certification and Accreditation, the ABSNC process provides impartial, third-party validation that a specialty certification meets national standards. “To earn accreditation, a certification body must provide detailed data that demonstrates a certification program adheres to ABSNC’s 18 accreditation standards including organizational autonomy, basis in a body of research-based knowledge, nondiscrimination, test development, validity, reliability, test administration, test security, fairness of passing score, recertification, and confidentiality,” she explained.
Accreditation must be renewed every five years, ensuring ongoing quality and rigor.
Raising the Profile of Burn Nursing
For burn nurses, this milestone does more than strengthen the profession’s visibility—it affirms their role in advancing patient outcomes through specialized, evidence-based care. With all six BCEN certifications now accredited and Magnet-accepted, nurses across the emergency spectrum have more opportunities to validate their expertise, advance professionally, and support their organizations’ excellence in care.
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