Certified Nurses Day
Certified Nurses Day™ is an annual day of recognition for and by healthcare leaders dedicated to nursing professionalism, excellence, recognition, and service. Every March 19, employers, certification boards, education facilities, and healthcare providers celebrate and publicly acknowledge nurses who earn and maintain the highest credentials in their specialty. Certified Nurses Day™ honors nurses worldwide who contribute to better patient outcomes through national board certification in their specialty.
More than 70 organizations participated in the first Certified Nurses Day by signing the proclamation and sponsoring annual events including:
- Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC)
- National Organization for Competency Assurance
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- Canadian Nurses Association
Certified Nurses Day is the perfect opportunity to invite all nurses to advance their career by choosing certification.
Margretta ‘Gretta’ Madden Styles
RN, EdD, FAAN
Certified Nurses Day™ occurs every March 19, the birthday of Dr. Margretta "Gretta" Madden Styles, RN, EdD, FAAN, one of the greatest leaders in the field of nursing certification.
Learn more
Certified Nurses Day™ occurs every March 19, the birthday of Dr. Margretta "Gretta" Madden Styles, RN, EdD, FAAN, one of the greatest leaders in the field of nursing certification. She recognized the critical importance of credentialing before broad awareness of its value and her work created global impact on the nursing profession. Dr. Styles architected the first comprehensive study of nurse credentialing in the 1970s. She then pioneered the development and implementation of standards and credentials for nurses.
In the 1980s, she spearheaded the definitive work of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) on nursing regulation. A driving force behind the creation of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Dr. Styles advanced nurse certification services and programs across the US and abroad.
Margretta Styles Fund for Credentialing Research
ANCC sponsors research grants to investigate the relationship of nurse credentialing to quality outcomes in health care. The current award is $25,000.
Why Get Certified?
Professional certification is a voluntary designation earned by individuals who demonstrate a level of competency, skill, and knowledge in their field. Certification affirms advanced knowledge, skill, and practice to meet the challenges of modern nursing.