The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) is pleased to announce a call for volunteers to serve on ABNS committees through June 30, 2028.

Committee service provides an opportunity to contribute expertise, collaborate with leaders across the certification community, and support initiatives that advance nursing certification.

Eligible Volunteers

ABNS welcomes interest from representatives of regular member organizations and from affiliate members.

Committee Opportunities

Awards and Recognition Committee (ARC)

The Awards and Recognition Committee recognizes individuals and organizations, both internal and external to ABNS, for their contributions and achievements that support excellence in nursing certification.

Programs Committee

The Programs Committee develops the educational programming and content that addresses the needs and interests of participants attending the fall and spring conferences.

Certified Nurses Day Committee

The Certified Nurses Day Committee promotes and celebrates Certified Nurses Day each year on March 19. Committee members help raise awareness of the value of certification and encourage nurses to pursue and maintain specialty certification.

ABNS is currently seeking both committee members and a Chair for this committee.

AI Committee

As ABNS's newest committee, the AI Committee focuses on developing conference content and regular newsletter contributions related to the impact of artificial intelligence on specialty nursing certification and the certification community.

Get Involved

Serving on an ABNS committee is a valuable opportunity to contribute your expertise, strengthen professional connections, develop leadership skills, and support the future of nursing certification.

Interested individuals are encouraged to complete the volunteer interest form.

Bresney Fanning Assumes Presidency of the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS)

The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) is pleased to share that Bresney A. Fanning, MSN, Med-MESA, NNP-BC, C-NNIC, C-ELBW, has officially assumed the role of president as of July 1, 2026.

Bresney Fanning brings to this role a distinguished career defined by leadership, innovation, and advocacy within nursing certification and clinical practice. Beginning her professional journey as a neonatal nurse practitioner, she witnessed firsthand the transformative influence of specialty certification on nursing practice and patient outcomes. This early experience ignited a lasting commitment to advancing certification as a cornerstone of healthcare excellence.

Currently serving as the executive director for the National Certification Corporation (NCC), Bresney has dedicated her career to elevating the role of certification across the healthcare continuum. Her leadership has consistently emphasized the importance of validated expertise in ensuring high-quality care, strengthening professional development, and enhancing public trust in the nursing profession.

As president of ABNS, Bresney is poised to lead with a vision centered on:

• Expanding recognition of specialty nursing certification
• Strengthening collaboration among member boards
• Advocating for certified nurses as essential contributors to healthcare quality and innovation

In her own words:

“Specialty nursing certification is an essential milestone that empowers nurses and protects the public. As ABNS President, my goal is to continue to advocate for the value of this milestone, making sure the dedication of certified nurses is recognized, celebrated, and deeply integrated into the future of healthcare. Certification doesn't just validate knowledge—it instills trust, drives professional growth, and elevates the entire standard of care.”

Bresney’s ascension reflects not only her professional achievements but also the broader commitment of the nursing community to excellence, accountability, and lifelong learning.

Please join us in congratulating Bresney Fanning on this important leadership role and in supporting her continued efforts to advance the impact and recognition of specialty nursing certification.

About ABNS

The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) is dedicated to promoting the value of specialty nursing certification to improve patient outcomes and advance the nursing profession.

The ABNS Research Team, led by Dr. Kevin Letz, with funding from the Margretta Madden Styles Credentialing Research Grant, is launching a national survey of specialty nurses to investigate the motivators and barriers to certification. ABNS needs your help to distribute the survey with as many specialty nurses (certified and non-certified) as possible.

Please find linked below resources that you can use for distribution of the survey link via email, website, and social media.

Direct link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ABNS_VOSNC

ABNS Survey Distribution Blank Email Template

ABNS Survey Distribution Social Media Template

ABNS Survey Distribution Blank Templates

We appreciate your partnership in sharing this survey with as many specialty nurses as possible.

The survey will be live on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 and will close on Monday, May 18, 2026. If your organization would like to request a survey extension, please contact Dr. Pamela Ing at ping@aanpcert.org.

We’re excited to share that our office has a new home!
Come visit us at:

85 Swanson Road, Suite 135
Boxborough, MA

Thank you for being part of our journey — we look forward to welcoming you to our new space!

The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) is proud to announce that Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CPHQ, CENP, CCP-ICE, FABC, CEO of the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing, is the recipient of its prestigious Janel Parker President’s Award for the 2024-2025 year. The Janel Parker President’s Award recognizes an individual or organization within the ABNS membership that has made significant contributions to specialty nursing certification and to the association. The award was presented on April 4, 2025 at the annual ABNS Spring Conference.

Janie stepped into the role of President of the Board of Directors for ABNS in 2018 having not previously served on their board to ensure continued operations and success. She did an outstanding job bringing a new vision for ABNS to the organization and did a significant amount of work improving the internal operations and oversight of the work of the association. Janie was an ex-officio board member of ABSNC as President of ABNS and provided insightful and valuable insight on the revision to the accreditation standards.

Janie implemented rigor and expectations with ABNS's management company to ensure they were meeting obligations to member organizations. Much of the work she did in this regard was behind the scenes and not visible to members but contributed to the value of ABNS for member organizations and the public, nonetheless. Further, as president during the COVID pandemic, she held weekly townhalls with member organizations to allow for information sharing and community. Janie was also instrumental in working with ANCC to bring Certified Nurses Day into ABNS. Janie also led a research initiative with Morning Consult to understand the public perception and understanding of nursing certification, which led to the collection of actionable data that ABNS shared with member organizations to inform their marketing and communication efforts. She improved the member survey, oversaw the update of the certification bibliography and contributed to the organization's financial stability.

"We are so incredibly fortunate to have had Janie's leadership at a time of great change for the organization and the industry," said Terri Hinkley, EdD, MBA, BScN, RN, CAE, Past President of ABNS.

Please join us in celebrating 2025 Janel Parker President’s Award recipient Janie Schumaker for her tireless promotion of the value of nursing certification!

For more information about ABNS, please visit https://nursingcertification.org/.

Now is the time to recognize service, achievement, and impact in our industry! Applications for the 2024-2025 annual awards are open and the deadline for submission for all awards is January 31, 2025. 

The four awards are:

• The ABNS Research and Innovation Award (specific to ABNS Members) recognizes noteworthy achievement in research and innovation specific to the work of specialty nursing certification and in promoting the mission of ABNS.

• The Janel Parker President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Certification (specific to ABNS Members) recognizes an individual or organization within the ABNS membership that has made significant contributions to specialty nursing certification and to the association. 

• The ABNS Rising Leader Award recognizes and honors a young professional (forty years old or younger) who has made a significant impact in advancing the nursing certification industry.

• The ABNS Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes sustained, exemplary service to the nursing credentialing industry. The nominee must be an active participant in ABNS for at least 10 years with demonstrated involvement in activities that advance the mission of ABNS.

Please contact the ABNS Executive Office at abns@nursingcertification.org if you have questions or comments about these awards.

The 2024 Spring Conference will be held in Alexandria, VA April 5-6, 2024. More details to come. 

Call for Award Nominations

The American Board of Nursing Specialties is excited to announce that applications for the 2024 annual awards are now open. The deadline for submission for all awards is January 31, 2024.

• The ABNS Research and Innovation Award (specific to ABNS Members) recognizes noteworthy achievement in research and innovation specific to the work of specialty nursing certification and in promoting the mission of ABNS.
• The Janel Parker President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Certification (specific to ABNS Members) recognizes an individual or organization within the ABNS membership that has made significant contributions to specialty nursing certification and to the association. 

• The ABNS Rising Leader Award recognizes and honors a young professional (forty years old or younger) who has made a significant impact in advancing the nursing certification industry.
• The ABNS Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes sustained, exemplary service to the nursing credentialing industry. The nominee must be an active participant in ABNS for at least 10 years with demonstrated involvement in activities that advance the mission of ABNS.

Please contact the ABNS Executive Office at abns@nursingcertification.org if you have questions or comments about these awards.

American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS)

We're still in need of volunteers. Enrich your ABNS membership experience by serving on a Committee! Share your experience and expertise, gain knowledge, and enlarge your network - all while being part of ABNS' work to continue moving our field forward. ABNS is issuing a call for members to serve on, or chair, the following Committees:

• Nominating Committee (2 volunteers needed): Prepare the slate of potential board members and officers. Vet and present candidates for positions. 
• Conference Committee (3 volunteers needed): Conduct educational needs assessments and provide feedback and suggestions for program planning.

We know you are all busy professionals so annual time commitment is minimal. However, your participation will help further the ABNS mission in 2023 and beyond. 

Email your interest in serving to abns@nursingcertification.org

Enrich your ABNS membership experience by serving on a Committee! Share your experience and expertise, gain knowledge, and enlarge your network - all while being part of ABNS' work to continue moving our field forward! ABNS is issuing a call for members to serve on, or chair, the following Committees:

Awards Committee (2 volunteers needed): Administering the ABNS Awards Program that recognizes individuals and/or organizations internal and external to the organization. Review applications for the Nursing Certification Advocacy Award and the Janel Parker President’s Award

Conference Committee (3 volunteers needed): Conduct educational needs assessments and provide feedback and suggestions for program planning.

Email your interest in serving to abns@nursingcertification.org