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NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital has 121 nurses with certification in their specialty, evidence of a commitment to excellence in patient care.

Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital were recognized for their accomplishments on March 19, which is Nurse Certification Day. The day honors nurses who commit to the rigorous requirements to achieve and maintain certification.

"As a Magnet nursing hospital – the first in the region to achieve this designation in 2007 – we are committed to encouraging nursing education and the pursuit of professional certification that contributes to a higher standard of patient care," said NYP/Hudson Valley Hospital President John Federspiel.

Kathy Webster, vice president of patient services at NYP/Hudson Valley Hospital, praised the nursing staff at a special celebration in the main lobby. Webster thanked the nurses for their commitment to life-long learning, which she said contributed greatly to the hospital’s reputation for clinical excellence.

"Our certified nurses have made continuing professional development a priority and they assure our hospital and our patients that they have the knowledge and skills to deliver the highest level of care," she said. "When we compare ourselves by specialty in the NDNQI (National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators), we have outperformed the benchmark for every specialty."

Zaida Areizaga, an operating room nurse who recently earned certification in both geriatrics (GRN) and operating room nursing (AORN), told the audience that earning advanced degrees had improved her skills and allowed her to give better care to her patients.

The American Nurse Credentialing Center has designated March 19 as Certified Nurses Day^™, a special day of recognition to celebrate the contributions of board certified nurses. The date was chosen in honor of the birthday of Greta Styles. Styles, who died in 2005, was recognized as a trailblazer in nursing for her advocacy of worldwide nursing standards and certification.