New Board Members Chosen for Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
Experienced pediatric nursing professionals to join the Board of Directors of the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. PNCB is the largest and most essential organization for the certification, continuing education, and competency development of nursing professionals who provide care for children, adolescents, and young adults.
ROCKVILLE, MD (May 2, 2023) – The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) is pleased to announce the newest members of its Board of Directors. These five new members will begin their term in July 2023 and will serve with incoming Chair Amanda Vickers, MS, RN, CPNP-PC, PMHS. Their first term will conclude June 30, 2026.
"I look forward to collaborating with our new Board members as we continue to work on PNCB's Strategic Plan. This is an exciting time for the pediatric nursing professional community and PNCB is proud to be a part of it,” said Vickers. "As we welcome our new members in July, PNCB's Board of Directors will continue to set the course for future growth through their collaboration and collective expertise. We also sincerely thank our out-going members for their dedication and time through the years: Chair Mike Maymi, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC, CCRN, CNE, Treasurer Debra Arnow, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Secretary Donna Bigani, MSN, RN, CPN, and CPN-At-Large Representative Carly Byrne, DNP, APRN, PCNS-BC, CCNS, CPN, CCRN-K."
Sean D’Onofrio, MSN, RN, CNS, ACCNS-P, CCRN, CPN
Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)-at-Large Representative
D’Onofrio is a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) at Boston Children’s Hospital in the Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit. In this role, he ensures high quality care is provided to patients while working within the three spheres of impact: direct patient care, nursing practice, and the system level. Prior to this role, he was a bedside Pediatric Intensive Care Unit nurse and professional practice specialist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, where he received extensive training to care for the sickest patients, eventually becoming an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) specialist. He received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mount Saint Mary College and his Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. He has exclusively cared for sick children and their families throughout his nursing journey and feels fortunate to have found his passion.
Joy Okumu, BSN, RN, CPN
Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)-at-Large Representative
Okumu has been a nurse for 14 years, with 5 years working in the United States healthcare system. Originally from Kenya, she practiced there as a pediatric nurse before immigrating to the US in 2017. She currently splits her full-time hours between two roles: a clinical staff nurse on the inpatient pediatric unit at the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, IL, and clinical nurse practice specialist with the Clinical Excellence Office for the Carle Health System. In addition to her clinical role, she also serves as the pediatric representative on the systemwide nursing practice council where she advocates for pediatric-friendly options when discussing systemwide changes. She is also a mentor and preceptor and is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Nursing Program in Health Systems Leadership and Informatics and will be graduating in December 2023.
Jamie Wiggins, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE
Nurse Executive-at-Large Representative
Wiggins comes to the Board with 17 years of nursing leadership experience. He is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, AR, and was previously the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Children’s Hospital New Orleans. He also holds the Nurse Executive Advanced Certification (NEA-BC®) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). He earned a Master of Science Degree – Nursing and Health Systems Leadership from the University of California San Francisco, and a Master of Business Degree from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA.
Beth Bolick, DNP, APRN, PPCNP-BC, CPNP-AC, FAAN
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care (CPNP-AC) Faculty-at-Large Representative
Bolick is the Director of the Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at Rush University in Chicago, IL. She has 45 years of experience in pediatric emergency and critical care. Her seminal contribution to nursing is the transformation of pediatric healthcare for ill and injured children by (1) establishing new standards in pediatric emergency care, (2) conceptualizing new pediatric nurse practitioner role and education models, and (3) advocating for policy changes to improve the quality of nursing care for these children at the state and national levels. Her knowledge and expertise were pivotal in creating the Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care exam in the early 2000s; she served on PNCB’s Acute Care Advisory Committee and the earliest role delineation study in 2002, among other ongoing activities. Bolick is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow and co-developer of Stopbullyingtoolkit.org which provides healthcare leaders resources to identify, intervene, and prevent incivility and bullying in their workplaces.
Elizabeth Brothers, CPNP-AC
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care (CPNP-AC)-at-Large Representative
Brothers obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2012 and worked in both the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit for five years. During this time, she provided high-quality patient-centered care. In 2016, she obtained her critical care (CCRN) certification before becoming a certified Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in 2017. Working in the PICU, she provided evidence-based care and promoted the opinion of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse profession as an educator and researcher. In 2022, she completed her Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and will complete her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Spring 2024. In her current practice, she has been heavily involved in creating and promoting Pediatric Critical Care Medicine’s (PCCM) EPIC platform by teaching providers how to utilize the program.
At PNCB, we believe our work makes kids healthier.
PNCB is the largest and most essential organization for the certification, continuing education, and competency development of nursing professionals who provide care for children, adolescents, and young adults. Setting the standard since 1975, PNCB is proud of the 53,000+ RNs and advanced practice nurses working each day to make our vision a reality. Children are our future. We’re in this together so that kids get the best possible care today, physically and emotionally, for a healthier world tomorrow. Explore all that we offer at www.pncb.org and www.ipedsnursing.org.
Contact Information:
Lori Anne Boocks
Director of Marketing & Communications
lboocks@pncb.org
