New Brunswick, N.J. – February 11 2022 – Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, has once again earned the CNOR® Strong designation from the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI). In fact, the hospital has earned this designation nine consecutive times. The CNOR Strong designation recognizes facilities having at least 50 percent of its operating room (OR) nursing staff CNOR certified and provides programs that reward and recognize its certified nurses. Saint Peter’s has 88 percent of its OR nursing staff CNOR certified.
The CNOR® certification program is for perioperative nurses interested in improving and validating their knowledge and skills and providing the highest quality care to their patients. Certification also recognizes a nurse’s commitment to professional development. It is an objective, measurable way of acknowledging the achievement of specialty knowledge beyond basic nursing preparation and RN licensure.
Research shows that nurses who earn the CNOR credential have greater confidence in their clinical practice. Thus, a team of certified nurses who have mastered the standards of perioperative practice provides even more empowerment, further advancing a culture of professionalism and promoting improved patient outcomes. This strength in numbers is why CCI launched the
CNOR Strong program – to recognize healthcare facilities committed to making a difference for its patients, both inside and outside of the OR.
“The CNOR Strong designation is evidence that the majority of nurses in the operating room have achieved the highest level of skill in their practice,” said Anna Prendergast, MSN, RN, CCRN, nurse manager of Saint Peter’s Pre-Operative Care Unit, Operating Room and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit. “Nurses seeking CNOR certification reflect a commitment to exceptional patient care, patient safety and the most up-to-date training regarding evidence-based practices. At Saint Peter’s we not only encourage our nursing staff to take advantage of continuing education, but we make it easy for them to do so, providing many opportunities through onsite classes and seminars at times that are convenient and flexible given our nurses’ varied work schedules.”
“I could not be prouder of our nursing team,” said Linda Carroll, MSN, RN, RN-BC, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. “This is the ninth consecutive CNOR recognition for Saint Peter’s and given the extenuating circumstances of the past two years, it speaks volumes that throughout these challenging times our nurses remain committed to be the best in class with goals to exceed the status-quo when it comes to patient safety and procedures in the operating room.”
Established in 1979, CCI provides the CNOR® and CSSM® credentials to more than 40,000 registered nurses, making it one of the largest specialty nursing credentialing organizations and the leading certification body for perioperative nurses. The mission of CCI is to lead competency credentialing that promotes safe, quality patient care and that supports lifelong learning.
For more information about the Competency and Credentialing Institute, visit
www.cc-institute.org.
About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is a state-designated children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital offers a midwifery service and the brand-new state-of-the-art Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit
saintpetershcs.com or call 732-745-8600.