Proud to be a Nurse

School of Nursing alumni Marissa Blanco and Vivian Cox recently passed the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) national certification exam.

Blanco and Cox graduated in August 2011 from the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, and in three weeks have achieved national certification as family nurse practitioners.

“Taking and passing the ANCC exam was a great milestone,” Blanco said, “a tangible step toward becoming recognized as a new professional.”

Blanco said she became a nurse after 20 years of providing counseling and guidance to people in a variety of settings.

She said she now looks forward to a career in community health as a family nurse practitioner where she can focus on holistic health care.

Cox said she is thrilled to have passed the exam because it has allowed her the opportunity to I will be able to serve those in her community needing medical care.

"I was so excited when I saw the 'congratulations' on the paper the center handed me," Cox said. "I immediately said 'thank you' to Christ the Lord. I could not have done this without him. I am proud to be an advanced practice registered nurse."

The ANCC, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, provides individuals and organizations throughout the nursing profession with the resources they need to achieve practice excellence, according to the organization’s website.

The center’s internationally renowned credentialing programs certify nurses in specialty practice areas, recognize health care organizations for promoting safe, positive work environments through the Magnet Recognition Program and the Pathway to Excellence Program and accredit providers of continuing nursing education.