Read these inspiring stories from nurses who have made certification a part of their career journey.
Kaphne Harris, MSN, APRN, ACNP-BC
Harris’s 30-year nursing journey has been marked by dedication and perseverance. She began her career as a certified nursing assistant, progressed to a licensed vocational nurse, then earned her associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in nursing.
Advancing to become an acute care nurse practitioner was a natural progression in Harris’s professional journey. With years of experience in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, trauma, and intensive care, this Texas Nurses Association member sought to enhance her ability to deliver high-level, direct care to critically ill patients.
Harris is now pursuing a DNP degree to further enhance her leadership capabilities and enable her to drive evidence-based practice, influence healthcare policy, and implement solutions to the challenges facing the nursing profession.
Michael Szeliga, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CMSRN, CPHQ
Szeliga became a nurse out of a deep desire to help others. The act of helping takes many forms, each unique to the individual. In Szeliga’s practice this means forming meaningful connections with recipients of care during some of their most challenging moments and guiding them toward health and wellness. He takes great pride in his ability to connect with both patients and colleagues in a genuine and compassionate manner.
Becoming an ANCC-certified adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist has opened doors to opportunities beyond what Szeliga, a Delaware Nurses Association member, ever imagined. His training and experience as a CNS have become deeply integrated into all aspects of his work, providing him with the ability to develop, implement, and evaluate change across the three spheres of impact: patient care, nursing practice, and healthcare systems.
His expertise has also enabled him to serve the nursing profession as a clinical faculty member and as a board of directors member for a nursing specialty.
Juliana Rendon Lopez, RN, GERO-BC, CCRN
Rendon Lopez’s journey through nursing rests on deep familial and cultural foundations. She completed her LPN and BSN studies in Colombia, then ran into a series of roadblocks when she relocated to Wisconsin.
Navigating an unfamiliar language and culture, she struggled to figure out how to continue her nursing career. The process of credential verification proved confusing and overwhelming, but after 2 years of persistence, Rendon Lopez succeeded in getting her education approved and took the NCLEX-RN exam. Along the way, she met other internationally educated nurses who, like her, had been told their education wasn’t valid in the United States and had abandoned their dreams, turning instead to other fields. Once she proved it was possible, she began guiding others through the process.
Rendon Lopez pursued an ANCC certification in gerontological nursing primarily because she wanted to be well-informed and equipped to support her mother and help her siblings navigate and cope in the wake of their mother’s diagnosis with vascular dementia.
She also recognized through her work as an RN that many older Hispanic patients face language barriers. She saw how much they value having someone who not only speaks their language but also understands and respects their cultural values and beliefs. Rendon Lopez is a Wisconsin Nurses Association member.
across southwest Wisconsin.
Adapted from Monthly Stories of Inspiration from ANCC Certified Nurses at bit.ly/4nScLMh under the Resources for You tab.
American Nurse is the official journal of the American Nurses Association and is a member benefit. Learn more about the association and the many benefits of joining. 
