Abstract
It’s Toronto, October 2002. I am attending my first ever Transcultural Nursing Society conference. I stand in awe as I see hundreds of people from all over the world. I am inspired by their energy and enthusiasm. These are people who, like me, are passionate about culture, care, and health.
Though I know no one, I feel welcome in this place. Within the first hour I meet my new best friend Betty Klecker. She has been a member of TCNS for many years, and is a CTN (Certified Transcultural Nurse). Wow, I’m impressed! Betty introduces me to Magie Conrad and Lorraine Steefel, also from New Jersey. The three musketeers I call them. It feels like I have known them my whole life!
The conversation now turns to certification. Lorraine is taking the exam at this conference (she passes!) and Magie says she is going to take it in San Antonio the following year. I listen. Sure enough, as friends often do, the three musketeers (in unison) say, “Beth, you should go for certification.” My response is an emphatic NO! No, I don’t know enough. . . . No, I’m not smart enough. . . . No, I could never pass the exam! Final outcome—I take the exam in San Antonio with Magie and we both pass! The message to all of you is YES, you can do it too!
Until recently TCNS only offered the certification exam for those who have their Masters or Doctorate. That will change at the end of this year with the initiation of our Basic Certification exam when those with their BSN, Diploma, and Associate degrees can become Certified Transcultural Nurses too! It was through the creative effort of the Transcultural Nursing Certification Commission, chaired by Dr. Marilyn McFarland, that the advanced exam is now a reality! Add to that mix the editors, contributors, and reviewers, who published the Core Curriculum for Transcultural Nursing and Health Care and you’ll find yourselves better prepared than ever.
So are you ready? We are, and we’re here for you every step of the way. You can tweet us @TCNS_Says, and we’ll answer all your questions and guide you through the process. You can chat with us at our annual TCNS Conference in Las Vegas this month too.
We believe in you! Peer pressure is good pressure!
Tenga un buen día.