Avamere Nurse Appointed to Prestigious Nursing Panel

June 5, 2019

WILSONVILLE, OR–The Avamere Family of Companies is pleased to announce and recognize a prestigious appointment awarded to one of their nurses.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) appointed Melissa Bruce, RN-BC, C-AL, Vice President of Community-Based Care Clinical Services at Avamere Living, to the Gerontological Nursing Standard Setting Panel.

Nurses on the panel must be board certified in gerontological nursing. Bruce recently took the gerontological nursing exam and passed, making her board-certified. The certification exam assesses clinical knowledge and skills of registered nurses in the gerontological specialty following the initial registered nurse licensure.

To receive this certification, nurses must hold an active RN license, have practiced nursing for two years full-time, and have a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice and 30 hours of continuing education in their specialty within the last three years.

According to the American Health Care Association, only one percent of RNs in the United States are board-certified in gerontological nursing.

As part of the panel, Bruce will take sample exams and provide feedback.

“My goal for this committee and the reason I applied is because it pulls together industry leaders in the gerontological nursing specialty,” Bruce said. “And for me, it’s all about propelling the specialties forward. It’s my duty as a nurse in this specialty, as a nurse for Avamere, and as a nurse in general to make sure we are at the top of our practice.”

Bruce hopes her participation in the panel will demonstrate to Avamere residents and her team that she is a leader in the industry and in her specialty with the credentials to back that up. She also hopes it encourages fellow nurses to earn their certification.

“With as fast as things change in healthcare, that absolutely has to happen,” Bruce said.

The panel will meet at the ANCC offices in Silver Spring, Maryland November 18-19, 2019.

Bruce’s participation in this panel aligns with Avamere’s strategic priority of people and culture, which includes a goal for employees to express a desire to learn and grow in their field. It also aligns with their corporate social responsibility priority to be active and make a difference in the community.

Founded in 1995 and based in Wilsonville,  the Avamere Family of Companies provides assisted living, independent living, memory care, rehabilitation, home care, transitional care, and more. Today Avamere’s diverse companies operate in 246 locations across 18 states with over 8,800 employees.

Avamere Family of Companies