Ground transport nurses who deliver lifesaving care during interfacility transfers and emergency scene responses are marking a major professional milestone this year.

The Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN) credential, administered by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026. The certification recognizes nurses who provide advanced critical care during ground medical transports, often managing complex patients in high acuity environments far from hospital resources.

Introduced on March 31, 2006, the CTRN credential has become a benchmark for nurses working in ground transport medicine. Today, more than 675 registered nurses hold the certification, reflecting growing recognition of transport nursing as a specialized area of clinical practice.

BCEN is marking the anniversary with a campaign titled “20 Years of Clinical Mastery, Mile by Mile,” honoring board-certified transport nurses and their impact on patients, transport teams, and critical care transport programs nationwide.

What is CTRN Certification?

The Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN) credential validates the specialized knowledge required for nurses who deliver critical care during ground medical transport. CTRN-certified nurses manage high-acuity patients during interfacility transfers and emergency responses, providing ICU- and emergency-level care outside the hospital setting.

Delivering Critical Care Outside the Hospital

Ground transport nurses provide advanced care during interfacility transports and emergency scene responses, bringing emergency department- and intensive care-level treatment directly to patients during transport.

In this unique clinical environment, nurses monitor and manage critically ill patients of all ages while operating increasingly sophisticated medical equipment during extended transfers.

Transport teams may also include multiple clinicians working together to stabilize patients throughout long-distance transports.

Unlike many flight-based medical transports, which are often limited by aircraft space and equipment restrictions, ground transport teams can carry more clinicians and equipment. This allows nurses to deliver complex interventions while maintaining continuous monitoring during longer transfers.

Growing Demand for Specialized Transport Nurses

Health systems increasingly rely on specialized transport programs to move critically ill patients between hospitals and care facilities. As patient acuity rises and care delivery becomes more fluid across multiple settings, the role of transport nurses continues to expand.

“When critically ill patients need to be moved, they depend on nurses with the knowledge and skill to deliver lifesaving care outside the resource-rich hospital environment. The CTRN credential validates this specialized expertise and recognizes nurses who have made the extraordinary commitment to become board certified and serve as leaders in this pivotal specialty,” said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, ICE-CCP, CENP, CPHQ, FABC.

“As health care becomes more fluid and patients receive care across multiple settings, the need for highly skilled ground transport nurses will only continue to grow.”

Rapid Growth of the CTRN Credential

Interest in CTRN certification has accelerated in recent years as hospitals and regional transport networks expand their critical care transport capabilities.

According to BCEN, the number of nurses holding the credential has increased significantly since 2020.

Key milestones in the program’s development include:

• March 31, 2006: First CTRN certification exam administered
• Since 2009: CTRN accepted within ANCC Magnet programs
• 2020 to 2023: Four consecutive years of strong growth, averaging just over 22 percent annually
• August 2023: National accreditation granted by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC)
• March 1, 2026: 676 nurses hold the CTRN credential

Since the start of 2020 alone, the number of CTRN-certified nurses has increased by 185 percent, nearly tripling.

Strengthening Clinical Decision Making in Transport Care

For nurses working in transport medicine, certification reflects advanced clinical judgment and the ability to manage critically ill patients in unpredictable environments.

“Over the past 20 years, CTRN certification has helped define and advance ground critical care transport nursing as a specialty,” said Allen C. Wolfe Jr., MSN, CNS, APRN, CFRN, CCRN, CTRN, TCRN, CMTE, FAASTN, BCEN board of directors immediate past chairperson and senior director of clinical education and critical care clinical nurse specialist at Life Link III.

“As patients grow sicker, transport times lengthen, and resources become more limited, ground transport-specific expertise matters more than ever. CTRN certification sharpens clinical judgment and strengthens decision-making under pressure, helping nurses advocate more effectively for their patients and their teams, raising the bar for ground transport programs and ensuring nurses are prepared for what comes next.”

Celebrating 20 Years of Transport Nursing Leadership

To commemorate the milestone, BCEN is highlighting the contributions of CTRN-certified nurses across its social media channels and offering a 20 percent discount on CTRN initial certification throughout March, along with renewal discounts through May.

For many nurses working in transport medicine, the credential represents more than certification. It reflects the clinical expertise required to deliver lifesaving care every second, every mile.