By Dawn Whiteside, DNP, MSN-Ed, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, RNFA
In a thoughtful move in 2020, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) ushered in a change, transforming nursing continuing education (NCE) into nursing continuing professional development (NCPD). In navigating this shift, please note that while the terminology evolved from CE to NCPD, the essence of a contact hour remains unchanged. Aligning with the vision of both ANCC and the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) now embraces the professional language of NCPD, honoring the transition from what was formerly recognized as NCE.
Initial certification measures competence after two years of experience in the perioperative specialty. Recertification requirements are for the purpose of ongoing competence, beyond the entry-to-practice level, ensuring that perioperative nurses participate in life-long learning and provide care based on current evidence and research. The evolution of health care and technology requires the profession of nursing to be vigilant in pursuing evidence-based practice (EBP) and excellence.
Recertification of your CCI credentials shifted to professional activities with points toward recertification January 1, 2019. Professional activities include current workplace activities, volunteerism, and additional learning activities based on EBP and the most up-to-date literature. This change was prompted by the Accreditation Board of Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC), which updated standards to enhance continued competency for certificants. According to Standard 13 of the ABSNC Examination Based Standards of Accreditation, certifying organizations must continuously review and improve processes for assessing continuing competence. Recertification should be clearly linked to continuing competence and based on the best available evidence and research.
Points activities on the CCI website are based on the job analysis of practicing perioperative nurses, outlining necessary knowledge, skills, and behavior that contribute to safe patient care. Additional points activities, developed by perioperative nurse volunteers, are linked to current evidence, research, and practice to ensure relevancy and rigor in patient care. All points activities located on the CCI website are free of charge. The Certification Council at CCI recently approved new categories. One is ‘Professional Growth and Development: Digital Media,’ recognizing certificants’ contributions to promoting perioperative nursing education through hosting and/or presenting podcasts, blogs, live events, and creating professional development activities. Refer to the recertification handbook for specific requirements for this category. A second category, ‘Ongoing Professional Development,’ includes all Microcredentials (MC) and Certificates of Mastery (COM). As nurses, we have a responsibility to participate in ongoing professional development throughout our career and this provides just one avenue for our certificants to do just that! As our CEO, Melissa Nosik, stated in the January column, CCI will begin building MCs based on perioperative specialties and a new COM focusing on perioperative leadership; both initiatives will launch in the latter half of 2024.
CCI acknowledges that some state nursing boards require contact hours for nursing license renewal. The requirement by state varies, with 22 states waiving the contact hour requirement for those with a national accredited certification. Professional activity points options allow up to 50 contact hours towards the points recertification option for all credentials. These activities may be submitted using the category of NCPD in your CCI profile. In addition to providing our certificants with meaningful free points activities, CCI is committed to building an NCPD library of contact hour courses that reflect state requirements. This library of NCPD courses will be free to those holding CCI credentials. As CCI begins to build the NCPD library, focus will be placed on the most common course requirements by state boards of nursing. The first four courses will be ‘From Awareness to Action: Nurses United in the Fight Against Human Trafficking’, ‘Navigating Care Needs for the Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patient’, and ‘Examining our Wiring: A Closer Look at Implicit Biases and How They Impact the Care we Provide’ and ‘Building Bridges and Fostering Connections Through Cultural Competence.’ The NCPD activities will be available to any individual but will be free to the certificants of CCI. This added benefit of certification with CCI will launch at AORN Surgical Conference and Expo in March 2024.
CCI aims to be a partner with certificants and all members of the perioperative community, promoting continuous professional development. The ultimate goal is to promote safe, quality patient care, aligning with CCI’s mission.
Dawn Whiteside, DNP, MSN-Ed, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, RNFA, is the director of education and professional development at CCI. She has been a perioperative nurse for 35 years performing in the role of staff nurse, registered nurse first assistant, charge nurse, manager and educator.
