By James X. Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, CSSM (E)
The Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI) will again attend the AORN Surgical Conference and Expo in 2020 to be held in Anaheim, California. This event is a welcome opportunity for us to connect with our certified nurses. The theme of our education offering will be “The Future of Credentialing.” The last two years in our education sessions we have concentrated on the more immediate issue of the upcoming changes to the CNOR recertification methods. That transition is now well underway and it is now time to look further forward in the broader field of credentialing.
What credentialing and certification will look like in the near future is a topic of much discussion at CCI and this issue was recently the focus of our strategic planning efforts. This topic will be explored in some detail in Anaheim and we welcome the input of our stakeholders at that venue. I would like to take the opportunity of this column to share some of what perioperative nurses can soon expect from CCI.
An increasing amount of surgery in U.S. health care is now performed on an ambulatory basis. Relatively complex spine and joint procedures, which were formerly the exclusive domain of the hospital setting are done increasingly in the ambulatory setting. In response to this clear trend CCI will launch our fourth credential in the year 2020. The new credential, CNAMB, will concentrate on the unique role of nurses working in the ambulatory setting. Registration for this credential will begin in February with the first test administered in April of 2020. Those interested in receiving more information on this certification may notify CCI by submitting their contact information on the CCI website.
CCI often receives inquiries regarding subject areas for educational offerings and new credentials. Nurses have expressed interest in educational offerings and materials in a diversity of subjects, but they have also requested more flexibility in the delivery of these resources. In response to these requests, CCI will begin a new credentialing offering later this year with the start of our microcredentials program. This program launched in December with the Strategic Management micro-credential.
As defined on the GettingSmart website micro-credentials indicate, “ … demonstrated competency in a specific skill. Micro-credentials are also on-demand, shareable and personalized. Learners have voice and choice in what credentials they want to pursue and can create their own education playlists.” (Ryerse, 2017). CCI, through the investment in the LearnUpon learning management system, can now provide this educational offering including a digital badge documentation upon completion. More micro-credentials will be forthcoming in 2020 as CCI leverages partnerships to expand the learning and credentialing options of perioperative nurses.
I would also like to announce that CCI has recently added a fourth staff member to our credentialing team. We are now fully staffed. Previously, your first contact with CCI would be with a customer experience representative. CCI will now transition to a higher level of service using staff specifically trained in specialty nursing certification. Consistent with our views on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for perioperative nurses this team will receive role specific training, be enrolled in a career path and be offered the opportunity to attain certification in their field.
CCI is very excited to make available the CNAMB credential and micro-credentials. We believe the investment in our staff will result in more consistent service for our certificants and is consistent with our commitment to the nursing profession. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these topics with you in Anaheim.
References:
Ryerse, M. (2017). Competency-Based Micro-credentials are Transforming Professional Learning. Accessed November 10th 2019 at: https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/11/micro-credentials-transforming-professional-learning/
James Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, CSSM (E), has in excess of 30 years experience in the operating room. He has 18 years of management experience in perioperative nursing and has published and presented extensively at the national level on perioperative management related topics. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. In February 2017, he began serving as the CEO of the Competency and Credentialing Institute. He maintains an active research agenda centered on nursing workforce issues and certification.
James Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, CSSM (E), has in excess of 30 years experience in the operating room. He has 18 years of management experience in perioperative nursing and has published and presented extensively at the national level on perioperative management related topics. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. In February 2017, he began serving as the CEO of the Competency and Credentialing Institute. He maintains an active research agenda centered on nursing workforce issues and certification.
