Practice Analysis: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist.

BACKGROUND: Standards for advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) licensure in the United States require certification programs to analyze practice in order to document the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners (AGACNPs) and wellness-through-acute-care clinical nurse specialists (AGCNSs). The practice analysis done every 5 years by the AACN Certification Corporation provides research data for use in establishing test plans for certification of APRNs. OBJECTIVES: To describe the development of a survey to collect information on the current practice of AGACNPs and AGCNSs, and to compare the results from practitioners in the 2 roles. METHODS: In 2016, a task force of subject matter experts created a survey of the practice activities and competencies of AGACNPs and AGCNSs. Respondents rated activities and competencies according to their applicability and significance to APRN practice. The subject matter experts analyzed the ratings to determine which patient care problems, skills and procedures, and competencies would be included in the updated certification test plans. RESULTS: After analyzing the survey responses, subject matter experts retained 135 patient care problems, 45 skills and procedures, and all national competencies for AGACNPs and 123 patient care problems, 56 skills and procedures, and all national competencies for AGCNSs. Both roles involve several of the same patient care problems, skills and procedures, and competencies. CONCLUSIONS: Data from practice analysis surveys formed the basis for developing reliable and valid certification examinations for entry-level APRNs. The information from such studies of practice should inform practicing nurses and students, as well as educators, accreditors, legislators, and regulators, about the work of AGACNPs and AGCNSs.

Oncology nurse navigator role delineation study: an oncology nursing society report.

The purpose of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Oncology Nurse Navigator Role Delineation Study was to examine the job-function activities of the oncology nurse navigator, thus providing an understanding of this unique role. The Role Delineation Advisory Committee consisting mainly of oncology nurse navigators was formed to provide content expertise to Applied Measurement Professionals, which conducted the role delineation study. Three hundred and thirty nurses completed the survey. The study clearly defined tasks, knowledge areas, and skills that are very specific to the nurse navigator role; however, the overlap in knowledge with the general oncology nurse role needs to be explored. The ONS Board of Directors and the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation Board of Directors currently are exploring the need for additional initiatives to help define the role and competencies of the oncology nurse navigator.

The current practice of infection prevention as demonstrated by the practice analysis survey of the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.

BACKGROUND: The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc., (CBIC) provides direction and administers the certification process for infection prevention professionals. CBIC performs a practice analysis (PA) survey every 5 years to assess the current practice of infection prevention. The last PA survey was conducted in 2005. The CBIC conducted the 2009 survey to ensure its certification examination focuses on current infection prevention practice. METHODS: CBIC appointed a Task Force to develop the survey, approve the sampling plan and oversee the distribution and analysis of the responses. After pilot testing, the final survey was distributed electronically to infection preventionists in multiple health care settings throughout the world. RESULTS: A total of 3,771 eligible surveys were received representing a 27.5% response rate. The typical respondent was a female, approximately 50 years old, who is experienced in infection prevention, has worked in health care for 25 years, and is a registered nurse. CONCLUSION: Of importance to a multi-national certification examination is that the specifications for the examinations appropriately reflect the responsibilities of all individuals who will participate in the certification examination process. The respondents agreed that the survey listed the critical tasks currently performed by an infection prevention professional.

Occupational health nursing 2004 practice analysis report.

As a certifying body for occupational health nurses in the United States and Canada, the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (ABOHN) must ensure its certification examinations validly reflect current occupational health nurse practice. This report presents information from the ABOHN 2004 practice analysis. The study's primary purpose was to analyze areas of knowledge, skill, and ability for occupational health nurses as reflected by the tasks they perform to guide refinement of ABOHN's certification examinations. A valid and reliable survey instrument, containing demographic and job-related questions and 172 task statements was developed. A total of 5,586 surveys (4,921 Web-based and 665 paper) were made available to occupational health nurses throughout the United States and Canada. The usable response rate was 23.5% (N = 1,223). Decision rules were used to determine which survey tasks were appropriate for inclusion in Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) and Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S) certification examination blueprints. The revised blueprints were used to develop new examinations. Study data also validated the existing ABOHN Case Management (CM) specialty examination blueprint, and verified occupational health nurse roles and responsibilities related to safety programs. Based on analysis of the safety-related items, ABOHN in collaboration with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, has created a safety management credential (SM) and associated examination that certified occupational health nurses may use to verify their safety role proficiency.

Practice analysis for infection control and epidemiology in the new millennium.

BACKGROUND: The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology appointed an advisory committee to conduct a practice analysis (PA) of infection control professionals (ICPs) to identify current practices of ICPs. Results of the PA would assist in the development of a revised certification examination. METHODS: Five thousand seven hundred fifty-three questionnaires were distributed to ICPs in the United States and in Canada, as well as to a subsample of ICPs in other countries. Decision rules and criteria were applied to each identified task in the PA. RESULTS: A total of 1306 responses were available for analysis, for a 24% return rate. The majority of the respondents were certified in infection control, had a background as a registered nurse, and worked in a community hospital with 200 or fewer beds. Six major categories, with 135 tasks, were identified in the PA. The following 2 new categories were included: education and research and infection control aspects of employee health. CONCLUSIONS: The PA reflects current changes in the practice of infection prevention/control and applied epidemiology in the United States and Canada. The test specifications accepted for adoption by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology will be used to build all examination forms for a certification program for ICPs.

Defining the roles and functions of occupational and environmental health nurses. Results of a national job analysis.

1. Effective occupational health nursing practice requires expertise in the occupational and environmental health sciences, knowledge of principles of business and management, and an understanding of regulatory processes. 2. Certification is an effective mechanism for occupational health nurses to demonstrate their mastery of knowledge. The validity of the certification examination is established through the completion of a job analysis, a systematic process that provides a means to describe the various elements of a job including the duties and tasks, responsibilities, worker characteristics, and working conditions. 3. The job analysis conducted for this study found that respondents who were Certified Occupational Health Nurses are more likely to practice in the clinician role and those who were Certified Occupational Health Nurse-Specialists were more likely to practice in the educator and management role. 4. Because of the dynamic and multidimensional nature of occupational health nursing practice, it is essential that job analyses be conducted on a regular basis to ensure the validity of the certification examination.