Continuing Competency Initiative – how and why
Stage 1 overview of the Continuing Competency Initiative
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Stage 1 applies to those who are due for maintenance in 2012 and 2013.
What are your maintenance requirements?
- Maintenance requirements remain UNCHANGED. You must demonstrate 45 hours in your certification specialty.
Continuing competency assessment
- You should take the Stage 1 continuing competency assessment BEFORE you maintain, otherwise the assessment will no longer be available to you.
- The assessment reflects content that is tested on the certification exam and is designed to show that you have maintained those same knowledge competencies over time.
- You will be issued an education plan that will show your knowledge strengths and gaps.
- The assessment is an orientation in Stage 1 and the education plan is not binding. It is your opportunity to understand and have a first hand experience with the new process.
- You will earn 5 hours of CE for taking the assessment. These five hours will appear in ONLINE MAINTENANCE APPLICATION NOT YOUR ACCOUNT. No CE certificate will be issued as these hours only apply for NCC maintenance.
How to Access the Assessment
- Sign in to the website with your email address and password.
- Go to the Continuing Competency Specialty Assessment section on the home page and select take assessment.
- Read the important information about the assessment and the link to the assessment is at the bottom of the page.
- The education plan will become available to you once you complete the assessment or you can find it in your account.
NOTE: The new program only applies to those who hold an active core certification credential.
- RNC-OB
- RNC-MNN
- RNC-NIC
- RNC-LRN
- WHNP-BC
- NNP-BC
This does NOT apply to those with a certification that is no longer offered by NCC or any certificate of added qualification.
Stage 2 overview of the Continuing Competency Initiative
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Stage 2 applies to those who are due for maintenance in 2014 or later.
What are your maintenance requirements?
- Your maintenance requirements will be determined by your education plan resulting from your Stage 2 continuing competency assessment. The maximum requirement will be 45 hours of continuing education.
Continuing competency assessment
- You should take the Stage 2 continuing competency assessment as early as possible in your certification cycle to insure you have the maximum time to earn CE for maintenance.
- In Stage 2, NO CE that is earned PRIOR to taking the assessment can be used for maintenance.
- The assessment reflects content that is tested on the certification exam and is designed to show that you have maintained those same knowledge competencies over time.
- You will be issued an education plan that will show your knowledge strengths and gaps.
- The assessment is required and the education plan is binding in Stage 2. You will need to earn the number of hours and in the competency areas designated in your education plan to maintain.
- You will earn 5 hours of CE for taking the assessment which can be used for any area in your Stage 2 education plan. These five hours will appear in ONLINE MAINTENANCE APPLICATION NOT YOUR ACCOUNT. No CE certificate will be issued as these hours only apply for NCC maintenance.
How to Access the Assessment
- Sign in to the website with your email address and password.
- Go to the Continuing Competency Specialty Assessment section on the home page and select take assessment.
- Read the important information about the assessment and the link to the assessment is at the bottom of the page.
- The education plan will become available to you once you complete the assessment or you can find it in your account.
- The assessment is available up to three months prior to the start of your maintenance cycle if you submitted your 2011, 2012 or 2013 maintenance early. However, all CE must be earned during your current cycle of certification.
NOTE: The new program only applies to those who hold an active core certification credential.
- RNC-OB
- RNC-MNN
- RNC-NIC
- RNC-LRN
- WHNP-BC
- NNP-BC
This does NOT apply to those who a certification that is no longer offered by NCC or any certificate of added qualification
- Electronic Fetal Monitoring
- Neonatal Pediatric Transport
- Obstetrics for the Primary Care Health Care Provider
- Gynecologic Reproductive Health
- Breastfeeding
- Menopause Clinician and/or Educator
- Ambulatory Women's Health Care Nursing
- High Risk Obstetric Nursing
- Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility Nursing
- Telephone Nursing Practice
- ANA-MCH/NCC Joint Certification Process
What if I don't want to take the assessment?
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For Stage 1—by not taking the Assessment, you will lose an opportunity to assess your core competency's strengths and address your knowledge gaps. And you will not received the 5 CE contact hours being offered.
For Stage 2—by not taking the Assessment, you will lose an opportunity to assess your core competency's strengths and address your knowledge gaps, you will not receive the 5 CE contact hours being offered and you will need to maintain using a different set of requirements:
- 50 hours in specific content competency categories as noted below for a total of 50 hours.
- The maintenance fee will be increased to $175 for those participating in the alternative maintenance process. No NCC self assessment discounts will apply to maintenance fees.
- Certificate of completion and program curricula for each program used for continuing education will need to be submitted in a PDF format and uploaded to the NCC website.
- All continuing education must be accredited.
- Acceptable accrediting agencies include: state boards of nursing, CME credits, ANCC or academic credit. NCC self assessment modules/activities can be used to meet specialty hour requirements.
Assessment content
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The charts below show the content that will be covered on the continuing competency assessment and associated keywords which will provide you feedback on the assessment's outcome relative to knowledge gaps. The number of CE hours that would be required is noted if the assessment results in a specialty index less than 7.5.
| Assessment content categories | Associated keywords | Number of CE hours required if you do not achieve a specialty index of 7.5 |
Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner
|
| Normal Physiology and Management |
Health Promotion
Fertility Control
Gynecology
Obstetrics
Prenatal Care
Postpartum
Primary Care |
10 hours |
| Pathophysiology |
Gynecology
Obstetrics
Postpartum
Primary Care |
20 hours |
| Physical Assessment & Diagnostic Tools |
Health History
Physical Examination
Diagnostic Studies and Lab Tests
Primary Care |
5 hours |
| Pharmacology |
Drug Therapy
Pharmacokinetics |
10 hours |
| Professional Practice |
Ethical Issues
Legal Issues
Research
Patient Safety |
5 hours |
Inpatient Obstetric Nursing
|
| Fetal Assessment |
Antepartum Assessment
Electronic Fetal Monitoring
Non-Electronic Monitoring
Acid Base Balance |
10 hours |
| Labor and Delivery |
Labor Management
Obstetrical Procedures
Pain Management
Physiology of Labor |
15 hours |
| Obstetric Complications |
Disease Processes Affecting the Mother/Fetus and Newborn
Labor and Placental Disorders
Multiple Gestation
Pregnancy Risks
Preterm Labor |
10 hours |
| Postpartum |
Postpartum Physiology
Postpartum Complications
Lactation
Discharge Planning/Home Care |
5 hours |
| Newborn |
Adaptation to Extrauterine Life
Infant Nutrition
Newborn Complications
Newborn Resuscitation |
5 hours |
| Professional Practice |
Ethics
Legal Issues
Research
Patient Safety |
5 hours |
Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing
|
| General Assessment |
Developmental Care
Fluids & Electrolytes
Gestational Age
Nutrition
Oxygenation & Homeostasis
Resuscitation
Risk Assessment
Thermoregulation |
15 hours |
| Physiology & Pathophysiology |
Cardiac
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal (GI)
Genitourinary
Hematopoietic
Neurological
Infectious Diseases
Metabolic
Genetics
Head
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat (EENT)
Discharge Planning & Follow up
Grieving Process |
20 hours |
| Pharmacology |
Drug Therapies
Pharm Principles |
10 hours |
| Professional Practice |
Ethical Issues
Legal Issues
Patient Safety
Research |
5 hours |
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
|
| Physical Assessment |
Maternal Factors Affecting the Newborn
Physical Examination
Diagnostic Procedures
Laboratory Evaluation
Gestational Age Assessment |
5 hours |
| General Management |
Fluid & Electrolytes
Nutrition
Resuscitation
Thermoregulation
Developmental Care
Family Integration |
10 hours |
| Physiology and Pathophysiology |
Cardiac
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal (GI)
Renal
Endocrine
Hematopoietic
Neurological
Infectious Diseases
Musculoskeletal
Skin
Genetics
Head. Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat (HEENT)
Intrauterine Drug Exposure |
20 hours |
| Pharmacology |
Drug Therapies
Pharm Principles |
10 hours |
| Professional Practice |
Ethical Issues
Legal Issues
Patient Safety
Research |
5 hours |
Low Risk Neonatal Nursing
|
| Mother/Fetus |
Assess Intrauterine Environment
Maternal Complications Affecting the Newborn |
5 hours |
| Physical Assessment, Thermoregulation and Normal Management |
Gestational Age Assessment
Diagnostic Laboratory Studies
Thermoregulation
Behavioral Assessment
Breastfeeding
Neonatal Nutrition |
15 hours |
| Neonatal Complications |
Cardiac
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal
Integumentary
Renal
Genitourinary
Endocrine
Hematopoietic
Neurological
Immunology
Metabolic
Musculoskeletal
Genetics
Head. Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat (HEENT)
Perinatal Substance Abuse
Hyperbilirubinemia |
20 hours |
| Pharmacology |
Pharmacokinetics
Breastfeeding and Medications
Drug Therapies |
5 hours |
| Professional Practice |
Ethical Issues
Legal Issues
Patient Safety
Research |
5 hours |
Maternal Newborn Nursing
|
| Maternal/Neonatal Factors Affecting Outcomes |
Antenatal Factors
Intrapartal Factors |
5 hours |
| Postpartum Assessment and Management |
Postpartum Physiology
Postpartum Management and Family Education
Lactation and Newborn Feeding
Postpartum Complications
Family Dynamics |
20 hours |
| Newborn Assessment and Management |
Transition to Extrauterine Life
Newborn Physiology and Physical
Assessment
Newborn Management and Family Education
Newborn Complications |
20 hours |
| Professional Practice |
Ethical Issues
Legal Issues
Patient Safety
Research |
5 hours |