Search

Chronic pain is a growing epidemic in America. Challenges in patients' access to care, and in reimbursement to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) who provide pain services, have resulted in a voluntary subspecialty certification in nonsurgical pain management (NSPM) for CRNAs. An evaluation was conducted of perceptions of CRNAs toward the value of certification in NSPM. An invitation to complete the Perceived Value of Certification Tool (PVCT) was sent to 474 CRNAs who identified the subspecialty practice of NSPM upon application for recertification to the NBCRNA. Data were collected on 18 factors related to the perceived value of certification in the NSPM subspecialty. Exploratory factor analysis using principal components analysis with varimax rotation was conducted to assess the latent structure of the PVCT and to identify potential constructs of CRNAs' perceptions. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach α coefficients. Of 64 CRNAs who provided data, a 3-factor solution emerged that explained 72.25% of the overall variance: personal satisfaction, professional recognition, and competence, each with excellent to good reliability (F1: α = 0.95, F2: α = 0.94, F3: α = 0.88). Identification of the 3 constructs in this study will assist with future efforts of examination validation for the subspecialty of NSPM certification for CRNAs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared no financial relationships with any commercial entity related to the content of this article. The authors did not discuss off-label use within the article., (Copyright© by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.)

The nurse anesthesia profession has been an advocate of credentialing since 1945 when the certification program and initial requirements were introduced. Substantial changes have evolved in the credentialing of health professionals over recent years to include documentation of initial and continuing competence while promoting patient safety. The National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) has conducted a 3-year investigation into continuing competence as applied to the practice of nurse anesthesia and to other professions. The purpose of this article is to present the essential concepts and current developments related to competence and continuing competence for nurse anesthetists. The NBCRNA continues to seek input from nurse anesthetists and stakeholders in its deliberations on how to define the future requirements for continuing competence.

The COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed a renewed interest in Live Remote Proctoring (LRP), not only as a test availability measure but as a necessity to maintain business continuity. Many certification organizations have correspondingly provided LRP as an option for candidates. This study describes a retrospective, observational pilot study evaluating modality effects for three high-stakes certification examination programs administered concurrently in test center and LRP conditions. Also reported are summaries of a post-examination survey assessing drivers for selection of testing condition and candidate satisfaction, particularly with aspects of the LRP experience. Significant differences were observed in both distributions of test scores and test duration (both higher for test center candidates). Although explanatory variables are not completely understood, the authors offer insights as to factors influencing these outcomes. While satisfaction levels with LRP were reasonably positive, significant technical issues were reported by LRP candidates. The primary drivers for the selection of LRP were safety concerns related to the pandemic, simple convenience, and lack of test center availability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed a renewed interest in Live Remote Proctoring (LRP), not only as a test availability measure but as a necessity to maintain business continuity. Many certification organizations have correspondingly provided LRP as an option for candidates. This study describes a retrospective, observational pilot study evaluating modality effects for three high-stakes certification examination programs administered concurrently in test center and LRP conditions. Also reported are summaries of a post-examination survey assessing drivers for selection of testing condition and candidate satisfaction, particularly with aspects of the LRP experience. Significant differences were observed in both distributions of test scores and test duration (both higher for test center candidates). Although explanatory variables are not completely understood, the authors offer insights as to factors influencing these outcomes. While satisfaction levels with LRP were reasonably positive, significant technical issues were reported by LRP candidates. The primary drivers for the selection of LRP were safety concerns related to the pandemic, simple convenience, and lack of test center availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]