ANCC Announces New Accreditation Innovation Pilot Nurses Can Earn CE Credits Through Outcome-Based Learning Experience

Contact:
Rachel Farbman, 301-628-5062
rachel.farbman@ana.org

Veronica Byrd, 301-628-5057
veronica.byrd@ana.org

SILVER SPRING, MD — The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), as the leader in accreditation of continuing nursing education, is piloting an innovative method of awarding continuing education (CE) credit to nurses using an outcome-based model. This model is designed to integrate a learner/team-directed educational approach that incorporates performance and quality improvement expectations into learning experiences, which can positively impact nursing practice, patient, and/or systems outcomes.

The outcome-based CE credit system does not utilize a time-based metric, but instead requires validation of learner engagement and performance. This model has five levels, beginning with articulation of knowledge and skills and progressing through application, demonstration, integration and impact on practice, patient, and/or system outcomes.

“ANCC is the one of the largest credentialing organizations in the world and is among the first to pilot awarding outcome-based CE credit,” said Kathy Chappell, PhD, RN, FNAP, FAAN, Senior Vice President, Accreditation, Certification, Measurement, and Institute for Credentialing Research. “The identification of professional practice gaps is critical, as it serves as the guide for determining desired outcomes of each learning experience.”

The pilot will be evaluated over a 12-month period. Five ANCC Accredited Providers are participating:

• American Nurses Association Center for Continuing Education and Professional Development
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Nursing Continuing Education Council
• Montana Nurses Association
• OnCourse Learning
• Versant

Each pilot organization will be developing its own educational activities and recruiting registered nurses to provide qualitative and quantitative evaluation feedback. The feedback will be used to better understand how awarding outcome-based CE credit may impact the educational experience.

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About ANCC
The mission of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA), is to promote excellence in nursing and health care globally through credentialing programs. ANCC’s internationally renowned credentialing programs certify and recognize individual nurses in specialty practice areas. ANCC recognizes health care organizations that promote nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes while providing safe, positive work environments. In addition, ANCC accredits health care organizations that provide and approve continuing nursing education. ANCC is the only nurse credentialing organization to successfully achieve ISO 9001:2008 certification in the design, development and delivery of global credentialing services and support products for nurses and health care organizations. For more information, visit www.nursecredentialing.org.