Future Directions of
Credentialing Research in Nursing

Workshop Summary

Margaret A. McCoy and Victoria D. Weisfeld,
Rapporteurs

Board on Health Sciences Policy

INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
              OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.

www.nap.edu

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NOTICE: The workshop that is the subject of this workshop summary was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

This project was supported by the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program; American Association of Colleges of Nursing; American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Certification Corporation; American Association of Nurse Practitioners; American Board of Nursing Specialties; American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification, Inc.; American Nurses Credentialing Center; Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing; Center for Nursing Education and Testing; Competency & Credentialing Institute; Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation; Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board; National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses; National Board for Certification of School Nurses; National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists; National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecological and Neonatal Specialties; Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission; Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation; Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board, and Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. The views presented in this publication are those of the editors and attributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-31634-7
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-31634-0

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Suggested citation: IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2015. Future directions of credentialing research in nursing: Workshop summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.”      

                                                —Goethe

INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
              OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advising the Nation. Improving Health.

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

PLANNING COMMITTEE¹

BOBBIE BERKOWITZ (Chair), Dean and Professor, Columbia University School of Nursing

LINDA BURNES BOLTON, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

ROBERT DITTUS, Director, Institute of Medicine and Public Health Vanderbilt University

KAREN DRENKARD, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Nurse, GetWellNetwork, Inc.

LYNNE GRIEF, Vice President, Trauma Services Blake Medical Center

KENNETH W. KIZER, Distinguished Professor, School of Medicine and Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis

JACK NEEDLEMAN, Professor, Health Policy and Management, University of California, Los Angeles

ROBIN NEWHOUSE, Chair and Professor, Organizational Systems and Adult Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing

JOANNE SPETZ, Professor, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and School of Nursing

JOAN STANLEY, Senior Director, Education Policy, American Association of Colleges of Nursing

IOM Staff

CATHARYN T. LIVERMAN, Program Director

MARGARET A. McCOY, Study Director

ASHNA KIBRIA, Associate Program Officer

R. BRIAN WOODBURY, Senior Program Assistant

ANDREW M. POPE, Director, Board on Health Sciences Policy

__________________

¹Institute of Medicine and National Research Council planning committees are solely responsible for organizing the workshop, identifying topics, and choosing speakers. The responsibility for the published workshop summary rests with the workshop rapporteurs and the institution.

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Reviewers

This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published summary as sound as possible and to ensure that the summary meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

KAREN ADAMS, National Quality Forum

MARILYN P. CHOW, Kaiser Permanente

KATHLEEN GALLO, North Shore–LIJ Health System

MATTHEW D. MCHUGH, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

Although reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they did not see the final draft of the summary before its release. The review of this workshop summary was overseen by MARTHA N. HILL, Johns Hopkins University. Appointed by the Institute of Medicine, she was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this workshop summary was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this workshop summary rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the institution.

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Acknowledgments

This publication is the product of many dedicated individuals, and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is appreciative to all of them for their commitment, patience, and professionalism in developing and executing this workshop. This workshop was made possible by the generous support of our many sponsors:

We extend special thanks to members of our planning committee for their expert guidance in developing a workshop agenda and their participation as moderators and presenters at the workshop. The IOM is also grateful to the members of the Standing Committee on Credentialing Research in Nursing for initiating dialogues and exploring topics that informed this workshop. We are also grateful to our workshop speakers and participants for sharing their diverse perspectives and experiences to enrich workshop discussions.

The workshop’s foundation developed from a set of IOM perspective papers written by the following authors, to whom we are especially grateful:

Several devoted staff members supported the planning and execution of the summit. Sarah Domnitz, Ashna Kibria, Cathy Liverman, Meg McCoy, and R. Brian Woodbury provided steadfast support to the planning committee and project. Andy Pope offered his guidance and leadership. Thanks go to Claire Giammaria, Monica Gonzalez, Meredith Hackmann, and Tracy Lustig for their assistance in executing the workshop; to Linda Kilroy and Lora Taylor for their expert financial and contractual advice; and to Marton Cavani, Sarah Kelley, and Jose Portillo and for their communications and technological expertise. Additional recognition goes to numerous IOM staff members, including Greta

Gorman, who contributed to the production and dissemination of this workshop summary.

The workshop was webcast by Spark Street Digital and transcribed by Chanda Chhay.

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Contents

1 INTRODUCTION

2 A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR CREDENTIALING RESEARCH IN NURSING

3 STRENGTHENING DATA AND HEALTH INFORMATICS FOR CREDENTIALING RESEARCH

4 CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CREDENTIALING RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

5 ASSESSING CORE COMPETENCIES IN NURSING CREDENTIALING

6 NURSE CREDENTIALING WITHIN A COMPLEX HEALTH CARE LANDSCAPE

7 TAKING THE TEMPERATURE: STAKEHOLDER REACTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

A Workshop Agenda

B Glossary

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