Title: Certification for Community/Public Health Nursing
Author:
Section/SPIG: Public Health Nursing
Issue Date:
Certification is a method by which a profession gives formal recognition to individuals who have demonstrated competency in an area of specialization within a particular professional field. Based on standards, the certification validates the registered nurse’s knowledge, skills and abilities in a defined functional or clinical nursing area (American Nurses Association, 2003).
The specialty certification examination for community health nursing was first administered in 1980. To date a total of 1,083 nurses are certified (ANCC, 2003). This examination is open to baccalaureate prepared nurses who have practiced an equivalent of two years. The complete list of eligibility requirements is located in the ANCC certification catalogue. This specialty level examination is especially aimed at nurses who practice in numerous community-based settings, such as health departments, home health agencies, schools, health maintenance organizations, camps correctional institutions, and private offices. The focus of community health nursing in this examination is health promotion, health maintenance, health education, case management, and the coordination and continuity of care.
The clinical specialist in community/public health nursing examination was begun in 1990. As of December 31, 2003, 418 nurses are certified; 421 nurses were certified at the end of 2002 (ANCC, 2004). This advanced practice examination requires a master’s or higher degree in community health nursing or a baccalaureate degree in nursing along with a master’s or higher degree in public health with a specialization in community and/or public health nursing. The examination assumes that the advanced practice nurse in community health/public health nursing possesses clinical experience in assessing the health of a community and is proficient in planning, implementing, and evaluating population-focused programs. Knowledge of epidemiology, demographics, biometrics, environmental health, community structure and organization, community development, management, policy development, and case management are needed for the examination. More detail is provided in the certification catalogue.
Community health nursing educators should take one of the exams and encourage students to take the appropriate certification examination when they are eligible. Currently certification candidates need 500 practice hours to sit for the clinical specialist examination. If the graduate program does not contain 500 hours of supervised clinical practicum, the candidate must complete the additional hours after conferral of the master’s degree and within 12 months before applying for certification. This exception to the 500 hours within the graduate program will apply only until Jan. 1, 2006. After that date graduates who have not completed 500 hours within the educational program will not be allowed to sit for the examination (ANCC Certification). Faculty who teach in graduate community health nursing programs will want to examine their programs for needed changes before the 2006 deadline.
The ACHNE Web site lists a total of 108 graduate programs at the time of the survey. The number of graduates should have increased in the last few years, but the number of candidates taking the certification examination has not increased concomitantly. The number of nurses taking the clinical specialist examination did increase in 2002, but not enough. In order to maintain certification examinations, the number of candidates taking the exams needs to be adequate to examine the psychometric properties. Since the number of examinees has declined for the clinical specialist and the basic examination in community health nursing exam, ANCC will closely monitor both exams. If we want to retain the examinations for future generations of graduates, we need to assist with promoting both exams and keeping graduate programs current.
References
American Nurses Association. (2003). Nursing’s social policy statement (2nd ed.) Washington, D.C.: Nursesbooks.org.
ANCC.(2004). Unpublished data.
American Nurses Credentialing Center. (No date). ANCC Certification. Specialty nursing administration (basic, advanced), clinical nurse specialist (community health & home health), and modular certification exams. Washington, DC: American Nurses Credentialing Center, Commission on Certification.