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Corporation Seeks Nominations for
Board of Directors
AACN Certification Corporation is seeking nominations of
individuals to serve on the Board of Directors for terms that begin July 1,
2004.
Invited are nominations for the offices of chair-elect and two
directors.
Nominations must be received or postmarked by June 13, 2003. The
nomination form can be obtained by calling (800) 899-2226 or online.
The board is made up of a combination of individuals who are
certified by the corporation, other nurses and consumer representatives. These
board members are accountable for ensuring sound certification programs that
address the competencies required of critical care nurses for excellence in
practice and for fulfilling the professional obligation to patients.
Reimbursement for travel as well as other expenses are provided
for all of these national volunteer positions. Following are brief descriptions
of the AACN Certification Corporation positions for which nominations are
invited:
Chair-elect (One, 1-Year Term)-The chair-elect works to become
familiar with the duties of the chair and consults with the chair to prepare for
continuity and a smooth transition of leadership. He or she performs all duties
of that position in the chair's absence. The Board of Directors selects the
chair-elect candidate from the submitted nominations.
Director (Two, 2-Year Terms)-A director actively participates in
governance to ensure the corporation's financial viability and growth; evaluate
organizational outcomes based on established priorities and action plans;
monitors the impact of corporation initiatives on patient care and healthcare
delivery systems; articulates positions and policies to key stakeholders; and
ensures a successful relationship between AACN and AACN Certification
Corporation. Nominations for both nurse leaders and consumer representatives are
being accepted for these positions.
For more information about the Call for Nominations, contact
Tracey Kane at (800) 394-5995, ext. 415, or visit the AACN Web site.
CCNS Exam Undergoes Comprehensive Review
Pretesting of Items Will Help Ensure
Performance
Members of the CCNS Exam Development Committee are (from left)
Lorraine C. Victor, Judy Verger (board liaison), Patricia J. Atkins, Kathleen M.
Vollman, Katherine E. Collopy, Deborah L. Bingaman and Liz Miller (staff
liaison).
A comprehensive review of all test items by the CCNS Exam
Development Committee produced two revised and two new CCNS examinations for
clinical nurse specialists in critical care.
A new feature is the addition of a pretesting process for newly
created items, which help to ensure that new items perform well.
Lawrence J. Fabrey, vice president of measurement and research at
Applied Measurement Professionals, AACN Certification Corporation's testing
agency, provided his expertise in creating reliable and valid examinations. An
innovative approach used the online completion of the Angoff Process, or passing
point for the examinations. This Web review provided an additional way for the
content experts to reconfirm the answer key, determine if there was content
overlap or cueing, and provide judgments on the percentage of those who will
select the correct item.
Members of the committee, which met for three days in January in
Costa Mesa, Calif., are Patricia J. Atkins, RN, MS, CCRN, Deborah L. Bingaman,
RN, MSN, CCRN, NP, CRNP, Katherine E. Collopy, RN, MSN, CCRN, Lorraine C.
Victor, RNC, MS, CCRN, and Kathleen M. Vollman, RN, MSN, CCRN, CS. The board
liaison is Judy Verger, RN, MSN, CCRN, and staff liaisons are Liz Miller, RN,
BSN, and Carol Hartigan, RN, MA.
New Mexico Now Recognizes CCNS Certification
New Mexico has joined the list of states that now recognize CCNS
certification as meeting the criteria for advanced practice nursing designation
or licensure.
In addition to New Mexico, the state boards of nursing in
Alabama, California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
Texas, Utah and Wisconsin have either approved the CCNS exam, or listed AACN
Certification Corporation as an approved certification body.
AACN Certification Corporation has contacted the state boards in
all 50 states to request recognition of the CCNS certification exam for clinical
nurse specialists in acute and critical care. Depending on the wording of
specific statutes or rules, each state that recognizes the CNS role for advanced
practice status may have the option to approve the CCNS exam process.
However, though pressure from managed care groups, reimbursement
issues and the desire to conform to the same practices as neighboring states
seem to be influencing the move toward regulation of advanced practice, some
boards of nursing do not have the statutory authority to establish or approve an
advanced practice category. AACN Certification Corporation continues to monitor
legislation in those states.
All nurses planning to use the CCNS to obtain advanced practice
licensure should check the specific requirements of their state boards of
nursing before taking the CCNS exam.
Note: Certification obtained through AACN Certification
Corporation is a voluntary process and is intended to test only for specialized
knowledge. AACN Certification Corporation is not authorized to define
qualifications of any person for nursing practice. The significance of
certification in any jurisdiction is dependent on the statutes in that
jurisdiction, and it is the individual candidate's responsibility to contact the
appropriate state board of nursing to obtain information pertaining to licensure
requirements.
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