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Nursing Professional Development Certification Examination Content Outline

This is a paper-and-pencil exam

There are 175 questions on this examination. Of these, 150 are scored questions and 25 are nonscored pretest questions. Questions are pretested to determine how well they perform before they are used in the scored portion of the examination. The pretest questions cannot be distinguished from those that will be scored, so it is important that a candidate answer all questions. However, a candidate's score is based solely on the 150 scored questions. Performance on pretest questions does not affect a candidate's score.

This Test Content Outline identifies the areas that are included on the examination. The percentage and number of questions in each of the major categories of the scored portion of the examination are also shown.

Category
Domains of Practice
No. of Questions
Percent
I
 Principles of Practice
52
34.67%
II
 Educator Role
45
30.00%
III
 Leader Role
15
10.00%
IV Consultant, Facilitator, and Change
Agent Roles 		23 15.33%
V Researcher Roles 15 10.00%
Total
150
100%

Test Content Outline

  1. Principles of Practice (Theorectical Foundations)
    1. Organizational culture, dynamics, mission, vision, values and goals
    2. Principles of education
      1. teaching/learning (e.g., relevance, motivation, active involvement, individual differences)
      2. characteristics of adult learners (e.g., generational, learning styles, cultural, influencing factors [e.g., older learner, second degree])
    3. Domains of learning (i.e., cognitive, affective, psychomotor, social and cultural influences, as related to the development of learning activities)
    4. Ethical and legal issues
      1. principles of ethics
      2. copyright law
      3. risk management (i.e., accountability, analysis, and avoidance)
      4. boundaries (e.g., conflict of interest, intellectual property, plagiarism, cheating, confidentiality)
      5. regulatory considerations (e.g., ADA, OSHA, PHARMA, FERPA)
      6. professional standards (e.g., accrediting bodies, professional organizations, licensure)
    5. Current Theories of Change Management (e.g., systems, behavioral, and change)
    6. Evaluation
      1. models and levels of Evaluation (e.g., process, content, outcome, impact)
      2. outcome measures (e.g., benchmarking, quality indicators, performance measures [e.g., dashboard, report cards])
    7. Issues and trends
      1. continued competence (e.g., licensure and certification renewal requirements, portfolio components)
      2. practice and excellence initiatives (e.g., IHI, TCAB, Magnet)
      3. credentialing (certificates [e.g., ACLS, FHM] and certifications [e.g., RN-BC, CCRN])
      4. practice based on evidence (e.g., literature, databases, reliable sources, expert opinion, best practices)
    8. Functions of the nursing professional development specialty
      1. orientation
      2. in-service
      3. competency management
      4. clinical affiliations
      5. preceptor development
      6. continuing education

  2. Educator Role (Application of Role)
    1. Process
      1. assessment (i.e., target audience, needs identification, validation, prioritization)
      2. planning process (i.e., purpose, objectives, content, methods, faculty and content experts, resources, program design, delivery mode, outcomes, marketing plan, budgeting, commercial relationships)
      3. implementation (e.g., onsite coordination, facility management, policies, technology and equipment, troubleshooting)
      4. evaluation (e.g., ROI, outcomes, effectiveness, revisions, satisfaction)
    2. Documentation for accreditation, regulatory agencies, and risk management (i.e., compliance and records)
    3. Design and delivery skills (e.g., presentation, images and handouts, flyers, reports, use of technology, test construction)

  3. Leader Role (Application of Role)
    1. Nursing professional development quality improvement (e.g., service line performance indicators, outcomes validation, role clarification, departmental structure)
    2. Contribution to the nursing professional development specialty
      1. role modeling (e.g., certification, competency, portfolio, self development)
      2. professional interactions (e.g., networking, policy development, mentoring, dissemination)
    3. Resource management (e.g., teams, projects, fiscal, prioritization, records)
    4. Communication (e.g., negotiation, team building, collaboration)

  4. Consultant, Facilitator, and Change Agent Roles (Application of Roles)
    1. Consultation process (e.g., contracting, engaging, disengaging)
    2. Facilitation (e.g., interdisciplinary, focus groups, strategic planning, meetings)
    3. Coaching process (e.g., remediation, career development, clinical advancement)
    4. Project management tools and processes
    5. Communication (e.g., feedback, positivism, conflict management)

  5. Researcher Role (Application of Role)
    1. Evidence-based practice
      1. integration (dissemination of current evidence-based clinical findings through learning activities, policies, procedures and standards)
      2. facilitation (e.g., developing infrastructures, learning activities, proposals)
      3. application (evidence-based education techniques; e.g., testing, delivery modes, teaching strategies)
    2. Research process (e.g., identify problems, data collection, data analysis, IRB)
    3. Informatics
      1. information management (e.g., software, access)
      2. information processing (collecting, interpreting, and reporting of qualitative and quantitative findings)
      3. information systems (access, input, and manipulation of databases, learning management systems, etc.)
      4. environmental scanning (e.g., monitor, trending, listserv)

This page last revised 5/31/2008.