The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has launched a micro-credential for nurses and other healthcare professionals who provide direct care for critically ill patients with COVID-19.
Micro-credentials, an emerging trend in academia and healthcare, are designed to validate an individual’s knowledge in a specific area of professional practice. After successful completion of the requirements, the micro-credential can be added to resumes and online professional profiles to be shared with current and potential employers.
AACN is the first professional nursing organization to offer a micro-credential. They have already become popular in business and information technology fields. While a nursing certification encompasses the broad aspects of the role and scope of a specialty (critical care, progressive care, infection control, etc.), a micro-credential is focused on a specific skill or competency.
“Since the onset of COVID-19, nurses have looked to AACN for best practice recommendations, clinical guidelines, staffing models and emotional support. This micro-credential responds to the need to validate the knowledge required to care for patients with COVID-19,” said Connie Barden, AACN’s chief clinical officer. “As the coronavirus continues to have a significant impact, hospitals need well-educated staff they can trust to provide safe care to critically ill patients with COVID-19. This micro-credential will help to substantiate that knowledge base.”
“COVID-19 Pulmonary and Ventilator Care” micro-credential is a 38-question exam that is designed to validate the entry-level knowledge of direct care clinicians who provide pulmonary and ventilator care to patients with COVID-19. The test plan for the exam is based on content from AACN’s free course “COVID-19 Pulmonary, ARDS and Ventilator Resources.”
Since the knowledge required is applicable to nurses and other healthcare providers, AACN recruited a variety of clinical experts to create an exam that was inclusive of several disciplines in addition to nursing.
All medical professionals are eligible to take the online exam in order to receive the “COVID-19 Pulmonary and Ventilator Care” micro-credential, which includes:
Validation by AACN, a trusted provider and resource.
No distinct eligibility requirements.
An online verification tool for current and potential employers.
Individuals can purchase and complete the exam online, on their own schedule, conveniently from a home computer or mobile device.
“COVID-19 Pulmonary and Ventilator Care” micro-credential exam fees:
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with more than 120,000 members and over 200 chapters in the United States.
