As you will have noted in our announcement about new changes for certification, the AMCB Board of Directors elected in April, 2009 to require that all certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives to be issued time limited certificates. This change is consistent with nationwide health professional and legislative initiatives aimed at assuring that the certification process keeps all professionals current and competent in their fields. It is also an effort to engender public confidence and promote safety through a more rigorous certification process.
The AMCB Board of Directors also has agreed that as of January 1, 2010, the CMP cycle will be changed from the current 8 years to 5 years. For those currently enrolled in CMP, your current cycle will remain the same with the exception of those whose cycle expires on December 31, 2016, in which your new expiration date will be December 31, 2015.
Additionally, the new CMP process will eventually include 4 components for continuing education:
1. Documentation of professional standing
2. Process of life-long learning
3. Assessment of Performance in Practice
4. Standardized Cognitive Assessment
Documentation of professional standing will require documentation of an unrestricted license in the state in which you are practicing or hold a license.
The current CMP process already meets the second component, the 'process for life-long learning' by requiring the completion of 3 self-learning modules during each certification cycle.
The CMP committee will be actively considering options for the 3rd component, the assessment of performance in practice. We will be looking at what other advanced practice nursing organizations are doing to fulfill this component, and welcome suggestions on options that you think would assess your actual performance of your job.
The last component, 'standardized cognitive assessment,' will be explored over the next 5 years. Many professional organizations in the health care arena struggle to research and assess how this component can be employed in a meaningful way. Current evidence indicates that after initial certification is obtained, certain areas of knowledge are lost if not used in practice, particularly theoretical knowledge. In addition, knowledge, practice standards and evidence for care change over time. We need to develop tools to assess whether providers are retaining and updating their knowledge in areas crucial to their practice. And that assessment process needs to become part of the certification process. It is yet to be determined how to do this in a cost-effective and meaningful way. In the future, we may be seeking individuals willing to help us pilot prospective assessment tools.
We welcome feedback and suggestions as we seek to move our profession forward in this new era of professional certification and public accountability.
Sincerely,
Mary K. Barger, CNM, PhD, FACNM, Chair (CMP Committee)
