Title

Credentialing: The need for a national research agenda

Authors

Authors

J. V. Hickey; L. Y. Unruh; R. P. Newhouse; M. Koithan; M. Johantgen; R. G. Hughes; K. B. Haller;V. A. Lundmark

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

Nurs. Outlook

Keywords

Credentialing; Certification; Magnet; Accreditation; Outcomes; Nursing; NON-MAGNET HOSPITALS; REGISTERED NURSES; WORK-ENVIRONMENT; SPECIALTY; CERTIFICATION; QUALITY; CARE; OUTCOMES; ASSOCIATION; EXCELLENCE; MORTALITY; Nursing

Abstract

A national research agenda is needed to promote inquiry into the impact of credentialing on health care outcomes for nurses, patients, and organizations. Credentialing is used here to refer to individual credentialing, such as certification for nurses, and organizational credentialing, such as American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet recognition for health care organizations or accreditation of providers of continuing education in nursing. Although it is hypothesized that credentialing leads to a higher quality of care, more uniform practice, and better patient outcomes, the research evidence to validate these views is limited. This article proposes a conceptual model in which both credentials and standards are posited to affect outcomes in health care. Potential research questions as well as issues in research design, measurement, data collection, and analysis are discussed. Credentialing in nursing has implications for the health care professions and national policy. A growing body of independent research that clarifies the relationship of credentialing in nursing to outcomes can make important contributions to the improvement of health care quality.

Journal Title

Nursing Outlook

Volume

62

Issue/Number

2

Publication Date

1-1-2014

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

119

Last Page

127

WOS Identifier

WOS:000333571500009

ISSN

0029-6554

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