Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify how certification is defined, conceptualized, and discussed in the nursing literature. BACKGROUND Although it is hypothesized that credentialing is associated with better patient outcomes, the evidence is relatively limited. Some authors have suggested that the lack of consistency used to define certification in nursing literature may be one of the dominant obstacles in credentialing research. METHODS This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's framework, and quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. RESULTS The final data set contained a total of 36 articles, of which 14 articles provided a referenced definition of certification. Thematic analysis of the definitions yielded 8 dominant themes. CONCLUSION The lack of a common definition of certification in nursing must be addressed to advance research into the relationship between certification processes in nursing and healthcare outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 238-246 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Nursing Administration |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Authors Affiliations: Senior Vice President (Dr Chappell), Accreditation, Certification, and Measurement, and Director (Dr Lundmark), Institute for Credentialing Research, American Nurses Credentialing Center, Silver Spring, Maryland; Research Associates (Mss ElChamaa and Jeong and Dr Danilovich), Professor (Dr Kitto), Department of Innovation in Medical Education and Office of Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Adjunct Assistant Professor (Dr Gallagher), University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio School of Nursing; Associate Professor (Dr Salt), University of Kentucky, College of Nursing, Lexington; Professor (Dr Reeves), Center for Health and Social Research, Faculty of Health, Social Care, and Education, Kingston University & St George"s University, London, England; Associate Professor (Dr Van Hoof), School of Nursing and school of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Mansfield; Director (Dr Moore), Division of Continuing Medical Education and Medical Education and Administration, and Director, Evaluation and Education, Office of Graduate Medical Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Assistant Professor, (Dr Olson), Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Leadership and Management