FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Welcome to the FAQs section for the Nurse-Patient Educator certification program. This area is provided to you as a source of information that may be more clarified, related to questions you may have in regards to our certification program. Information regarding recertification, as well as information about our online continuing education courses, is also provided. We highly recommend that you first thoroughly review all of the information on our website, under the main page for the Nurse-Patient Educator Certification. Access here .
If after reviewing all of the provided information and this FAQs section, any other questions may be addressed by completing our request for information form online here. Thank you for your interest in our programs.
NURSE-PATIENT EDUCATOR BLOG: Please visit our Nurse Patient Education interactive web blog. Our blog contains articles, news, events and information related the Nurse Patient Educator field.
What is Certification?
Answer: Certification is a voluntary process provided by via an organization that through its qualified advisory boards develops comprehensive and quality standards for the practice of a type of specialty. The developed standards address high quality requirements for the practice of a certain specialty. The defined standards outline educational and/or practice requirements, any required prerequisites, and the need to adhere to a defined code of ethics for the practice specialty. Certification is different than any type of licensing. Certification is one means by which professionals may be publicly recognized as achieving a high level of education, knowledge base and practice skills for a certain healthcare related specialty. Certification also assists employer organizations and clients in their assessment of appropriate qualifications for candidates seeking positions in organizations and/or involved in private practices. It is commonly held that certification through an organization is fast becoming a “gold standard” for specialty practices. Certification testifies and provides a verification of defined educational requirements, adherence to a solid code of ethics, and in many instances prerequisites of practice experience for the practice in a variety of fields.
What Are the Criteria/standards I Will Need to Meet to Achieve Certification?
Answer: The educational criteria and standards are well and clearly defined within our website. Please access our main page to preview these requirements. Access here.
May I Apply for and Be Conferred Certification if I Have Been Practicing as a Nurse-patient Educator in a Clinical Setting or Private Practice With- Out the Need to Meet the Educational Requirements?
Answer: No. The Board that oversees the development and approval of defined criteria and standards for certification will not consider only practice experience as meeting requirements in full. This decision was made as those who are already in patient education and teaching practices have varied and different experiences related to life coaching in health care education and counseling and there is no insured uniformity that all who have practiced as nurse patient educators have the same knowledge base and skills attainment. The evaluation of one’s past practice experiences in health care practices is highly variable and subjective. As such, the Board has developed objective criteria/standards for the conferral of certification. For these reasons, practice experience without the attainment of education will not be considered as fulfilling criteria and standards for our certification.
Over the Years, I Have Completed Many Seminars and Continuing Education Courses Related to Patient Education and Teaching. Will These Apply Toward the Education Requirements for Certification?
Answer: Please send in any transcript for review to determine if they can be utilized and an AIHCP course waived. You can contact us here.
What is the Major Practice Focus of a Certified Nurse-patient Educator?
Answer: a certified nurse-patient educator, as defined by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc, is a licensed registered nurse who has achieved a high level of education, knowledge and skills in the following areas;
- patient teaching/education concepts and models of practice,
- is currently licensed as a registered nurse,
- has attained education beyond preparatory licensing for the practice of nurse-patient educator.
There is an emphasis placed on a holistic approach to care delivery from a “mind-body-spirit” framework. Emphasis is also on educating clients regarding alternative and complimentary modalities and approaches to overall health care delivery and health care prevention.
The nurse-patient educator is an educator, advocate, clinical practitioner, and may also be involved in research related to patient teaching and disease prevention, as well as wellness promotion. As a practitioner they may also be involved in the direct delivery of care modalities and also be engaged in patient education. A nurse-patient educator should be well educated in principles and practices of not only patient teaching, but also disease prevention and wellness promotion in order to provide a wide array of therapeutic teaching services.
We support that this program and certification is “foundational” to the development of an expanding practice in which patient education, disease prevention education and wellness promotion education are key. The nurse educator uses patient centered teaching interventions based on research and solid models and theories of teaching and client learning.
At this time, we provide a full continuing education program to meet the education standards for this certification specialty. Our current program is a curriculum of continuing education courses designed specifically for registered nurses. Our continuing education curriculum provides for 150 contact hours specific to establishing the knowledge and expert skills to be a nurse-patient educator.
Where Do Certified Nurse-patient Educators Practice?
Answer: Certified Nurse-Patient Educators practice their specialty in virtually any health care setting/delivery model in which care is provided. They are especially seen practicing in wellness centers, holistic health care centers, in acute care where there is a supportive philosophy of wellness promotion and disease prevention and disease management. They may be employed in private practice, as dictated by their professional licensing laws in the states or countries they practice in. They are also found in group practices, skilled and long-term care centers, where client and family education are important to issues of chronic disease and end-of-life issues. Patient teaching, disease prevention and wellness promotion are the new foundational keys to health care delivery today.
Certified Nurse-Patient Educators are also involved in community and social services education and wellness, disease prevention programs. They may be involved in teaching patients on a one-to-one basis, or providing group lectures to patients.
What is the Process for Achieving This Certification?
Answer: There is a two-phase process. In order to provide clear and sufficient information on the process we have developed a separate page that defines the process. You may access this information on the certification process at this link: click here.
How Can I Submit an Application?
Answer: Making application is easy. We provide an online application form and a printable application form as well. Those wishing to make application can find these forms at this link. Please note that incomplete applications will not be reviewed. All applications that are submitted must include all required documents and verification as specified for review and consideration of certification conferral. Before making any application, you must meet the defined pre-requisites for a given program and have successfully completed the full continuing education curriculum, or a curriculum from a program that AIHCP, Inc. has officially approved.
After Certification is There a Recertification Process?
Answer: Yes. The American Institute of Health Care Professionals provides a full program for recertification. Detailed information on the criteria to be recertified, after the four-year initial certification period, is provided on our website. Access here.
I Am Currently Certified by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals. I Know I Am Required to Achieve Additional Education in Order to Qualify for Recertification in the Future. Do You Offer Any Continuing Education Courses That I May Take to Meet My Recertification Requirements?
Answer: Yes, we offer recertification CE courses. You can view them all by category at the following link. Access here.
Do You Have Any Testimonials From Professionals Who Have Become Certified Through Your Programs?
Answer: Yes. We have a testimonials page on our website that you may view at the following link. Access Here.