Update from the NAP Commission on Credentialing

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UPDATE FRoM THE NAP commission on credentialing

The Commission on Credentialing has had to make some changes to its proposed rollout of the full new credentialing system because of the Covid-19 emergency. While the commission is anxious to have the new system fully operational, it is very aware that the health and safety of our members and candidates are of primary importance. Therefore:

While all of the in-person commission meetings that were scheduled for this spring have been canceled, the commission will be meeting very frequently on

Adobe Connect so that finalizing the rest of the step two RP testing materials can be accomplished by this fall.

The commission is very grateful to the NAP Educational Foundation for a grant to support the video recording of the step three assessments. The video was scheduled to be ready this June, but will now be delayed until the fall. The final creation of the scripts will continue as planned, but rehearsals for the actors, and actual video recording are dependent on circumstances. The expectation is that it will be possible by this fall. The Beta testing of the step one objective tests is continuing, and analysis of the data obtained will be used to refine these quizzes during the online commission meetings. The training of non-commission step two and three evaluators has been delayed until fall since it will require more extensive training of evaluators than can reasonably be accomplished without in-person meetings. Until those evaluators are fully trained, current and former commissioners will conduct these evaluations themselves.

The commission will continue to do inter-rater reliability testing on the step two assessments. That is, an initial number of step two assignments and step three simulations will be evaluated separately by all commissioners, and their assessments will be compared independently. These assignments and their rubrics will continue to be revised and perfected based on these analyses in an effort to minimize variation in scoring among different evaluators.

Systems are in place to continue to evaluate the current candidates or any new candidates after revisions based on inter-rater reliability analyses. The commission hopes that some of our current candidates will be able to use their mandated home time to prepare for these assessments.

While there are time limits currently in effect for each step, these limits can be extended for anyone having special needs, including the pandemic, for additional time.

The commission’s aspirational target is to have the full RP exam process up and running by December 31, 2020, and to start creating the new PRP credentialing process early in 2021. The commission recognizes that most of us are under a great deal of stress and facing major concerns at this time, and it is our hope that these adjustments will allow the furtherance of our mission while recognizing the needs of all of our members.

There is a special email address where any NAP member who has additional questions about the new credentialing process can contact us. That address is commission@nap2.org.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the NAP Educational Foundation (NAPEF) offers dues scholarships?

By Lynna Gene Cook, PRP

Mark November 1, 2020, as the deadline for two scholarships available from NAPEF. Check the website (napef.org) and apply for the Alice Ragona Memorial Scholarship for students 23 years of age or less, or the Young Professional Dues Scholarship for young professionals between the ages of 24 and 35.

Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity.