Validity Evidence for the Continued Professional Certification Assessment: Professional Practice Analysis of the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists

Abstract

Background This article describes the process and results of the 2019 professional practice analysis conducted by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). Purpose: The objective was to update the content outline for the Continued Professional Certification Assessment. Methods The professional practice analysis used expert consensus, survey, and rating scale methodologies to validate the inclusion of 40 knowledge statements on a revised content outline. The full NBCRNA database of 52,542 credential holders was invited to respond to the survey, of which 7,167 (13.64%) completed at least 55% of the survey and were included in the analysis. Indices of agreement (IOAs) were calculated to test for systematic variation across subgroups. Mean importance ratings were criteria for knowledge statement acceptance. Top-down survey ratings and two Rasch scaled methods based on importance ratings were used to recommend content domain weights. Results The sample closely resembled the known demographics of the population, and IOAs revealed no subgroup differences. All 40 knowledge statements exceeded mean importance criteria for inclusion. Expert panels combined domain weighting recommendations to set consensus weights. Interpretation The high participation rate, subgroup IOAs, and mean importance ratings provide strong content validity evidence for the Continued Professional Certification Assessment.