title: Certification: past, present and future implications. Report of the National Commission on Nurse Anesthesia Education.
abstract: In 1942, the National Association of Nurse Anesthetists established a voluntary certification program to safeguard the interests of surgeons, hospitals and the public. Prerequisites for certification included minimum training standards, a valid nursing license and successful completion of a national certification examination. In 1975, the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists was established as an autonomous decision-making body. Certification for nurse anesthetists is now recognized in two-thirds of the states and required by most employers--a factor that makes it vital to establish the job-relatedness of the examination. An innovative and responsible certification process will continue to be needed to address health care issues and advances in testing.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Gerbasi
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D012956:Societies, Nursing; D014481:United States