Registration, Licensure, and Certification— Definitions and Requirements

REGISTRATION, LICENSURE, AND CERTIFICATION— DEFINITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

One of the main functions of a regulatory body is to register and licence the health care workers it is charged to regulate. Essentially these two processes enable (1) validation that a person meets required standards to practice, and (2) title protection. However, across jurisdictions the terms “registration” and “licensure” are not used uniformly. For the purposes of this document these terms are used as indicated in Table 1. For example, a newly qualified health care worker will be required to register (have name entered in a register) and be licenced. The licence is the permit that allows the person to practice. Therefore, it is important check on how the terms are being used.

Table 1: Main features of registration, licensure, and certification Registration Licensure Certification Process of documenting and Exclusive power or privilege, Verifies specific, additional,

maintaining records of granted by legislative authority more advanced persons who have complied to persons meeting competencies in a given with the legal requirements to established standards, area of a health care practice. Usually the use of an allowing them to engage in a specialty.

Definition exclusive title is conferred to given occupation or those persons entered on a profession and to use a register. specific title. Emphasizes the Verifies compliance with basic Compliance with pre- administrative procedures for standards for safe individual established professional identification of health care performance or programme or performance or quality providers and institutions organizational performance. standards in the speciality

Purpose within certain publicly area. recognised categories.

Individuals (most common) Individuals (most common) Primarily to individuals, but and organisations. and programmes and also in a few cases also organisations. includes organisations. Target

Completion of a training Evidence of having met Time limited

program and success in required standards. passing a validation process (e.g., examination). Compliance with required pre- set basic standards of Compliance with required pre- performance (for programmes set basic standards for and organisations) Requirements performance (for programmes and organisations).

Valid for duration of one’s Increasingly time-limited. career if continue to meet Periodically need to standards. demonstrate that standards

Validity are still being met.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION AND LICENSURE Who should be involved in establishing requirements for registration and licensure? Regulatory bodies usually establish a committee to deal with matters related to registration and licensure. They also are responsible for proposing registration and licensure requirements and policies to the governing body for approval.

Each jurisdiction will develop requirements that fit its particular situation and public protection responsibility by considering:

 What is needed for safe, competent practice at the point of entry into practice?

 What is required to maintain continuing competence throughout the career?

 What methods are used to verify eligibility and competence (for first licensure, license renewal, and applicants educated in foreign countries)?

Commonly, registration and licensure requirements are develop around the following areas and applied as appropriate to the particular applicant:

 General and professional education

 Verification of competence, e.g., passing a national examination

 Current registration/licensure status if already registered in another jurisdiction

 Health status (if a health condition exists, does is affect ability to practise safely and effectively?)

 Character (criminal convictions or cautions, disciplinary proceedings that the applicant has been through as a registrant of this or any other regulatory body and the outcome)

 Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) (specified amount, type, and the period of time during which it must be acquired)

 Specified number of practice hours over a certain period of time in the types of settings approved by the regulatory body

Also see, Towards Full Registration and Challenges of Registration/Licensure.

RESOURCES  Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. 2009. Continuing Competence Framework

 Health Care and Professions Council. 2012. Guidance on health and character

 Irish Nursing Board An Bord Altranais. 2006.Competence Assessment Tool for Nurses Educated & Trained Overseas in non EU Countries

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REFERENCE Necochea E. 2006. Building Stronger Human Resources for Health through Licensure, Certification and Accreditation. Capacity Project, Technical Brief 3. http://www.capacityplus.org/files/resources/projectTechBrief_3.pdf

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