The Japan Times - TruMerit and NAPNAP Team Up to Develop a Global Micro-credential for Pediatric Nursing Care

The collaboration aims to improve health outcomes for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults worldwide amid a global shortage of pediatric nurses that is limiting access to evidence-based pediatric care in countries of all income levels. The partners envision that their micro-credential program will be the centerpiece of a larger initiative to engage global stakeholders in educating, assessing, and credentialing the nursing workforce in this specialization.

A micro-credential is a short, competency-based recognition for specific skills, knowledge, or accomplishments that is offered as a more flexible and time-efficient alternative to the coursework tied to a traditional degree. When it becomes available in mid-2026, the NAPNAP micro-credential will be available to first-level, general nurses (RN) in any country who complete a set of online learning modules and pass an examination grounded in evidence-based pediatric nursing fundamentals of care within a global context.

The partnership leverages NAPNAP's expertise in developing and delivering online educational courses in pediatric nursing, along with TruMerit's experience in creating assessment tools for healthcare professionals and global standards that support testing and evaluation for specialty credentials.

Under this partnership, both organizations are working with a global team of subject matter experts to develop a competency framework for the coursework, identify instructional content, and create the assessment to validate learning and content mastery. NAPNAP is leading content development while TruMerit is creating the assessment leading to the granting of the micro-credential.

"This is a bold strategy that is driven by NAPNAP's 50+ years of experience in providing high-quality education to pediatric nurse practitioners," said James H. Wendorf, NAPNAP's chief executive officer. "With TruMerit's expertise in credentialing and extensive global relationships, we look forward to enhancing pediatric clinical knowledge and supporting health care workers around the world to increase child health outcomes."

"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to bring our expertise to bear on NAPNAP's efforts to expand pediatric knowledge and skills throughout the world's nursing workforce. Our success in this endeavor will be a testament to how micro-credentialing can be a powerful force in achieving our shared goals of making the world a better, healthier place for women to have a child and for children to develop in a healthy manner," said Dr. Peter Preziosi, TruMerit's President and CEO.

About NAPNAP

The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) is the professional association for pediatric nurse practitioners and all pediatric-focused advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in the U.S. and abroad. NAPNAP is recognized as the global leader, trusted authority and indispensable resource on comprehensive pediatric advanced practice nursing.  Established in 1973, NAPNAP was the first professional society for nurse practitioners and remains the only U.S. organization dedicated to both advancing the APRN role and improving the quality of health care for infants, children and adolescents. For more information, please visit napnap.org.

About TruMerit

TruMerit is a worldwide leader in healthcare workforce development. Formerly known as CGFNS International, the organization has a nearly 50-year history supporting the career mobility of nurses and other healthcare workers-and those who license and hire them-by validating their education, skills, and experience as they seek authorization to practice in the United States and other countries. As TruMerit, this mission has been expanded to building workforce capacity that meets the needs of people in a rapidly evolving global health landscape. Through its Global Health Workforce Development Institute, the organization is advancing evidence-based research, thought leadership, and advocacy in support of healthcare workforce development solutions, including globally recognized practice standards and certifications that will enhance career pathways for healthcare workers. www.trumerit.org

Contact:

Name: Pratima Totla
Email:[email protected]

SOURCE: TruMerit

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

K.Okada--JT