About National Healthcare Workers Association (NHCWA)

Established to recognize healthcare professionals who have attained a standard of knowledge through structured programs or work experience. The National Healthcare Workers Association (NHCWA) is one of the largest private independent, third-party certification agencies. To ensure appropriate stakeholder involvement the NHCWA is governed by an independent certification board, which includes specially trained practicing professionals with extensive experience representing the following groups: Curriculum consultants, physicians, nurses, educators, subject matter experts, Practitioners, employers, the general public, those who have earned Medical Degrees and Medical credentials. These professionals are all working towards common goals associated with excellent health care, and safe business practices in both clinical care and administrative operations. The board is responsible for providing expertise oversight and guidance to the processes by which NHCWA examinations are developed, and for setting the direction of the certification program.

All certification programs are developed and evaluated by industry-experienced professionals with the best education and advance degree such as MS, Ph.D., MBA, MD, DCRA, MS/Ph.D. (Nurse).

Responsibilities of the board include overseeing:

o   Standards by which the program will operate

o   Decisions related to granting, maintaining, renewing, and suspending certifications

o   Administration and scoring of examinations

o   Fee structure

o   Grievance and disciplinary procedures

o   Allocation of adequate program resources

Why Take a Certification Exam?

Certification is a demonstration of your mastery in your chosen medical career. And since certification is voluntary, it represents not only compliance with established medical standards, but also highlights your personal commitment to quality and professionalism.

Being certified not only establishes your competence and commitment to continuing professional education but also demonstrates to employers that you are capable of more advanced job responsibility. Allied health certification programs help the medical industry make these distinctions by establishing a standard of competence in specific job roles.

Employers are looking for ways to distinguish among employees and job applicants. Certification tells the employer that you have the solid foundation of skills needed for effective performance and a commitment to staying current to the rapidly changing medical health care field.

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a non-governmental, voluntary system of self-regulation. Its core is the concept of self-evaluation. There is currently no requirement for certifying bodies to be accredited.

What is Certification?

Certification is a voluntary credentialing process, typically national in scope, and sponsored by a non-governmental, private sector entity.

What is Competency?

Competency is “a measurable pattern of fundamental knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, or expertise, and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions for a specific subject area or skills set successfully.

Purpose

The NHCWA Certification Program is a voluntary certification program .The purpose of the National Healthcare Workers Association program is to bridge the gap between healthcare professionals and patients within the healthcare community. This is done by providing a mechanism for individuals to obtain professional recognition after demonstrating their knowledge of and competency within the healthcare industry. Certification will be issued to each qualified person upon meeting NHCWA’s required education, experience, and examination requirements.

We believe that all patients have a right to the highest-quality care, and we’re dedicated to serving the interests of the public.

We also believe that all medical facilities should have access to trained and certified staff in order to provide the best care possible – and that all trained healthcare workers should be able to present an official certification of their competency as a care provider. 

Standards of Certification

Standards of certification are distinct from those of licensure. While state licensure provides the legal authority and is required or mandatory for an individual to practice patient care, private voluntary certification is a statement that one has completed a course of study, passed an examination, or otherwise met specified criteria for certification. In addition, Certification is obtained through individual patient care certifying organizations and reflects achievement of a standard beyond licensure for patient care practice. Possession of a Board certificate does not indicate total qualification for practice privileges, nor does it imply exclusion of other healthcare professionals not certified.

Certification/Licensing: Each individual state decides licensing requirements for Phlebotomy Technicians, but most states do not at this time.

Check the state’s requirements if you live in California or Louisiana before you register for the phlebotomy Exam.

California and Louisiana require all Phlebotomy Technicians to be certified and to have a state license.

Purpose of the NHCWA Exam

The purpose of the NHCWA examination is to ensure that healthcare professionals demonstrate the necessary level of competence for entry into the healthcare profession. Critical to the validity of the examination process is the premise that the exam content truly reflects the nature and scope of professional practice. This vital link of assurance is established through the exam development process, which includes the job analysis study, determination of test specifications, and construction of the exam content outline.

Mission

Our exemplary certification programs evaluate competencies and require the pursuit of life-long learning and improvement. In this way, we seek to serve the healthcare community by certifying healthcare professionals who are able to provide quality care. Which will help hospitals, practices, outpatient care facilities, and schools improve the quality of patient care that they provide.

The NHCWA’s mission is to provide a valid, uniform process to assess the knowledge and skills required for competent practice by healthcare professionals throughout their careers. We do this by developing competency assessment exams for healthcare professionals and healthcare graduates who have successfully completed an approved training program, and by maintaining a registry of certification status as well as providing the highest quality certification services for healthcare professionals who care for patients. In today’s healthcare environment, it is extremely important for medical organizations to feel confident in the capabilities and competency of their staff.

Our Goal

Our goal is to transform healthcare by certifying qualified healthcare professionals and students who have completed approved training programs that focus on improving patient care in the allied health field.

The NHCWA Credential

The NHCWA certification is an objective measure of knowledge, which validates that a healthcare professional is qualified to provide patient care. We passionately believe that all healthcare professionals are essential members of the health care delivery team. Our certification programs exemplify a commitment to excellence unparalleled among certifying organizations.

Healthcare consumers should be knowledgeable of the qualifications and credentials of the Healthcare Professionals caring for them.

Employers should seek certified healthcare professionals for their workforce, support these individuals seeking and maintaining certification, inform patients and the public about the certification status of their workforce, encourage the display of the healthcare professionals’ certified credentials on identification badges, and market the accomplishments of certified healthcare professionals.

Vision

Our vision is to transform the delivery of quality healthcare by ensuring that hospitals, practices, outpatient care facilities, and schools have access to competent and well-trained healthcare professionals.

Why Become NHCWA-Certified?

Employers in the healthcare industry know that an NHCWA certification means that a candidate is properly trained in his or her field and well prepared to fulfill the responsibilities required of them. In addition, the NHCWA certificate holder is also required to complete a minimum of 8 clock hours of continuing education biannually to maintain active status on the NHCWA certification registry, which provides employers with an assurance of their commitment to remain up to date in their professions. An NHCWA certification sets a candidate apart from a crowd.

Certification provides individuals with:

§  Public recognition of professional achievement

§  Credential that demonstrates expertise in healthcare

§  Enhanced credibility to clients and employers

§  Competitive advantage over non-certified individuals

§  Improved likelihood of employment and advancement within the field

Employers use certification to make informed decisions. Certification provides employers with a means to:

§  Identify potential new hires that already possess your company’s required expertise

§  Promote your company’s capabilities by employing certified healthcare professionals

§  Enhance services provided from both a quality and financial perspective

§  Maintain a more productive human asset

§  Ensure ongoing professional development and proficiency of employees

§  Motivate employees to expand their knowledge and skills