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Path to bariatric nurse certification: the practice analysis.
Nanette K Berger1, Jamie J Carr, Janelle Erickson
1Citizen's Medical Center, Victoria, Texas, USA.
Summary
A practice analysis study validated a specialized body of knowledge for bariatric nurses, supporting the development of a new certification program. This ensures specialized care for morbidly obese and bariatric surgical patients.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Bariatric Surgery
- Professional Certification
Background:
- The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) initiated a specialty certification program for nurses in 2005.
- A practice analysis study was conducted to establish an evidence-based foundation for the certification examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the scope of practice for nurses caring for morbidly obese and bariatric surgical patients.
- To develop a foundation for a new nursing specialty certification examination.
Main Methods:
- Conducted task force meetings, expert interviews, and external reviews to define practice domains, tasks, and knowledge areas.
- Administered a survey to 1084 nurses to validate the defined domains, tasks, and knowledge.
Main Results:
- Identified variations in task and domain time allocation across different nursing roles.
- Confirmed that all job roles rated the domains and tasks as moderately to highly important for patient outcomes.
- Found that most nurses acquired the 54 identified knowledge areas within the first two years of practice.
Conclusions:
- Survey results validated a specialized knowledge base essential for bariatric nursing practice.
- Findings will guide the development of a bariatric nurse certification program.
- Results will inform educational and training initiatives for nurses in this specialty.
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