[Accreditation of the professional competence of intensive care unit nurses and their education]

The healthcare system must be driven by the needs of patients and their families. Keeping in mind the current nursing education system in the United States, the AACN Certification Corporation has designed a new model to refocus patient care activities so they can be defined according to the needs of patients and families wherever they may be. This model also addresses the credentialing of nurses with specialized knowledge and skills and may be adaptable as the conceptual framework for a national nursing specialty credentialing system in other countries.