Certified Nurse Life Care Planner (CNLCP) Position Statement

As healthcare has become more complex, it is increasingly vital to assure the public that healthcare professionals are competent. Individual State Registered Nurse (RN) licensure measures entry-level competence only; and, in so doing, provides the legal authority for an individual to practice nursing. It is the minimum professional practice standard.

Certification, on the other hand, is a formal recognition that validates knowledge, experience, skills and clinical judgment within a specific nursing specialty; and, as such, is reflective of a more stringent professional practice standard. It reflects achievement of proficiency beyond basic licensure.

The CNLCP® Certification Board is a separately incorporated entity that facilitates consumer health and safety through credentialing/certification of nurse life care planners. It ensures that their practice is consistent with established standards of excellence in the development and defense of the life care planning document.

Similar to consumers knowing to seek out certification status within other professions (e.g., mechanic, plumber, etc.), certification within the field of nurse life care planning has become an important indicator that a certified nurse is not only licensed by their State to practice nursing, but is one who is qualified, competent and has met rigorous requirements in the achievement of the CNLCP credential.

CNLCP® Certification Board

April 20, 2011