CPHQ - Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality

The Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) certification is offered by the National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). The CPHQ is relevant for nurses with the knowledge and skills in the four areas of quality improvement: organizational leadership, performance improvement, health data analytics, and patient safety.

Nurses looking to use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to improve care delivery may look into a career in healthcare quality improvement. As healthcare communities seek compliance with regulatory guidelines, the need for nurses to guide practice with data and process development will continue to increase.

Applicants for the CPHQ exam must register online through the National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ).

Costs

The initial exam fee for candidates living in the United States is $479 for NAHQ members and $579 for non-members. The initial exam fee for candidates living outside the United States is $529 for NAHQ members and $629 for non-members.

The exam is offered via computer-based test (CBT) or online proctor on your personal computer with 140 multiple-choice items. Only 125 items are used to score the exam.

The NAHQ does not have minimum education or vocational requirements to sit for the CPHQ exam. It is recommended that a candidate have at least two years of experience in a healthcare quality professional role where the candidate is frequently performing the competencies listed in the CPHQ examination content outline.

All candidates are required to sign a declaration statement attesting to the Code of Ethics and Conduct for Healthcare Quality Professionals.

The CPHQ certification is valid for two years, starting January 1st of the year following the initial certification and ending on December 31st of the second year.

To renew the certification, the nurse must fulfill the CE requirements set annually by the Healthcare Quality Certification Commission (HQCC), the certifying board of the NAHQ.

In 2022, the 30 CE hours over the 2-year certification cycle are required to recertify, and the recertification fee. All CE hours must be related to the current CPHQ exam content outline.

For those recertifying after December 31, 2022, the requirements are:

• Documentation of 30 CEs over the 2-year recertification cycle, of which 8 are required to be NAHQ-approved CE activities.

• Completion of the Professional Assessment is required once per recertification cycle. 2 CEs are earned per completion, which can be applied towards your 8 NAHQ-approved CE requirements.

The CPHQ CE approval program details the types of activities eligible to be used as part of the NAHQ activity requirement.

Renewal Fees

Renewing before September 30, 2022: $175 for NAHQ members and $230 for non-members

Renewing between October 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022: $225 for NAHQ members and $280 for non-members

Grace period between January 1 - Juanary 31, 2023: $275 NAHQ members and $330 for non-members

The NAHQ offers resources for exam candidates, including:

• Candidate Handbook (U.S. Only)

• Candidate Handbook (International)

• Pre-Test (Cost: $155 for NAHQ members and $185 for non-members)

• Review Course (Cost: $349 for NAHQ members and $452 for non-members)

• HQ Solutions: Resource for the Healthcare Quality Professional, Fifth Edition (Cost: $164 for NAHQ members and $205 for non-members)

The nurse seeking additional verification of skills in the specialty of quality and patient safety may also review the eligibility of the Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS). This certification is specific to performance improvement in developing safer systems for patient care.

Other related certifications include:

• ABQAURP Health Care Quality & Management (HCQM)

• NCC Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (ONQS)