Become an Asthma Educator

An asthma educator is a healthcare professional who helps people with asthma get the education and care they need to thrive. To do this, an asthma educator gets certified by the National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB). This allows them to educate and counsel people with asthma and their families about proper management of the condition. Becoming an asthma educator requires you to pass the National Asthma Certification Exam (NACE), which demands an in-depth knowledge of the condition, its treatments, how it affects patients and their families, and resources and options to manage it.

Steps

Qualifying for the Test

  1. Find out if you are qualified to take the exam. You may take it if you are a healthcare professional, such as a physician, physician assistant, nurse, nurse practitioner, respiratory therapist, pulmonary function technologist, physical therapist, or pharmacist. You can also take it if you work with asthma patients as a social worker, health educator, occupational therapist, or if you are providing professional asthma education and counseling.
    • If you are doing professional asthma education or counseling, you need to have a minimum of 1000 hours experience before taking the NACE.
  2. Go to the NAECB website and find information about the test. Key things to review include the NAECB candidate handbook, files on exam testing categories, and details on how the exam is scored. You will need to review these documents thoroughly before taking the exam, as this information will help you determine your own study needs.[1]
    • You can either look at these documents on the website or download them. Downloading enables you to read them without an internet connection or to print them out.
  3. Take an asthma educator preparation course, if you like. These 14.4 hour courses are offered through agencies connected to the NAECB a number of times each year. They are offered online and in locations throughout the United States. Enrolling in one of these courses isn't mandatory, but it can make learning the material much easier than with self-study.[2]
    • For instance, there is a asthma educator preparation course offered through the American Association for Respiratory Care.

Preparing for the Test

  1. Study the materials thoroughly. You'll need to make sure you can recall the specific information, apply it to new or changing situations, and analyze and synthesize it to determine solutions or evaluate the usefulness of solutions. To ensure that you know everything you need to know for the test, try to start studying several months in advance.
    • When preparing for a test, it's a good idea to do a bit of studying every day, instead of cramming at the end. If you take time every day to study, you will absorb the information more effectively.
  2. Take a sample computerized exam on the NAECB website. This will help you assess your level of knowledge. You can also register for a self-assessment examination, which consists of 75 test questions modeled on the questions in the official examination.[3]
  3. Register for the examination. You can do this online through the NAECB website, or by mail. If you choose to do it by mail, you'll need to send in an application, which is located in the candidate handbook.[4]
    • In order to register, you will follow a link to the testing organization that NAECB uses to proctor their exams. This company is called PSI Services.
    • If you do not live in the United States, you can still take the exam. You will simply need to schedule the exam over the phone or via email with the NAECB.[5]

Taking the Test

  1. Pay the examination fee, which is $295. If you apply for the examination online, you will be required to pay by credit card. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover are all accepted. If you submit a paper application, you'll need to give your credit card number, or include a cashier's check or money order for the full amount.
    • If you cannot afford to pay the examination fee, there are reduced fee and scholarship programs available through the NAECB.
  2. Take the examination at an assessment center. There are over 110 assessment centers throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. The exam will be administered on the computer, by appointment only, and on weekdays. You will be required to complete the examination within 3.5 hours.
    • In order to be allowed to take the test you will need to show the examiner two forms of identification.
    • Before you take your official, timed exam, you can take a practice test. Whether you do the practice exam is up to you but taking it will not cut into your overall time for the official exam.
    • A passing score it between 75 and 100 points out of 100 points.
  3. Retake the test if you don't pass the first time. If you don't pass the exam on the first attempt, it's not the end of the world. You can take it again within 12 months of your application date. However, the fee to repeat the examination is $195.
    • You will need to schedule your retake through the NAECB, just as you did for the first test.
  4. Get recertified after 7 years. In order to renew it you will need to prove that you have completed 1000 hours of work in asthma education and you will need to pay a recertification fee. Once you have renewed, your new certificate will be good for 5 years.
    • Information about renewal is available on the NAECB website.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.naecb.com/faq.php
  2. ↑ http://www.aarc.org/education/online-courses/asthma-educator-course/
  3. ↑ https://www.naecb.com/sae-practice.php
  4. ↑ https://www.naecb.com/exam_information.php
  5. ↑ http://online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/displayTCList.aspx?pExamID=20653
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