Nurse practitioner curriculum puzzle: Connecting all of the documents.

Many organizations, foundational documents, and structures guide nurse practitioner (NP) educators. The number can be overwhelming for nurse practitioner faculty and administrators, but awareness and understanding are essential for developing high-quality NP programs. A set of five key questions is a starting place for NP faculty to identify documents that guide their NP program development and curricula. (1) Which states does your program meet state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification? (2) Which accreditor is your program accredited by? (3) Which certification examinations are your students prepared to take? (4) Which educational competencies/standards apply to your program? (5) Which professional or practice organizations might be influential to your program? The development of high-quality NP programs advances the protection of the public and upholds the reputation of the profession. Organizations, components of licensure, accreditation, certification, education, and practice (LACEP), and key documents from national organizations will be reviewed, including how each of these are complementary and different.