The Nurse Practitioner Education Continuum Council (NPECC) publishes standards for educational design, independence from commercial interest, faculty disclosure, learner assessment, evaluation, credit calculation, and records. These criteria define how process-aligned activities should be planned and documented. Handbooks are available below as versioned documents.
Educational design
Needs assessment → measurable objectives → content → assessment → evaluation.
Commercial independence
Education content separated from product promotion; disclosures required.
Faculty & COI
SME qualifications and conflict-of-interest disclosure before delivery.
Assessment
Post-activity assessment with a defined pass standard (e.g., ≥70% where applicable).
Evaluation
Learner evaluation of content, bias, and objectives prior to certificate award.
Records
Rosters, scores, evaluations, and certificates retained for audit readiness (target ≥6 years).
How contact hours are calculated
| Rule | NPECC expectation |
|---|---|
| Contact hour | 60 minutes of learning = 1.0 hour |
| Increments | 0.25 or 0.5 hour steps preferred |
| Pharmacology designation | Portion of hours may be tagged when content meets Rx education criteria |
| Certificate label (current) | Proliforge CEU for professional development, with honest public labeling |
Handbook library
Each document is a living NPECC standard. Open online (print or save as PDF from your browser).
- NPECC Standards Handbook (v0.1)
- Activity Planning Guide (v0.1)
- Commercial Support Policy (v0.1)
- Faculty COI Form (v0.1)
- Complaint & Appeals Procedure (v0.1)