Advance Practice Job Task Analysis survey goes ‘live’

November 2, 2010 — The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) announced the launch of the Advanced Practice Job Task Analysis (JTA) survey.

The survey is a critical step in the development process of the National Certification for Advanced Practice (NCAP) exam. As the massage profession’s first advanced credential, the NCAP exam is poised to further the field and the careers of accomplished professionals throughout the country.

The JTA is a profession-wide survey that asks practitioners to identify the knowledge, skills and abilities that an “advanced practitioner” must possess. Results will be used to create a test blueprint — defining the information for which the NCAP should test and determining the degree of importance that should be placed on each content area.

The survey is open to all interested massage and bodywork professionals through Dec. 15, 2010 and has been distributed via professional organizations, electronic communications, massage publications and NCB’s website.

The direct link to the Advanced Practice JTA survey is: www.surveymonkey.com/s/AdvancedPracticeSurvey

“By participating in the JTA survey,” said NCBTMB CEO Paul Lindamood, “professionals can help define the skills of advanced practitioners, thus changing and transforming the future of massage in America.” 

Chair-Elect Alexa Zaledonis added, “The survey findings will reflect the current state of the art within the massage industry, as they will be based solely upon the information and responses provided by thousands of practitioners, educators and other professionals.”

Completely voluntary, NCAP will build upon the educational, experiential and ethical requirements of NCBTMB’s current National Certification.* Certificants who earn the advanced credential will be nationally recognized for possessing the critical thinking skills necessary to function in complex situations.

In addition, they will be relied upon for their ability to work in a team environment utilizing treatment plans based on research-informed outcomes.

“The resulting NCAP credential will make it possible for employers, consumers and members of the conventional and integrative healthcare arenas to identify practitioners with advanced experience and expertise,” said NCBTMB Chair Neal Delaporta. “And that is what NCAP will provide.”

The development of the NCAP exam will be in strict compliance with the accreditation guidelines established by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and in accord with the most recent edition of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.

* Eligibility requirements apply to sit for the NCAP exam. Initial applicants wishing to test must be NCB certified or provide proof of having passed a psychometrically valid exam for entry-level licensure; document professional massage/bodywork experience and/or education; complete continuing education requirements; and be free from sanction or permanent revocation from NCBTMB or any local, state or federal regulatory body.

Source: National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, www.ncbtmb.org