What is the NEDA EOL Doula Proficiency Badge?
A proficiency badge from NEDA signifies that these Core Competencies have been met. Families can know that a practitioner who has earned a NEDA EOL Doula Proficiency Badge has met certain standards. Hospice and palliative care organizations can have the same confidence when hiring or making referrals to end-of-life doulas who have a NEDA Proficiency Badge. And end-of-life doulas who have a proficiency badge can themselves know that their knowledge compares to others working in the field.
NEDA recommends that you choose your training program carefully to ensure that the curriculum covers all that is needed to pass the exam and obtain a NEDA EOL Doula Proficiency Badge. Also know that obtaining a proficiency badge is voluntary; many doulas and educators who have been working in their communities for a while may feel that they do not need this extra "stamp of approval" and that's okay. There is no overseeing legal entity that regulates this profession. A proficiency badge is but one step that some will choose to take.
Earn Your Proficiency Badge Now!
NEDA members (doula, doula trainer, or doula/trainer combo) have the opportunity to demonstrate what they know. By earning a micro-credential, you’ll rest assured that your understanding of doula work is comparable to other doulas’ knowledge bases. Similarly, healthcare organizations and families will know when you display the NEDA EOL Doula badge that you’ve achieved a high standard of professionalism.
Here how to earn your proficiency badge:
To take the assessment, you must first become a NEDA member (doula, doula trainer, or doula/trainer combo level) or already be a member (doula, doula trainer, or doula/trainer combo level) in good standing.
If you are becoming a member now, please wait 72 hours for your membership application to be processed by our membership service to be sure your email address is on file.
Read the FAQs and micro-credentialing information below, and go here to see what standards will be covered.
When you're ready, click on the Take the NEDA EOL Doula Assessment button below.
Be sure to use the same e-mail address that you used when you joined NEDA when registering in the ClassMarker assessment site.
You'll be asked to pay $115 for the exam by using PayPal or a credit card. One (1) full scholarship will be provided each month for the EOLD Assessment. Please click here for the details and application. PLEASE NOTE: There is NO refund once you pay for the assessment.
Once you pay, you're ready to test! The exam is timed. You'll have 90 minutes to complete it. You may save it and return to taking the test at your convenience as many times as you wish. You are allowed three chances to take the exam before paying for it again. Your answers will be graded in real time so you will know the correct answer to each question before moving on. It's not just a test, it's a learning experience!
Once you have passed an assessment with a score of 85% or above, you’ll immediately receive an email with the proficiency badge .jpeg for use on all your promotional materials, including your website, business card, brochures, and more. You’ll also receive the satisfaction of accomplishment, and the support of NEDA in this important work. If you have chosen to be listed on the website directory, we will also add "NEDA Proficient" to your listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. A proficiency badge is the end result of awarding what is known as a micro credential to a student who endeavors to excel in a specific area of inquiry and wishes to demonstrate a mastery of the subject. This type of credentialing has become the gold standard in technology and education because it identifies measurable skills and accurate knowledge of specific areas of expertise based on standards, rather than simply attesting to whether someone has attended a course. It validates everyone who successfully passes the assessment based on comprehensive, in-depth knowledge.
Q. Who can earn one?
A. Any member of NEDA (doula, doula trainer, or doula/trainer combo) can earn a proficiency badge in their discipline(s), regardless of formal training or level of experience, by successfully completing an assessment based on core competencies. A doula may have been working in the field for a long time and amassed a wealth of knowledge, or s/he/they may have taken a training in preparation for service. Neither method of obtaining knowledge and skill is more or less valid as long as the individual knows the fundamentals of best practices in their field(s). Please note: Because the pre-death legal parameters of practice are different from post-death, it is important that anyone choosing to practice both end-of-life doula and after-death care educator work, particularly for pay, consider earning a certificate in both areas.
Q. Who determines what the core competencies are for End-of-Life Doulas?
A. The NEDA core competencies were developed through an arduous process of discussion and research by experienced trainers in both fields. These trainers met regularly and shared their wisdom and understanding of the common areas of necessity and expertise over the course of a year. For end-of-life doulas, the core competencies cover the following broad areas of knowledge and skill:
Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participation (CoPs)
The Doula Model of Care
The Dying Process
Non-Medical Care and Comfort
Spirituality
Communication
Confidentiality
Grief and Bereavement
Q. What are Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and what do they have to do with End-of-Life Doulas?
A. Hospices that choose to participate in and be paid though Medicare must meet the Medicare government office's Conditions of Participation performance assessments and quality assurance and improvement benchmarks. EOL Doulas wishing to seek collaboration with hospice, or to be paid through hospice at some point in the future will need to be familiar with the Medicare CoPs. We include them in these core competencies to broaden and deepen the scope of education and awareness of EOL Doulas in general, and to prepare those who choose to sit for the Proficiency Assessment.
Q. What does the EOL Doula Proficiency Badge entitle me to?
A. As the profession develops, the NEDA EOL Doula Proficiency Badge may become the micro-credential that is recognized by outside organizations in related fields. Those who hold the NEDA EOL Doula Proficiency Badge may eventually be able to collaborate with or be hired by hospice and palliative care organizations, or they may receive referrals from them. In addition, the badge may be used on written materials and websites.
