Practice Innovations, Vol 10(2), Jun 2025, 120-131; doi:10.1037/pri0000275
This article explores the credit hour system’s historical development, challenges, and transformations, emphasizing the Competency-Based Education shift. The traditional credit hour, initially designed to standardize academic progress through time spent in class, is critiqued for prioritizing seat time over actual learning outcomes. The article discusses the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Outcome-Based Continuing Education (OB-CE) Model, which focuses on skills mastery rather than time-based metrics. The article highlights the role that the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s OB-CE Model has in transforming nursing professional development. The potential benefits of the OB-CE Model, including personalized learning pathways, flexibility, and alignment with professional competencies, are examined. The future of Competency-Based Education in professional development and its implications for various fields are also considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)