Badge Overview
End-of-life doulas and after-death care educators come from all walks of life and have varying interests and skills. As this field is very new, NEDA has created an EOL Doula Scope of Practice, Code of Ethics, and Core Competencies to help guide end-of-life doula trainers, end-of-life doulas, and families alike.
A NEDA proficiency badge 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 this badge. And end-of-life doulas who have a proficiency badge have the reassurance 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 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 optional.
Earn Your Proficiency Badge Now!
NEDA members (doula, doula trainer, or doula/trainer combination) 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. Similarly, with the badge, healthcare organizations and families will know that you’ve achieved a high standard of professionalism. Here is how to earn your proficiency badge:
- To take the assessment, you must first become a NEDA member or already be a member (doula, doula trainer, or doula/trainer combination level) in good standing.
- If you are becoming a member now, please wait seventy-two 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 be familiar with the core competencies to understand 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 email 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. Make sure your pop-up blocker on your browser is NOT on, otherwise you’ll get an error message. One (1) full scholarship will be provided each month for the EOL Doula Assessment. More details are found on the application. PLEASE NOTE: There is NO refund once you pay for the assessment.
- Once you pay, you’re ready to test! The assessment is timed. You’ll have ninety minutes to complete it. You may save it and return to taking the assessment at your convenience as many times as you wish. You are allowed three chances to take the assessment 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 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.
Q&A Proficiency Badge
Q. What is a proficiency badge?
A. A proficiency badge is earned by the completion of a micro-credential and signifies that a student endeavors to excel in a specific area of inquiry and wishes to demonstrate 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, 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 combination) 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 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 CoPs and what do they have to do with end-of-life doulas?
A. Hospices that choose to participate in and be paid through 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.