Colleges and universities are on the cusp of a new ecosystem where certificates, microcredentials, and digital badges could become a significant addition to traditional degree offerings. These alternative credentials are shorter and focused on a specific set of competencies. Fong et al. (2016) defined alternative credentials as competencies, skills, and learning outcomes derived from assessment-based, nondegree activities aligned to specific, timely needs in the workforce.

The impetus for alternative credentials has come from employers who need a workforce with competencies that match their evolving products, services, and business models (Perna, 2021). This need affects all sectors of the economy, including business, technology, education, and health care (Clements et al., 2020; Heckstall, 2021; Pakstis, 2019; Southard, 2021). A new practice in postsecondary and higher education allows microcredentials to be "stackable," leading to customized qualifications often as part of a certificate, degree, or credentials for a specific career (Bailey & Belfield, 2017). Blockchain is a possible solution to track competencies in educational programs and credentials for lifelong learning in nursing.

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

Blockchain technology is "shared, distributed ledger technology (DLT) that uses an agreed-upon and encrypted process to ensure that the information on the ledger is tamper-proof and that the data on the blockchain can be trusted even without centralized, third-party validation" (Lemoie & Soares, 2020, p. 7). In other words, blockchain is a cloud-based record-keeping system. There are three critical criteria for DLT: 1) an application layer for users to see and share their stored microcredentials or digital badges with employers or educational organizations, 2) secured software and processes that govern the distributed ledger, and 3) servers connected to a peer-to-peer network running the distributed ledger. Watch the video on blockchain produced by the American Council on Education (ACE) found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id28NAH_VjY to better understand the technology.

At the time of the ACE report, Connected Impact: Unlocking Education and Workforce Opportunity through Blockchain (Lemoie & Soares, 2020), 71 DLTs existed. These DLTs varied their development stages: Many were in the proof of concept or pilot stages with different technology standards for verifying credentials and giving credential earners control of their data. Following the initial report, the ACE conducted an education blockchain initiative with four pilot projects funded by the US Department of Education (Hanson et al., 2021). The final report cited several essential lessons learned from the pilot projects. Stakeholders need to be engaged early in the development of DLT so the outcomes are consistent with the needs of all potential end-users. The imperatives for DLT are as follows:

* low cost to allow access for individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and public sector K-12, postsecondary, and higher education institutions;

* standards based to ensure interoperability across business organizations and educational institutions; and

* open source to remove dependency on vendors, specific platforms, or blockchain systems.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

The landscape of nursing education is complex, with different paths for initial licensure and advanced education. In its recent Essentials, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021) called for a national movement toward competency-based education in nursing. Could DLTs provide the technology to show the competencies with digital badges or microcredentials? Could a national DLT be created as a warehouse of microcredentials and certifications? The DLT is undoubtedly in an emerging stage, with few standards to create interoperability between technical schools, colleges, universities, certificate-awarding organizations, and health care organizations. However, the time is right to consider a national DLT for nursing education and practice.

REFERENCES