Privacy Policy

Updated May 2023

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1. Introduction

The Competency & Credentialing Institute (“CCI”) respects the privacy of any personal information that we collect. This Privacy Policy is designed to assist you in understanding how CCI collects, uses, and safeguards the personal information you provide to the CCI in using the CCI’s website (the “Site”) and the services provided through the Site or other CCI processes (the “Services”).

Except where indicated below, it is the policy of the CCI not to release confidential applicant or certificant information unless such information relates to any of the following:

CCI disciplinary or ethics review, investigation, or enforcement;
verifying the accuracy of information provided to CCI;
requests by a governmental licensing board or agency, law enforcement authority, other government agency, or court of law; or
a proper subpoena.

Additionally, CCI may publish information or disclose information as identified on the Site, including but not limited to:

From time to time, CCI may change this Privacy Policy; in the event of a change, CCI will post an amended version on this webpage. Users are responsible for review of this Privacy Policy; continued use of the Site and Services after any such amendment signifies your acceptance thereof.

Please also refer to CCI’s Terms of Use regarding the proper usage of the Site and Services.

2. Collecting and Using Information

Personal Data CCI Collects Online

Through your use of the Site and Services, CCI may collect Personal Data from you. “Personal Data” refers to any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person that is submitted to and held by CCI.

INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE

When you use the Site or Services, you may voluntarily provide CCI with the following types of Personal Data:

Account. If you create an account for any of CCI’s Services, you will provide CCI with your email address and password. When you log in to your Account, you will provide CCI with your email address and password. In your account, you may provide CCI with demographic data, as well as information pertaining to your supervisees or supervisors, if applicable.
CCI Contact Forms. CCI may add or remove contact forms at will and without notice. Information collected through those forms will be clearly conveyed and may include your first and last name, email address, and any other Personal Data that you may voluntarily provide.
Verification Page. The information you provide when searching CCI’s Verification Page may be your own information or the information of a third party. If you search the Verification Page, you will provide CCI with a first and last name, zip code, and state or territory of residence. Please see “Third Party Information” for more information. Information about individuals that you search may also be tracked for purposes of verifying those who are misrepresenting certification or other CCI trademark or copyright.
Contact Us. When you use the “Contact Us” form, you will provide CCI with your first and last name, email address, phone number, and any other Personal Data that you may voluntarily provide.
Interact with CCI’s Sites or Services. When you send CCI any feedback, questions, comments, suggestions, ideas, or interact with CCI in any way, you may need to provide CCI with your log-in information, name and/or email address.
Information about your certification or recertification status. This will include your name, contact details such as address, phone number and email address (business or personal), age, employer, job title, years of experience, academic degrees or other certifications obtained, government identification numbers (e.g. social security number, passport number etc.), RN license number, and any other information related to your certification. This information may be provided by you during the application process for certification or recertification, or by your employer on your behalf.
Payment information. Financial information such as credit/debit card and/or checking account numbers used to obtain or renew your certification.
Purchase information. Information related to purchases made by certificants and non-certificants of CCI courses or events, books, reports, articles or newsletters, either in-person or via our Site. This also included complimentary access to the above referenced occasions or items. Purchase information includes financial information as well as information concerning the content and time of the purchase.
Disciplinary information. Information relating to ethics/disciplinary program policies in which complaints against certificants are filed and adjudicated, with the result being possible suspension/revocation of a CCI credential. This may include extensive information about a certificant’s business, or professional activities, including employment information, and similar information relating to other individuals involved in the investigation.
Certification information. Specific information relating to certification programs, in which members are granted certification if they meet specified educational/employment experience requirements and/or pass an exam. This may include extensive information about the experience/performance of those certified. Where business and other professional institutions or organizations are concerned, this may include similar information identifying employees and other members of staff including volunteers.

We also may receive your Personal Data in other ways, such as:

Applications and supporting documentation are necessary for you to be certified or to maintain certification.
Applications to sit for an examination.
Communications between you and CCI personnel (e.g., written, verbal).
Applications and supporting documentation for other CCI services, such as, becoming an approved continuing education provider.
Inquiries about the status of an application you have submitted to CCI.
Documentation of ethical compliance, including, required information that you report to CCI.
Background check or third-party inquiry about any applicant, candidate, certificant, related party, professional associate, or corporation.
Notices of alleged violation and related correspondence (responses to notices, outcomes of investigations).
Information you submit to a CCI vendor (processor), such as, information provided to CCI’s testing vendor to register for the examination administration.
Information collected by a CCI vendor, such as information required for your admission to a CCI testing site.

INFORMATION AS YOU NAVIGATE THE SITE

The CCI automatically collects certain Personal Data through your use of the Site and Services, such as the following:

Usage Information. CCI and its vendors may collect information relating to the internet protocol (IP) address you use to access CCI website and your CCI account. This may include the collection and analysis of cookies, which pages on the Site you access, the frequency of access, and what you click on while on the Site. This also may include anonymous statistical data about your browsing history.
Device-Related Information. CCI may collect information about the device you are using, such as hardware model, operating system, application version number, and browser.
Mobile Device Information. In addition to the Device Information listed above, when you access CCI’s Site via a browser on your mobile device, CCI may collect and aggregate information about whether you are accessing the Site via a mobile device or tablet, device type, and carrier.
Location Information. CCI may collect geographic location information from Site visitors.

THIRD-PARTY INFORMATION

In some cases, CCI may receive certain Personal Data from you about a third party. If you submit any Personal Data about another individual to CCI, you are responsible for making sure that you have the authority to do so and to authorize CCI to use their Personal Data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

How CCI Uses Personal Data

CCI will only process your Personal Data, including sharing it with third parties, where (1) you have provided your consent which can be withdrawn at any time, (2) the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party, (e.g. processing of certification or recertification applications) (3) we are required by law, (4) processing is required to protect your vital interests or those of another person, or (5) processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate commercial interests, except where such interests are overridden by your rights, interests, and/or provisions under applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations.

CCI may use Personal Data that you provide directly to us for the following purposes:

to carry out our obligations arising from your certification, or any other contract entered into between you and CCI, and to provide you with the information, products and services that you request from us
to organize events that you have purchased or registered for, and to provide you with information, and other materials, relating to the content of the event, the speakers, sponsors and other attendees;
to provide our newsletter and other publications, provided you have given your consent;
to respond to your questions and provide related certification or recertification services;
to provide you with information about other events, products and services we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased, provided you have not opted-out of receiving that information;
to provide you, or permit selected third parties to provide you, with information about events, products or services we feel may interest you, provided you have given your consent;
to transfer your information as part of a merger or sale of any CCI business units, operations, or components;
to notify you about changes to any services provided by CCI; and
to ensure that content from our website is presented most effectively for you and your computer.
to administer our website and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes;
to improve our website to ensure that content is presented most effectively for you and your computer;
as part of our efforts to keep our website safe and secure;
to measure or understand the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising efforts and to deliver relevant ads to you; and
to make suggestions and recommendations to you and other users of CCI’s website about goods or services that may interest you or them.

How CCI Shares Your Personal Data

To process your application or as you navigate CCI’s Site, CCI may provide information about you to certain CCI vendors (processors).

CCI reserves the right to transfer your Personal Data to third parties (including other processors) in the event of the following:

CCI is legally required to share the Personal Data with a third party, such as, under subpoena;
CCI has committed to sharing the Personal Data, such as, disclosure of disciplinary matters and responding to requests from an official governmental agency;
CCI transfers CCI business functions to a third-party;
CCI is acquired by a third-party;
CCI determines to do so:
- in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings;
- to establish, exercise, or defend CCI’s legal rights, including providing Personal Data to others for the purposes of fraud prevention;
- to any person who CCI reasonably believes may apply to a court or other competent authority for disclosure of that Personal Data where, in the CCI’s reasonable opinion, such court or authority would be reasonably likely to order disclosure of that Personal Data;
- to any other person or entity as part of any business or asset sale; and
- to any other person or entity (e.g. licensing board, supervisor, mentor) where you consent to the disclosure.

Even if you delete your account, the deletion by CCI’s third-party providers may not be immediate and the deleted information may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time.

CCI does not currently engage in the sale of candidate or certificant data, nor will ever sell your Personal Data to third parties without your opt-in consent.

Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

Like many other companies, CCI uses cookies and other tracking technologies (such as pixels and web beacons) (collectively, “Cookies”). “Cookies” are small files of information that are stored by your web browser software on your computer hard drive, mobile or other devices (e.g., smartphones or tablets). To learn more about how CCI use cookies and to change your cookie settings, please refer to the CCI’s Terms of Use web page.

Certain CCI vendors (e.g. Google Analytics) use Cookies or other tracking technologies to help CCI analyze how users interact with the Site and Services, compile reports on their activity, and provide other services related to their activity and usage. The technologies used may include collection of information such as your IP address, time of visit, whether you are a returning visitor, and any referring website. The technologies used do not gather information that personally identifies you. The information generated will be transmitted to and stored in accordance with the vendor’s policies. You are welcome to learn more about vendor policies and option(s) to opt out of tracking on Google’s Partner Sites Privacy and Terms webpage.

Site Publication and Public Protection

CCI is committed to consumer/public protection. Certain publications, such as, on the CCI Certificant Verification Page are utilized by CCI to help identify sanctioned applicants and certificants, individuals misrepresenting CCI certification status and/or infringing on CCI intellectual property (trademarks and copyrights), and current certificants. The rights identified in this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use are intended to facilitate CCI’s mission of consumer and public protection. Should rights identified herein contravene or conflict with CCI’s stated mission, the interest of public and consumer protection will prevail to the extent permitted by law.

“Do Not Track” Signals

Some internet browsers incorporate a “Do Not Track” feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want to have your online activity tracked. Given that there is not a uniform way that browsers communicate the “Do Not Track” signal, the Site does not currently interpret or respond to “Do Not Track” signals or alter its practices when it receives “Do Not Track” signals.

3. Your Personal Data and Your Rights–UNITED STATES ONLY

CCI respects your rights in how your Personal Data is used and shared. You may request to review and make changes to your Personal Data and make choices about the kinds of marketing materials you receive (or choose not to receive marketing materials from CCI at all) by contacting CCI as described in the Section 5 Advertising and Marketing Choices below.

CCI regularly reviews and updates its privacy policy to ensure it complies with state and federal privacy laws. This policy will be updated as needed.

4. Your Personal Data and Your Rights–EUROPE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM ONLY

Legal Bases for Processing Your Personal Information

If you are located in a country in the European Union or in the United Kingdom, you are entitled to an explanation of the legal bases CCI relies on to process your Personal Data. The legal basis for collecting and using the Personal Data described above will depend on the Personal Data concerned and the specific context in which CCI collects it, which is discussed below.

CONSENT

CCI may process your Personal Data based on your consent such as when you ask CCI to send you certain kinds of marketing communications. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of the processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

CCI’S LEGITIMATE INTERESTS

CCI may process your Personal Data if doing so is pursuant to CCI’s legitimate interests and your rights as an individual do not override those legitimate interests. For example, CCI may process your Personal Data to perform customary certification activities (e.g. process applications and conduct disciplinary reviews), carry out fraud prevention activities and activities to increase network and information security, identify usage trends, determine the effectiveness of promotional campaigns, expand CCI’s business activities and improve CCI’s services and the content and functionality of CCI’s Site.

TO PERFORM A CONTRACT

CCI may process your Personal Data to administer and fulfill contractual obligations to you.

TO ENABLE THE CCI TO COMPLY WITH A LEGAL OBLIGATION

CCI may process your Personal Data to comply with legal obligations to which CCI is subject. This may include any requirement to produce audited accounts, any legal obligation to share information with law enforcement agencies, public or governmental authorities, and to comply with legal process.

NECESSARY FOR THE EXERCISE OR DEFENSE OF LEGAL CLAIMS

If you bring a claim against CCI or CCI brings a claim against you, CCI may process your Personal Data in relation to that claim.

CCI is the Data Controller of all Personal Data collected from residents of the European Union or the United Kingdom. If you have any questions about or need further information concerning the legal basis on which CCI collects and uses your Personal Data for any specific processing activity, please contact CCI using the How to Contact Us section below.

Your Rights

If you are an individual in a country in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you have the right to make requests to:

Access the Personal Data CCI keeps about you;
Rectify inaccurate Personal Data;
Place restrictions on CCI’s use of your Personal Data;
Object to CCI’s use of your Personal Data;
Ask the CCI to delete the Personal Data about you CCI holds;
Have your Personal Data transferred to you or another party of your choosing; and
Make a complaint to the relevant supervising authority.

CCI describes these rights more fully below.

ASKING CCI TO ACCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA

You have the right to obtain from CCI confirmation as to whether or not CCI is processing Personal Data about you and, if so, the right to be provided with the information contained in this Privacy Policy. You also have the right to receive a copy of the Personal Data undergoing processing.

ASKING CCI TO RECTIFY YOUR PERSONAL DATA

You have the right to ask CCI to rectify any inaccurate Personal Data about you and to have incomplete Personal Data completed.

ASKING CCI TO RESTRICT CCI’S USE OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA

You have the right to ask CCI to place a restriction on CCI’s use of your Personal Data if one of the following applies to you:

You contest the accuracy of the information that CCI holds about you, while CCI verifies its accuracy;
CCI has used your information unlawfully, but you request CCI to restrict its use instead of erasing it;
CCI no longer needs the information for the purpose for which CCI collected it, but you need it to address a legal claim; or
You have objected to CCI using your information, while CCI checks whether CCI’s legitimate grounds override your right to object.

OBJECTING TO CCI’S USE OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA

You have the right to object to CCI’s use of your Personal Data where CCI’s reason for using it is based on CCI’s legitimate interests or your consent (rather than when the reason for using it is to perform an obligation due to you under a contract with CCI).

ASKING CCI TO DELETE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

You can ask CCI to delete your Personal Data if:

CCI no longer needs it for the purposes for which it was collected;
CCI has been using it with no valid legal basis;
CCI is obligated to erase it to comply with a legal obligation to which CCI is subject;
CCI needs your consent to use the information and you withdraw consent;
You object to CCI processing your Personal Data where CCI’s legal basis for doing so is CCI’s legitimate interests and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing.

However, this right is not absolute. Even if you make a request for deletion, CCI may need to retain certain information for legal or administrative purposes, such as record keeping, maintenance of opt-out requirements, defending or making legal claims, reporting disciplinary/ethical actions, reporting your certification history, or detecting fraudulent activities. CCI will retain information in accordance with the How Long Is Your Personal Data Retained section below.

If you do exercise a valid right to have your Personal Data deleted, please keep in mind that deletion by third parties to whom the information has been provided might not be immediate and that the deleted information may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period.

THE RIGHT TO TRANSFER YOUR PERSONAL DATA TO ANOTHER SERVICE PROVIDER

You may request that CCI transfer some of the Personal Data you have provided to you or another service provider in electronic copy. This applies to Personal Data the CCI is processing to service a contract with you and to Personal Data CCI is processing based on your consent.

MAKING A COMPLAINT

If you have any concerns or complaints regarding CCI’s processing of your Personal Data, please contact CCI using the How to Contact Us section below. If, for whatever reason, you feel CCI does not meet the standards you expect, you are also entitled to make a complaint to your local supervisory authority:

HOW LONG IS YOUR PERSONAL DATA RETAINED?

Except for information available from its vendors, CCI retains information you provide to CCI as follows:

Initial, renewal, and recertification applications; continuing education provider applications; and related correspondence–up to seven (7) years following the conclusion of your status with CCI as an applicant, certificant, or approved continuing education provider;
Disciplinary case history and reportable sanctions–permanently, to the extent permitted by law, which shall be a minimum of seven (7) years from your expiration of certification or completion of all sanctions issued by CCI; and

The information may be retained on CCI’s servers or the servers of CCI vendors, such as, the approved testing administrator.

5. Advertising and Marketing Choices

Depending on your location (and reflecting applicable law), you may have been asked to: (i) indicate your preferences, (ii) provide CCI with your consent regarding the receipt of such information from CCI, and (ii) indicate how you would like to be contacted.

Wherever you are located, CCI will send you marketing communications based on any preferences you may have expressed.

CCI only wants to send you information in which you are interested. If you do not want to receive these communications or would like to understand more about other unsubscribe options, please contact CCI as set out in the How to Contact Us section below.

6. Third Party Links

The Site and Services may contain links that will let you leave the Site and Services and access another website. Linked websites are not under CCI’s control. This Privacy Policy applies solely to Personal Data that is acquired by CCI in the manner described in this Privacy Policy. CCI does not accept responsibility or liability for these other websites.

7. Security

CCI adheres to customary industry practices to ensure the security of information that you provide to CCI and information about you that is collected by CCI. This includes firewall protocols, staff training, and audits to help identify any unknown vulnerabilities. Since you may communicate with CCI via the internet, CCI is unable to warrant or guarantee the security of transmissions of information to or from CCI via the internet. You communicate with CCI at your own risk.

8. Minimum Age

The Site and Services are not intended for children under 17 years of age. The CCI does not knowingly collect, use, or disclose personal information from children under 17.

9. How to Contact Us

For questions or concerns about CCI’s privacy policies or practices, please contact CCI at:
The Competency & Credentialing Institute
Attention: Privacy Manager
400 Inverness Parkway, Suite 265
Englewood, CO 80112 USA
privacy@cc-institute.org

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