Nationwide · All 50 States

Becoming a Staff-Development Leader in Iowa

Every skilled nursing facility needs a nurse to lead its orientation and in-service education, and the core skills are the same across the country. We help you build them — with professional, certificate-bearing online courses available to nurses and care staff in all 50 states. In California the role is called Director of Staff Development; elsewhere it’s a Staff Development Coordinator, In-Service Coordinator or Nurse Educator.

Showing Iowa — we’ll remember it for you.

Iowa

In Iowa, the nurse who leads staff education and training is commonly known as a Staff Development / In-Service Coordinator. It’s a valued, higher-responsibility role — and we can help you prepare for it and grow your long-term-care career.

Study from Iowa today — nationwide training that travels with you

Through our sister platform Draco Learning, you can build practical skills and earn a professional certificate of completion from Iowa — our online courses are open to nurses and care staff in all 50 states:

Restorative Nurse Assistant ECG/EKG Technician Browse all courses
Available in all 50 states Certificate of completion 100% online & self-paced
How the role works in Iowa (official details)
Commonly called
Staff Development / In-Service Coordinator (facility job title); NATCEP 'Instructor' (RN) for the aide course
Keeping skills current
Follows federal 12 hrs/yr (42 CFR 483.95): after a performance review at least once every 12 months, the facility must provide in-service of no less than 12 hrs/yr (Iowa Admin. Code r. 441-81.16 / 81.13).
Stepping into the role
State overlay/clarification on 42 CFR 483.152. Training is by or under the general supervision of an RN with 2 years' experience (at least 1 in long-term care); instructors are RNs who completed a course in teaching adults OR have experience teaching adults/supervising aides. The Director of Nursing may generally supervise but is PROHIBITED from performing the actual training; other facility employees may instruct only if specifically approved by DIAL. Supplemental health-professional instructors need 1 year of field experience. Course is 75 hours (30 clinical).
Where to check the official rules
Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) — Health Facilities; maintains the Direct Care Worker (nurse aide) Registry. (Medicaid coverage sits with Iowa HHS.)

General information to help you plan — not legal advice. Requirements can change, so confirm the specifics with your state’s licensing agency.
Sources: Iowa Admin. Code r. 441-81.16 (renumbered 441-81.13, eff. 7/1/2025) · Iowa Admin. Code r. 441-81.13 · Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-58.11.

Explore another state

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Part of Draco Learning

More from Draco Learning

DSD Certify is a service of Draco Learning, our continuing-education platform for CNAs, LVNs and RNs. A few of its programs:

Restorative Nurse Assistant (RNA)
Restorative nursing and MDS Section O documentation — online theory plus in-person clinical, ending in a certificate of completion. Built to CDPH and CMS guidelines.
View the RNA program
ECG/EKG Technician
ECG/EKG Technician & Basic Arrhythmia Recognition — a self-paced online program with chapter quizzes, a final exam and a certificate of completion.
View the ECG program
Continuing-education library
Self-paced CE courses for CNAs, LVNs and RNs — patient care, dementia, infection prevention, safety and medication management. Each awards a certificate of completion.
Browse the catalog