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Becoming a Staff-Development Leader in Indiana

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.

Looking for the in-service training requirements rather than the role? See our nursing-home in-service requirements by state.

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Indiana

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

Indiana has NO distinct staff-development-director credential. In-service is a facility responsibility overseen by the Indiana Department of Health; the aide-course teaching role is a NATCEP 'Program Director'/'Delegated Instructor' — RNs who must complete a state-recognized Train-the-Trainer course (Administrative Standard #1) on top of the federal 42 CFR 483.152 qualifications, with IDOH approval required before training. Indiana EXCEEDS the federal in-service floor: at least 12 hrs/yr (410 IAC 16.2-3.1-14) PLUS 6 hrs of dementia-specific training within the first 6 months and 3 hrs annually thereafter. A nurse takes on the role by facility designation, plus Train-the-Trainer and IDOH program approval to teach — there is no separate 'DSD' credential.

Study from Indiana 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 Indiana — our online courses are open to nurses and care staff in all 50 states:

Restorative Nurse Assistant ECG/EKG Technician Browse all courses

Whatever Indiana asks you to teach, it’s already written

The in-service topics a surveyor expects are set by federal law, so they are the same in Indiana as everywhere else. Our in-service library covers all of them — 186 ready-to-teach lessons, each with a lesson plan, handout, quiz, speaker notes and slides — for $99.

See the lesson library Free compliance checklist Indiana in-service rules
Available in all 50 states Certificate of completion 100% online & self-paced

How the role works in Indiana — official details

Commonly called
In-Service / Staff Development Coordinator (facility job title); NATCEP 'Program Director' and 'Delegated Instructor' for the aide course
State credential
No distinct state credential — the facility designates the role.
Keeping skills current (in-service)
EXCEEDS the federal floor via a dementia overlay. Base in-service is no less than 12 hrs/yr (410 IAC 16.2-3.1-14, tracking 42 CFR 483.95), PLUS state-mandated dementia-specific training of 6 hrs within the first 6 months of employment and 3 hrs annually thereafter.
Qualifying for the role
State overlay on 42 CFR 483.152. The NATCEP Program Director and Delegated Instructors are RNs who must complete a state-recognized Train-the-Trainer course (NATCEP Administrative Standard #1) — offered by IU School of Nursing, Ivy Tech, or Healthcare Education Consultants — in addition to the federal qualifications; directly supervised clinical training is under an RN or LPN. Initial aide training is 30 classroom hours + 75 clinical hours (16 pre-contact).
State approval & process
No separate DSD credential. To train aides, the RN completes Train-the-Trainer and the entity submits an 'Application to Operate a Nurse Aide Training Program' to IDOH (aidetraining@health.in.gov) for approval before any training. The facility designates the in-service coordinator itself.
Where to check the official rules
Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) — Long-Term Care Division, Aide Training & Certification

General information to help you plan — not legal advice. Requirements can change, so confirm the specifics with your state’s licensing agency.
Sources: 410 IAC 16.2-3.1-14 · 410 IAC 16.2-3.1-17 · IDOH Nurse Aide Training Programs / NATCEP Administrative Standards.

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Advance your long-term-care career with our growing family of professional programs — the DSD certification here on DSD Certify, plus more through our platform Draco Learning.

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