Nationwide · All 50 States

Becoming a Staff-Development Leader in Maine

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.

Showing Maine — we’ll remember it for you.

Maine

In Maine, 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.

Maine has no distinct DSD credential. Under Board of Nursing rule 02-380 CMR ch. 5, a currently-licensed Maine RN must be 'in charge of the instructional program' for nurse-aide training; the state rule adds no experience overlay, so the federal 42 CFR 483.152 floor (2 years' experience, 1 in long-term care) governs the RN instructor. Maine's training program runs at least 130 hours (70 classroom + 20 lab + 40 clinical), exceeding the federal 75-hour minimum. Facilities must provide at least 12 hours of in-service per aide per year (10-144 CMR ch. 110); the Board of Nursing approves training programs and DHHS runs the CNA/DCW registry.

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

Restorative Nurse Assistant ECG/EKG Technician Browse all courses

Whatever Maine 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 Maine 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 Maine in-service rules
Available in all 50 states Certificate of completion 100% online & self-paced

How the role works in Maine — official details

Commonly called
In-Service / Staff Development Coordinator (training role: the RN 'in charge of the instructional program')
State credential
No distinct state credential — the facility designates the role.
Keeping skills current (in-service)
12 hrs/yr. 10-144 CMR ch. 110 (SNF/NF licensing) requires nursing facilities to provide CNAs no less than 12 hours per year of in-service education, matching the federal floor. No numeric overlay above 12.
Qualifying for the role
State rule is thinner than the federal rule on experience, so the federal floor governs. 02-380 CMR ch. 5 Sec. 2 requires that a currently Maine-licensed registered professional nurse be 'in charge of the instructional program'; the state rule specifies no years-of-experience or LTC overlay, so 42 CFR 483.152 (RN, 2 yrs, 1 yr LTC) applies to the RN instructor. Note a TRAINING-HOURS overlay: Maine's minimum program is 130 hours (70 classroom + 20 skills lab + 40 supervised clinical), well above the federal 75-hour minimum.
State approval & process
No DSD-style credential to apply for. Training programs are approved by the Maine State Board of Nursing; the facility designates its in-service/staff-development coordinator. Meet the federal RN instructor requirement and be named by the facility/program.
Where to check the official rules
Maine State Board of Nursing (02-380 CMR ch. 5) approves CNA training programs and RN instruction; Maine DHHS Division of Licensing and Certification operates the CNA/Direct Care Worker Registry (10-144 CMR ch. 128) and licenses SNF/NF (10-144 CMR ch. 110).

General information to help you plan — not legal advice. Requirements can change, so confirm the specifics with your state’s licensing agency.
Sources: 02-380 CMR ch. 5 · 10-144 CMR ch. 110 · 10-144 CMR ch. 128.

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
Our Programs

Explore Our Programs

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.

Director of Staff Development (DSD) program On this site
Director of Staff Development (DSD)
Certify for the DSD role in California — 24 CE contact hours, self-paced, sourced to the regulations, ending in a verifiable certificate.
Enroll — $79
Restorative Nurse Assistant (RNA) program Draco Learning
Restorative Nurse Assistant (RNA)
Restorative nursing and MDS Section O documentation — online theory plus in-person clinical, ending in a certificate of completion.
View program
Infection Control & Prevention Nurse program Draco Learning
Infection Control & Prevention Nurse
The infection prevention and control practices every long-term-care facility relies on — built for the nurse who leads them.
View program
MDS Nurse Certification program Draco Learning
MDS Nurse Certification
Master the Minimum Data Set — accurate resident assessments that drive care planning and reimbursement across the facility.
View program
Skin, Wound & Ostomy Care program Draco Learning
Skin, Wound & Ostomy Care
Skin integrity, wound care and ostomy management — high-value, in-demand skills for the long-term-care nurse.
View program