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Becoming a Staff-Development Leader in Michigan

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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Michigan

In Michigan, the nurse who leads staff education and training is commonly known as a Nurse Aide Trainer, and Michigan recognizes a distinct Nurse Aide Trainer Permit credential. It’s a valued, higher-responsibility role — and we can help you prepare for it and grow your long-term-care career.

Michigan is the outlier of these five: to be the primary instructor of a nurse aide training program a nurse must obtain an individually held Nurse Aide Trainer Permit from LARA (R 400.321–327), not just meet the federal RN experience rule. The permit requires an active Michigan RN license, 2 years of RN experience in the last 5 (with >=1 year / >=1,600 hours in long-term care) and documented teaching ability; LPNs may only be supplemental instructors. This permit is the closest Michigan analog to California's DSD, but it is titled 'Nurse Aide Trainer' (not Director of Staff Development) and does not by itself formalize directing the facility's entire in-service program. Annual aide in-service follows the federal 12-hour floor.

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

Restorative Nurse Assistant ECG/EKG Technician Browse all courses

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

How the role works in Michigan — official details

Commonly called
Nurse Aide Trainer (permitted RN primary instructor of a nurse aide training program)
State credential
Nurse Aide Trainer Permit — a distinct, state-recognized credential.
Keeping skills current (in-service)
Follows federal 12 hrs/yr (42 CFR 483.95); no Michigan hour overlay found.
Qualifying for the role
State overlay BEYOND the federal RN rule: the primary nurse aide trainer must hold a LARA-issued Nurse Aide Trainer Permit — active Michigan RN license, 2 yrs RN experience within the last 5 yrs, at least 1 yr (min. 1,600 hrs) in a long-term care setting, and documented adult-teaching/supervisory ability (mirrors 42 CFR 483.152(a)(5)). LPNs may serve only as supplemental instructors under the permitted RN trainer.
State approval & process
Yes — apply to LARA (BCHS) for an individually held Nurse Aide Trainer Permit under Mich. Admin. Code R 400.321–R 400.327. This is a distinct state credential, not merely the federal qualifications.
Where to check the official rules
Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS) — Nurse Aide Registry / Trainer permitting

General information to help you plan — not legal advice. Requirements can change, so confirm the specifics with your state’s licensing agency.
Sources: Mich. Admin. Code R 400.301 · Mich. Admin. Code R 400.321 · Mich. Admin. Code R 400.323.

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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
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Restorative Nurse Assistant (RNA)
Restorative nursing and MDS Section O documentation — online theory plus in-person clinical, ending in a certificate of completion.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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