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Becoming a Staff-Development Leader in Pennsylvania

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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Pennsylvania

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

Pennsylvania has no 'Director of Staff Development' credential — that is a California title. To lead nurse-aide training you become a PDE-approved NATCEP instructor: an RN (or an LPN teaching under RN supervision) with at least 2 years' experience including a year in long-term care, who completes the Penn State 'Teaching-the-Educator' workshop and clears background/TB checks. Program approval and instructor approval run through the Department of Education (unusual — most states use the health agency), while the facility's own in-service/staff-development program is mandated by the Department of Health at 28 Pa. Code § 201.20, which layers required abuse-prevention and dementia topics on top of the federal 12-hour annual in-service floor. There is no separate portable state certificate for a 'staff development director' role.

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

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

How the role works in Pennsylvania — official details

Commonly called
Nurse Aide Program Instructor / Program Coordinator; facility 'staff development' is a required in-service PROGRAM (28 Pa. Code § 201.20), not a titled director credential
State credential
No distinct state credential — the facility designates the role.
Keeping skills current (in-service)
Federal floor applies (12 in-service hrs/yr, 42 CFR 483.95) WITH a Pennsylvania overlay: 28 Pa. Code § 201.20 requires an ongoing coordinated staff-development program that provides annual in-service on the 42 CFR 483.95 topics PLUS mandatory resident-abuse prevention/detection/reporting and dementia-management & communication training.
Qualifying for the role
Federal 42 CFR 483.152 instructor rule applies (training by or under general supervision of an RN with 2 yrs experience, 1 yr in LTC), with PA overlays: instructors are individually approved by PDE and may be an RN — or an LPN performing most training under RN supervision — each holding an unrestricted license with at least 2 years' RN/LPN experience including at least 12 months in long-term care, AND must complete the Penn State 'Teaching-the-Educator (TTE)' workshop; a separate Nurse Aide Program Coordinator course covers the coordinator's administrative role. Criminal-history clearance (Older Adults Protective Services Act) and negative TB test also required.
State approval & process
No 'DSD' credential and no facility-wide staff-development-director certificate. An individual gains 'PDE-approved NATCEP instructor' status by meeting the experience rule, completing the Penn State TTE workshop, and clearing background/TB screening; the training program is approved by PDE. The facility designates whoever coordinates its in-service/staff-development program under 28 Pa. Code § 201.20.
Where to check the official rules
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Career & Technical Education — unusually, PDE (not the health/Medicaid agency) approves the nurse-aide training & competency-evaluation program (NATCEP) and its instructors. Facility in-service/staff development is regulated by the PA Dept. of Health (28 Pa. Code); the Medicaid nurse-aide training reference sits with DHS at 55 Pa. Code § 1181.521.

General information to help you plan — not legal advice. Requirements can change, so confirm the specifics with your state’s licensing agency.
Sources: 22 Pa. Code Ch. 701 · 55 Pa. Code § 1181.521 · 28 Pa. Code § 201.20.

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