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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.

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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.

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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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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
Keeping skills current
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.
Stepping into 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.
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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