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Becoming a Staff-Development Leader in South Dakota

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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South Dakota

In South Dakota, the nurse who leads staff education and training is commonly known as a NATP Program Director. 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 South Dakota — our online courses are open to nurses and care staff in all 50 states:

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How the role works in South Dakota (official details)
Commonly called
NATP Program Director (RN) — role formerly titled 'Program Coordinator'; the closest South Dakota analog to a staff-development/training director
Keeping skills current
12 in-service hrs/yr — matches the federal floor (42 CFR 483.95), with a topic overlay. SD CNA registration renewal requires 12 hours of in-service education annually over the preceding 2 years that MUST include dementia management and client abuse/neglect/exploitation/misappropriation content, plus 12 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work in that period (ARSD 20:48:16).
Stepping into the role
State overlay. Program Director: licensed RN with at least 1 year of licensed clinical RN experience, individually Board-approved. Primary nurse instructor: RN or LPN with 2 years clinical licensed nursing experience including 1 year in a nursing facility, plus adult-teaching experience or a completed adult-instruction course, and may NOT be employed as the facility Director of Nursing (DON). RN Skills Evaluator (required by May 1, 2026): licensed RN with at least 1 year experience caring for older adults/chronically ill. Under the 2025 rules the Board approves ONLY the Program Director; the Program Director now verifies and approves instructors' and evaluators' qualifications (the Board no longer approves each instructor).
Where to check the official rules
South Dakota Board of Nursing (SDBON). IMPORTANT: effective September 8, 2025, regulation of certified nurse aides and nurse-aide training MOVED from the SD Department of Health to the Board of Nursing; the current rules are in ARSD Article 20:48 (chapters 20:48:16 and 20:48:18), superseding the former DOH nurse-aide chapter.

General information to help you plan — not legal advice. Requirements can change, so confirm the specifics with your state’s licensing agency.
Sources: ARSD ch. 20:48:18 · ARSD ch. 20:48:16 · SDBON Memo, Sept 5, 2025.

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DSD Certify is a service of Draco Learning, our continuing-education platform for CNAs, LVNs and RNs. A few of its programs:

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