The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc., offers a full Continuing Education program of online courses for Nurses seeking Certification as a Certified Nurse-Patient Educator.
Upon completion of the five (5) courses detailed below, applicants are eligible to apply for and receive certification as a Certified Nurse-Patient Educator. This program also provides for continuing education related to health promotion for nurses, focusing on the life-span. Completion of the four courses allows registered nurses to attain advanced knowledge and skills in both patient-centered education and health care promotion.
Each course is provided for in a dedicated online classroom. The courses are designed as independent study/continuing education courses, with one-to-one faculty mentoring. There is open enrollment and students may register and begin the education program at anytime.
For information on the Nurse-Patient Educator Certification program, access this link
NURSE-PATIENT EDUCATOR CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES
COURSE FEES
Below are listed the required courses for this curriculum. At the end of each course description you will find the course cost listed. All textbooks and learning materials are separate and not included in the course cost.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. is a licensed Continuing Education Provider in the State of California, Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP 15595. For additional information please access here. All of the following CE Courses are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing for the number of contact hours listed for each course as below.
The following CE Courses also have the following Approvals:
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc. is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida State Board of Nursing and the District of Columbia Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Arkansas Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Georgia Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Professional Registered Nurses. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the New Mexico Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Kentucky Board of Nursing CE Provider # 50-11975.
NE 420 – Nurse Educator: Process & Applications I
This course reviews the history as well as the purpose, goals and benefits of patient education. The education process is defined as well as the role of the nurse as educator. Students will examine ethical, legal and economic foundations of the education process. Many learning theories will be examined and made applicable to health care practice. The characteristics of learners and the developmental stages of the learner are studied. Also presented are issues related to compliance, motivation and health behaviors of the learner. The role of the nurse as educator in health promotion is also introduced and examined. Students also examine multiple issues and testing related to literacy skills. This first course in the program prepares students for the development of a solid foundation in which to develop more fully as a patient educator. The course to follow examines more fully the teaching role. Contact hours of Education: 25. Course Code: NE 420. Course Cost: $ 175.00
NE 440 – Nurse Educator: Process & Applications II
This course continues with the study of the role of the nurse-patient educator. It specifically focuses on the comprehensive planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching by nurse educators. Students will examine fully the major components of the teaching process. This will include the development of learning objectives, instructional materials, teaching methods and learner evaluation and reporting of evaluation data. There will also be the examination of the Information age and its technology as well as how this technology can be used to enhance patient teaching. Teaching resources will be studied. Contact hours of Education: 25. Course Code: NE 440. Course Cost: $ 175.00
HP 460 – Nursing Health Promotion I
This course is designed for registered nurses who aspire to acquire knowledge and skills in the area of health promotion and interventions. It is a foundational course which builds upon knowledge and skills related to patient education. The course is designed to examine health promotion issues throughout the life-span. Students will examine both developmental issues and their concomitant issues related to education and other interventions leading to teaching for health promotion and disease prevention. The person as a holistic being is focused upon. Many theories related to body, mind and spirit are examined as related to developmental milestones and needs for education to promote wellness and holism. Environmental, sociocultural and issues of religion and spirituality are examined as well. A broad background of information is acquired to allow nurses to more fully provide care with an emphasis on health promotion. Contact hours of Education: 25. Course Code: HP 460. Course Cost: $ 175.00
HP 480 – Nursing Health Promotion II
This course continues in the content of HP 460. Students will continue in the study of development of the toddler, schoolchild, adolescent, young adult and mature adult. The course content focuses on growth and development, holistic issues related to the age groups including psychosocial issues. Health promotion and protection interventions are emphasized with the study of each age group. Specific nursing health promotion strategies are examined and prepare students to make adjustments in their practices to become more centered in health promotion and patient education. This course also presents information related to many aspects of chronic illness, as well as death and dying. Contact hours of Education: 25. Course Code: HP 480. Course Cost: $ 175.00
HE 600 – Issues In Patient Health Care Education
This course focuses on many varied issues related to education which health educators must be ready for in practice. A patient-centered approach is taken in this course. Strategies to motivate clients and to increased adherence to learning outcomes are presented throughout. Students will learn many effective strategies for confronting the vast array of issues in client teaching. Issues to be examined are related to; motivation, literacy, culture, psycho-social issues, legal and ethical issues, the family, goals, the educator, the education team and evaluation and research. Students examine models of patient teaching with the patient as the center of the education and learning process. Methods to maximize patient teaching in older adults and in patient with terminal illnesses are examined. Also presented are methods for teaching patients regarding many end-of-life issues.
Contact hours of Education: 50. Course Code: HE 600. Course Cost: $ 175.00
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- Requisite for all Applicants for Certification: in addition to meeting the educational criteria as provided above, applicants for Certification must hold a current/valid license to practice nursing in their state or country of residence.
- All courses are continuing education courses and are provided in online classrooms via our website. Upon enrollment a unique identification and password is provided for classroom access. The online classrooms provide full syllabi and course information, including the course exams and evaluations. Students must achieve a minimum score of 70% on the course examination to pass the continuing education courses.
- Participants are given two (2) years from the date of enrollment into the first course, to complete the entire program of five (5) continuing education courses.
- Upon completion of each course, you will be awarded the corresponding continuing education contact hours and receive the CEU certificate verifying course completion and the award of education credits. Registration may be completed online, by accessing the links below.
- NURSE-PATIENT EDUCATOR BLOG: Please visit our Nurse Patient Education interactive web blog. Our blog contains articles, news, events and information related the Nurse Patient Educator field.
Additional Links
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- How to Register for a Course
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What is Certification?
“A certification is a third-party attestation of an individual’s level of knowledge or proficiency in a certain industry or profession. They are granted by authorities in the field, such as professional societies and universities, or by private certificate-granting agencies. Most certifications are time-limited; some expire after a period of time (e.g., the lifetime of a product that required certification for use), while others can be renewed indefinitely as long as certain requirements are met. Renewal usually requires ongoing education to remain up-to-date on advancements in the field, evidenced by earning the specified number of continuing education credits (CECs), or continuing education units (CE’s), from approved professional development courses. “ 1
Certification is an official recognition from a “Professional Organization” that one has met all of the established standards as determined by that professional organization to be conferred the specific “certification” by that professional organization. Certifications are most frequently established and conferred by “professional organizations.” Certification is thus a validation that a professional has thus achieved a high standard of knowledge, learning and skills in a specific specialty area of practice. It attests to an achievement in professional practice that is beyond that achieved for licensure. It is also specialty practice specific, rather than generic in nature.
Certification is distinctly different from ‘licensing.” Licensure is conferred /granted by the Government. In most all cases, licensure is the responsibility of the State Government. Every state has its own government agencies that oversee and confer licensure to professionals, i.e. the state boards of nursing. Licensure is established by “laws” and then specific rules and regulations which conform to the tenets of the state’s laws. Licensure is granted and over-seen by state agencies. Certification, on the other hand, is NOT licensure and is not established by any “laws.” Licensing agencies generally do not “oversee” professional certifications, unless their specific laws mandate a certain professional certification, in order to practice. An example of this would be: for a registered nurse to receive and be conferred a license as a “Nurse Practitioner” most states require that the RN also have Certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. So, in order to be licensed as a nurse practitioner, the nurse must hold certification from one of those two professional organizations. The State Board of Nursing does not oversee the certification, but rather requires it for nurse practitioner license.
Why Achieve a Certification?
“Professional certification shows consumers and potential employers that you are committed to your profession and are well-trained. It gives them confidence in your abilities and knowledge. Certification makes you more valuable to employers, so you can expect to earn more than someone without certification. Certification also offers advancement opportunities.” 2 Other compelling reasons to consider a specialty practice certification include: Acquire advanced knowledge and skills in a sub-specialty health care practice: 1) Achieve national recognition for attainment of knowledge and skills by meeting established standards of professional advanced practice, 2). Enhance and expand your health care practice, 3). Increase your marketability, 4). Be viewed as a credentialed expert in your practice specialty, and 5). Become part of a professional group and network of recognized and certified health care specialists.
Report findings published on Nurse.com revealed the following regarding Nurses that held certifications: 1). Certified nurses make more money, 2). Certified nurses have respect and recognition, 3). Certified nurses have validated competence in their specialty area, 4). Certified nurses are more marketable and hirable, 5). Certified nurses perceive they have more power in their organizations, 6). Certified nurses have more professional opportunities, 7). Certified nurses have standing among their professional peers, and 8). Certified nurses are more confident. 3
While these study finds were specific to the nursing profession, we believe such benefits are applicable to all health care professionals who hold practice specialty certifications, especially related to recognition, opportunities in employment and validated competency in their practices.
Ongoing Learning
A major hallmark of quality Certification programs is the mandate that Certified Members commit to continued learning in order to maintain their certifications. This is most generally achieved by requiring a recertification process in which certified member’s document continued learning in their practice specialty by way of continuing education. Certifying bodies will establish quality standards for the requirements for its certified members to achieve contact hours of continuing education credits in order to maintain their certification status by the organization or association. 1, 2
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals upholds this high quality standard for recertification of its members by an established program of recertification via mandatory continuing education as well as clinical practice hours over a four-year time frame. Certified members may recertify their status upon meeting the standards established for recertification of their practice specialties.
The AIHCP CE Model for Certification
The Model for Certification at the American Institute of Health Care Professionals is one based on a core curriculum of focused Continuing Education (CE) Courses. We feel strongly that the conferral of a professional certification requires the attainment of current knowledge and skills in a specialty practice and those who achieve certification should all have the same educational achievements and knowledge/skill base. We insure this by modeling our Certification programs on student’s achievements in a strong curriculum of continuing education in order to achieve our professional Certifications.
Why is continuing education important as a foundation of our model? There are several reasons why continuing education is important for health care professionals. First, it helps them keep up with the latest advances in their field. Second, it helps them maintain their skills and knowledge. Third, it helps them stay current with changes in the healthcare industry. Fourth, it helps them meet their licensure requirements. Finally, it helps them improve their patient care skills. With the rapid pace of change in the medical world, it is essential for health care professionals to keep abreast of new developments in order to provide the best possible care for their patients.
Another reason that we proposed continuing education courses as the foundation of our Certification model is that the benefits of continuing education courses are numerous. For one, they can keep you abreast of the latest developments in your field, which can be beneficial both professionally and personally. Additionally, they can help you network with other professionals in your field, which can lead to new opportunities. Finally, continuing education courses can simply be enjoyable and enriching, providing student candidates with a chance to learn new things and explore different topics.
Our model consists of several types of continuing education courses. Many of our CE courses are self-directed and self-paced with faculty-mentoring as required by the student candidates. Students utilize text books for the course and very often supplemental learning materials such as course handouts, articles and videos. Other types of courses we have include online video on demand lectures courses that provide for printable copies of the slides used in the videos.
All of our CE courses have examinations that must be successfully completed in order for students to receive credit for the courses and also receive a CE Course Certificate. Most all of the examinations on taken right online with a computerized system and are objective-type questions such as multiple choice and true/false questions. Students take the examination online and once completed receive immediate feedback of their examination score and the questions they may have missed including what the correct responses are to missed questions. Students must complete a comprehensive online course evaluation in order to receive their CE Course Certificate. Students may communicate with their course instructors regarding any questions they have about the examination both pre and post-test taking.
All of our CE Courses are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. We are an accredited provider of continuing education for the California Board of Registered Nursing. For many of our CE Courses we also have Board of Nursing Approval by the Florida Board of Nursing and the DC Board of Nursing. As well we are a Rule Approved Provider for CE by the following Boards of Nursing: Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and New Mexico. The AIHCP is also an Approved Provider for Continuing Education by the South Carolina Professional Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists licensing board.
Upon successful completion of our CE Courses, our student candidates receive a full-sized Course CE Certificate with the full name of the course, date of completion, number of earned contact hours as well as all Board and Organizational approvals for the course. As our student candidates are generally health care professionals they have the added benefit of being able to use their earned CE Course contact hours for their State re-licensing CE requirements and many can use them for their CE requirements for recertification in other professionals organizations.
Our foundational model of CE for Certification is also based on the importance to stay current in the health care field as changes in technology and treatments occur rapidly. As a health care professional, you need to be able to provide the best possible care for your patients. Staying current also allows you to keep up with the latest guidelines and standards of care. Additionally, new research is constantly emerging that can impact patient care.
In conclusion, our foundational model of continuing education courses for certification for health care professionals is important in order to keep up with the latest advancements in health care. They also help to refresh and update the skills of those who have been working in the field for many years. All of our courses can be taken online and are self-paced for the student candidate’s easy of self-paced learning and many employers offer financial assistance to employees who enter our programs.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_certification October 2018. Page 1.
- https://www.collegetransfer.net/AskCT/WhatisProfessionalCertification/ October 2018
- https://www.nurse.com/blog/2018/03/14/enjoy-the-perks-of-nurse-certification/ October 2018