Nursing Management CE Courses Program for Certification
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc., offers seven (7) online Continuing Education courses for those who have met the criteria for enrollment into the Certification Program to achieve the credential “Certified Nursing Management Specialist.”
Applicants may register for the courses provided below. Upon completion of each course, you will be awarded the corresponding continuing education contact hours and receive the CE certificate verifying course completion and the award of education credits. Registration may be completed online, by accessing the links below.
Certification Program
Those seeking Certification in the Nursing Management Specialist Certification program must successfully complete the seven (7) core courses as detailed below. Once a candidate enrolls into the first course in the curriculum, the candidate has two (2) full years to complete the entire curriculum of seven courses. Candidates may register and take one course at a time. To review information on the Certification program, please view this page: click here
Registered Nurses who complete all of the seven ( 7) courses will receive a dual certification; 1) the Certification as a Certified Specialist in Nursing Management, view info, and 2) the Certification as a Certified Health Care Manager, view info.
While there are pre-requisites to enter the Nursing Management Specialist Certification program, anyone who is interested in taking any of the CE courses below may do so without the need to enter the Certification Program and thus the need to meet a pre-requisite.
The Pre-requisite to enter the Certification Program in the Nursing Management Specialist Certification Program: Candidates must be a currently Registered Nurse. Those who are RN’s outside of the US will be considered for entry if they hold an RN licensed in their country which is the equivalent of an RN license in the United States of America.
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.
Order of Courses: candidates in the Certification program may chose to take the CE courses below in any order.
The following CE courses have provider approvals: 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.
The following CE Courses are approval by the Florida Board of Nursing and the following Boards of Nursing:
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida State 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.
NM 600 – Nursing Management: Theory & Practice
This online CE course is a comprehensive course in Nursing Management theory and process as well as practice applications. It is particularly designed for those Registered Nurses who are in our program seeking Certification as a Certified Specialist in Nursing Management, although it is available and applicable for all RN’s who may want to learn or increase their knowledge of nursing management. It is designed as a comprehensive training course for RN’s who are new to nursing management, as well as an update of knowledge and skills course for those nurses in nursing management positions currently. The course presents cutting-edge contemporary content in the subject matter as well as evidence-based content. All facets of nursing management practice are presented, including, but not limited to, leadership, strategic planning, employee performance, risk management, finance and budgeting, informatics, legal and ethical issue, human resource management, human capital, coaching, role development, contemporary issues in nursing management, leadership theory and models and applications, health care policy, strategic practices, organizational effectiveness, collaborative partnerships, leading and managing quality and outcomes, achieving sustainable outcomes, sustaining improvements, polarity thinking, population health, future trends and much more. The text presents AONE key competencies for nurse managers related to all of the presented content. Students are provided case studies for examination throughout the course. Supplemental videos are also examined to enhance the learning experience. This CE Course provides RN’s a real opportunity to study and receive a very comprehensive learning experience in contemporary nursing management, providing the knowledge base and skills needed for success in today’s nursing practice environment. Course Code: NM 600 . Continuing Education Contact Hours = 50. Course Cost = $ 150.00
HM 500 – Organizational Behavior
This online course is a comprehensive course in organizational behavior and psychology designed for health care professionals practicing in any health care organization or agency. This course provides an in-depth study into the work environment and insights into organizational problem solving. Management theories and concepts are reviewed to provide insight into the actions and reactions of today’s workforce. Both positive and negative dynamics that affect the attainment of organizational objectives are covered in this course. Behavior and Leadership models are studied in addition to analyzing the types of communications used by the workforce. Organizational Social Systems and Culture are examined from many dimensions and students will learn how they effect the overall dynamics and operations of an organization. The study of motivational models and appraisal systems provide insight as to how and why people respond to particular variables. Leadership styles, empowerment and participation are examined as related to organizational behavior topics of study for all future and current managers. A study of the effects of employee attitudes provide guidance to better performance and job satisfaction of the workforce. Students will also examine ethical issues and dilemmas and conflict resolution models and examine how human and organizational behavior play a major role in affecting process and outcomes when such issues are being dealt with in practice.
Students will also examine the nature and psychology of group dynamics and analysis of both formal and informal groups in the workplace and their impact on cooperation, collaboration and decision making. Characteristics of successful teams are covered in the course as well as classic organizational structures. The effects of implementing change at work and employee resistance from a human behavior perspective are examined as well as effective strategies for managing change effectively. This course provides a realistic examination of all aspects of stress and stress management in the work place and strategies to assist managers in dealing with work place stress related issues. The study of Organizational Behaviors across cultures provides an introduction to various management issues that must be addressed in workforce that is multicultural. Other important topics studied include; power and organizational politics, managing communications, and case studies for examining concepts of content in management practice. Course Code: HM 500. Contact hours of Continuing Education = 30. Course Cost = $ 100.00
HM 510 – Health Care Delivery Systems
This course focuses on the major components of the Healthcare Delivery System, past and present. You will review interesting concepts from the origination of health insurance to the organization of HMO’s and beyond. Multiple healthcare delivery models will be discussed including the continued and expanding growth of outpatient care and services. This course will expose any prospective or sitting manager to the many contemporary issues they need to be conversant with to be successful in their jobs. A key focus in this course is on addressing the increasing pressure to improve the efficiency of the nation’s health care system and to provide an adequate level of health care for all Americans. The course content reflects the revolutionary changes in the practice of clinical medicine, government policy, information technology, and health care cost containment. In-depth information in the areas of health care finance, health care access, managed care, and insurance and home health is also examined. Research and statistics throughout the course textbook make this course a premier reference for understanding all the services that compose the health care landscape.
Students will examine primary issues of delivery systems structures, health policy, insurance and reimbursements systems, disease management models, physician and provider reimbursement systems, ethical issues in health care, the uninsured, cost containment, quality and cost savings, clinical outcomes, as well as long-term care settings and continuums of care. This course provides health care managers with a comprehensive knowledge base in health care delivery systems regarding factors effecting care with in and from without of their organizations. Course Code: HM 510. Contact hours of Education = 35. Course Cost = $ 150.00
HM 520 – Human Resource Management in Health Care
The Human Resource Management course is designed to provide the student with insight to all aspects of HR issues in healthcare organizations. The topics covered in this course are applicable to all sizes of healthcare organizations and relate to HR functions in the 500-bed medical center as well as the 25-bed critical access hospital. The text will focus on key areas of HR management including staffing, training, organizational development, employee relations and planning. Healthcare managers, assistant managers, supervisors in development tracks and employees at any level employed in a healthcare organization’s HR department can benefit from studying the content in this course. Present day trends in HR management including a review of state and federal healthcare laws will be reviewed. Current trending topics such as the opioid epidemic, active shooter situations and the me too movement will be covered. The practical aspects of job design and workforce selection and hiring processes will be discussed. The student will also become familiar with labor relations issues and unionization regulations in healthcare organizations. Employee motivational theories in Human Resource Management and rational for managing an inter-generational workforce is reviewed. Healthcare mergers and acquisitions has been a frequent occurrence in the healthcare field for many years as it relates to the impact on employees affected and is covered in our text. Progressive discipline and employee termination processes are also discussed. The role of Human Resource Management in strategic management of a healthcare organization is also examined. Students will also gain knowledge in issues related to recruitment and hiring practices, related legal and ethical issues in human resource management, as well as employee benefits and issues related to terminating employees. This comprehensive course provides first-line managers and department directors with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in the core competencies of human resource management in health care today. Course Code: HM 520. Continuing Education Contact Hours = 30. Course Cost = $ 150.00
HM 530 – Leadership in Health Care Management
This Leadership course is designed to provide the student with the ability to distinguish the difference between a leader and a manager and note that managers are not automatically leaders. Managers and leaders have different expectations as managers deal with the present and leaders deal with the future. The topics covered in this course are applicable to all sizes of healthcare organizations as the healthcare industry has entered an era of unprecedented change. At the same time, the work of healthcare organizations continues amid a high level of scrutiny from regulatory agencies that examine the quality of care, operational processes, financial performance and patient safety. The student will learn that organizations with leaders who are able to integrate innovations and operations, planning, coordination, adaptability and reputation will be successful and have a sustainable future in the industry. The development of Master leaders who are capable of establishing a balance between the forces of certainty and transformation will be the winners. In the course we attempt to define the extraordinary challenges healthcare leaders face and provide a model of leadership under which the leader can navigate the healthcare minefield of uncertainty. Students will become conversant with the Competing Values Framework as a diagnostic tool that helps leaders analyze competing tensions that exist in a complex healthcare environment develop strategic responses and options. The Communication and Collaboration section focus will focus on the values of integrity and identity and creating a professional culture. Coordination and Compliance will deal with organizational security and stability and addresses a high reliability environment.
The section devoted to Competition and Commitment covers goals and innovation and an organizations strategic response that may be developed to compete effectively. Under the Community and Credibility, the student learns how to lead relationships with internal and external constituencies and how joint accountability becomes a factor when dealing with the community. Patient satisfaction becomes a focal point and the future leader is taught to consider a community perspective in decision making. This course is relevant for current and future supervisors and managers who want to increase their leadership potential and skill set. The course content is applicable for prospective and existing managers from Outpatient facilities, Long-term care facilities, Ambulatory Centers and all levels of Hospitals. Course Code: HM 530. Continuing Education Contact Hours = 30. Course Cost = $ 150.00
HM 540 – Budgeting & Finance for Health Care Managers
This course is designed for health care managers who are not in financial management executive positions. It is particularly designed for first-line supervisors, department directors, operational managers and those in health care who have responsibilities for the management and budgeting of human and supply resources. This course is designed with an emphasis on content for managers with a non-financial background that require a sound understanding of the concepts of health care budgeting and financial management. The course covers a comprehensive amount of material going from introductory and foundational concepts in budgeting and finance, progressing into more intermediate and advanced concepts. Students receive a well-rounded course that will serve them very well in their roles as managers in health care practice.
Important content in this course includes models of budgeting in health care management, cost behavior and analysis, health care reimbursement methodologies, capital budgets, cash budgets, understanding financial statements, presenting budget and financial data, clinical quality improvement and financial outcomes, financial planning, health care business models, challenges to financial success, and the role of government in financial management of health care organizations. Course Code: HM 540. Contact hours of Continuing Education = 45. Course Cost = $ 150.00
HM 550 – Insurance, Reimbursements & Managed Health Care
This online CE course is a comprehensive course in Managed Care, as well as the Insurance Industry in general. Students will examine a comprehensive and foundational overview of the history of health insurance and in particular Managed Care. The text book used is most current and up to date and provides students with the latest policies and changes regarding health care insurance/benefits as well as political processes that have affected such changes in the marketplace. The content in this course moves from intermediate level content to move advanced content and concepts as the student progresses. Including in the learning in this course is comprehensive content on health benefit plans and the various types of health plans and payers today. Students will learn all about risk and risk-sharing and risk contracts in managed care. Provider networks are presented, how they are structured, how they work and what outcomes are being seen with such structures in place. Students will study comprehensive content on provider payment structures, including cost sharing methodologies, risk-based vs. non-risk based payment structures, value based payment, and many others.
Learning moves on to Utilization Management concepts and methods and how these are incorporated into the overall insurance health plans and managed care plans today, as well as the role of case managers in utilization management. Principles of Quality Management are explored. Students will also examine and learn about insurance and managed care health plan and organizational accreditations, certifications and award programs. Included in the course content is the administrative practices related to health insurance and managed care plans and organizations where students will learn about analytics and informatics, sales, actuarial services, eligibility issues, claims, benefits, fraud and abuse issues, and management challenges. There is a significant study of Medicare and Medicaid including Medicare Advantage where students examine and learn all about these governmental benefit plans, how they work and what they mean for health care organizations, providers and for patients. Students will also study issues related to laws and regulations in health insurance and managed care. This course is also approved by the Florida Board of Nursing for 30 contact hours of continuing education, The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida State Board of Nursing, Provider # 50-11975.Course Code: HM 550. Continuing Education Contact Hours = 50. Course Cost = $ 175.00
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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