VSNA Online Contact Hour Modules

The Vermont State Nurses Association is trialing use of an on-line site to offer Contact Hour content to our members.  Our first offering is available FREE OF CHARGE.  Interested?  Follow the link to:  VSNA-CNE

VSNA Contact Hour Programs

Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

The Vermont State Nurses Association endorses the concept of planned continuing education for all nurses as a means by which nurses can maintain current knowledge, advance the discipline of nursing and meet the standards of practice developed by the nursing profession.   One way to assure all key components of quality programming are incorporated in your continuing education activity is with the VSNA-COE approval process.  Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) consists of planned, organized learning experiences designed to improve the knowledge, skills and attitudes of nurses.  It enhances nursing practice, education, and administration.  Continuing nursing education promotes professional development to improve health care.  Contact hour approval for CNE can be done through  three diifferent venues:

  •            Activity Application:
  •         Individual/Organizations may apply to provide Approved Contact Hours for their event.
  •            Provider Application : 
  •         Organizations and Facilities who provide multiple CNE activities annually may apply for approval to provide contact hours for their CNE  activities.
  •            Approval is for 3 years.
  •            Point of Care Application:
  •         Individuals who have attended an activity that did not provide contact hours or documentation of a self study project
  •           

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Effective 7/31/2010 commercial entities are not eligible to apply for approval of activities or as a provider unit.
  • A commercial entity is defined as an organization that produces, distributes markets or re-sells products used by or on patients. The only exception to this criterion would be if the department putting on the CE activity had sufficient corporate safeguards or firewalls between the education component and the commercial entity part.
  • If you are a commercial entity and have had approval for activities in the past, that approval ends on 7/31/2010.

Activity Applications: 

In response to the new criteria released by the ANCC Commission on Accreditation the VSNA-COE has developed an Individual Activities Manual incorporating the current criteria.  Please review the new manual. You will find directions included on the forms.  Each chapter of the manual also contains valuable information to help guide you through the process.  Efforts have been made to streamline both the information and forms for ease of completion.  The Appendices also supply supplemental information in educational design.  For further information you may call the VSNA Office at 802-651-8886 or directly contact Carol Hodges at 802-748-7394 or email to c.hodges@nvrh.org.

Resources and References to Assist in the Activity Application Process:                                              

                        VSNA COE Individual Activity Manual

Forms needed to complete the Activity Application

Approved Provider Unit Applications: 

Approved Provider Unit status is designed for those entities providing many activities over an extended period of time with approval awarded for three years.  The eligibility criteria as stated above is applicable to Provider Unit Applicants, as well as the requirement to have successfully completed three activity applications prior to submitting a provider unit application.  There is a Provider Manual that can guide you through the process of applying for becoming an Approved Provider Unit.  For ease of completion,  efforts have been made to streamline both the information and the forms.  The Appendices supply supplemental information to assist with educational design.   For further information you may call the VSNA Office at 802-651-8886 or directly contact Carol Hodges at 802-748-7394 or email to chodges@nvrh.org

VSNA COE Provider Manual

Forms 

Point of Care/Just-in-Time Applications:

 This is a new category, for an individual to submit an application for their own self directed activity.  This approval can only be done through the VSNA-COE Approver Unit.   

Learner-directed activities are approved prior to completion of the education activity but Point-of-Care Learner/Just in Time-directed activities are approved within 6 weeks following completion of the educational activity. The learner planning a learner-directed point-of-care activity does not have to meet the previously established qualifications as a Nurse Planner.  Applicants are instructed to meet the following requirements in their application.

  1. Planning, implementation and evaluation of the activity need to conform to the requirement specified by Key Elements 1, 3, 4, 5,7 of Criterion 2 for educational design as described in the VSNA-COE  2009 Provider Unit Manual.

  2. All provisions for Commercial Support as defined in the VSNA-COE 2009 Provider Unit Manual are followed.

  3. The following records will be maintained both by the VSNA-COE Approver Unit and the learner engaged in the activity:

a.       The learner-directed activity application for approval

b.       The completed verification of completion

c.        Outcomes of learning

d.       Evaluation of the effectiveness of the educational activity

 

 VSNA COE Provider Manual

Forms 

Continuing Nursing Education Activities Provided by the VSNA:

Only the VSNA districts and committees may award contact hours for continuing nursing education through the VSNA-COE Provider Unit process.  All nurse planners involved in the process of planning these activities are required to be knowledgeable in both the ANCC Criteria and in educational design.  There needs to be representation for all intended target audiences on the planning committees for these activities. 

The Vermont State Nurses Association, Inc. Committee on Education (VSNA-COE) is an Approved Provider of continuing nursing education by the South Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation

 Thank you for selecting VSNA as your nursing continuing education approver.  We look forward to working with you.  The members of the Continuing Education Approver Committee are:

  • Deborah Hayward Sanguinetti RN, MS, CHPN  (Committee Chair)

Carol Hodges MSN, RN  (Peer Review Leader)

Judy Cohen RN, PhD   

  • Suzanne Goetschuis, APRN, MSN

  •  Jane Kimberly, RN, BC, MSN                                                    

  • Donna MacDonald RN, BSN, MBA

  • Janice Oliver RN, MS, NE-BC                                             

  • Yvette St. Hilaire RN, BSN

  • Pamela Smith RN, MSN, CNOR                                                                                             

  • Lorraine Welch RN, EdD

 
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