Approved Provider
Continuing Nursing Education Information for Approved Providers
An Approved Provider Unit (APU) is an organization who supports the delivery of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) activities. An Approved Provider may be a single unit or part of a larger organization that has the authority to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate NCPD activities and operate using ANCC Accreditation Program criteria .
Each NCPD activity must have a nurse planner (NP) and a content expert. The NP can serve as both but there must be at least one other planner. Contact hours may not be awarded for activities developed without the direct involvement of a NP. APU may jointly provide activities, but they may not approve activities.
For eligibility to apply for APU status, the organization must be one of following:
· ANA Organizational Affiliate
· C/SNA of the ANA
· College or University
· Healthcare facility
· Health-related organization
· Multidisciplinary educational group
· Professional nursing education group
· Specialty Nursing Organization (SNO)
· Cannot be an ineligible company (those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients).
· Must be operational and using the ANCC criteria for a minimum of 6 months prior to application and implemented at least three separate educational activities in the last 12 months that adhere to the ANCC Accreditation Criteria. These activities cannot be jointly provided and must have at least 60 minutes in length for initial applicants.
· Target the majority (>50%) of its CNE activities to nurses in a single HHS region and its contiguous states (based on the HHS regions: http://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/regional-offices). Applicants whose target audience is in multiple regions or in states that are not confined to a single region and its contiguous states for more than 50% of its activities may not be Approved Providers. Instead, they must apply to ANCC as Accredited Providers through the accreditation process.
· Compliance is required with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations that affect the organization’s ability to meet the Mississippi Nurses Foundation (MNF) guidelines.
· Disclose previous denials, suspensions, and/or revocations of ANCC Accreditation and/or other accrediting /approving organizations.
· Must identify one nurse planner who will act as the primary nurse planner (PNP) and:
· Hold a current, unrestricted license as an RN and a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing
· Have authority within the organization to ensure compliance with ANCC accreditation criteria
· Be accountable to the Accredited Approver Program Director (AAPD) at MNF for all APU activities
· Ensure that all NPs in the APU hold current valid licenses as RNs with a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing
· Be responsible to orient, educate, and monitor all APU NPs to ensure that each NCPD activity has a qualified NP who is an active participant in the planning, implementing, and evaluation process.
APU APPLICATION PROCESS
Step 1 – Establish Approved Provider Unit Eligibility - An ineligible company cannot provide NCPD. Complete the Applicant Eligibility Verification Form and email to the AAPD for review at foundation@msnurses.org.
• Required: Applicant Eligibility Verification Form
· Resource: Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education - check the web link for the current document and resources at:
· Tips for incorporating the Standards for Integrity and Independence
Step 2 - Once eligibility has been confirmed, the PNP should contact the AAPD for a consultation phone call to review the application process and answer any questions.
Step 3 – Application Process – complete the self-study template, APU Information form, and payment form at least 3 months prior to the review cycle for APU status. Submit these documents via email along with 3 individual activity files (see record-keeping list) to foundation@msnurses.org.
· Required: APU Self-Study Template, Information Form, Payment Form
Resources: Guide for Writing to the ANCC NCPD Accreditation Criteria, ANCC Table of references/outcomes, Impact of CNE/Nursing Outcomes, SMART Goals Worksheet.
Step 4 – Application Review Process – Upon receipt of the documents, a quantitative review will be conducted to ensure the application is complete before sending to the nurse peer reviewers. Submission of any missing documents should be submitted within 2 weeks from the request. Once the qualitative review is complete and the AAPD makes the final decision, a letter will be emailed to the applicant. Possible decisions are:
· Accredited Approval with Distinction (3 years): exemplary work in adherence to ANCC Criteria
· Accredited Approval (3 years): adherence to ANCC Criteria
· Provisional Approval (up to 1 year): lack of adherence to ANCC Criteria. Close monitoring and follow-up progress report of improvement. If monitoring demonstrates improvement and success in demonstrating adherence to the ANCC Criteria, approval will be extended for the balance of the approval period. Failure to demonstrate this during a provisional approval will result in suspension or revocation of approval.
· Accreditation Denial: non-adherence to ANCC criteria and no recognition of deficiencies or established any plans to address those deficiencies. The applicant must wait 6 months to submit a new application. During this time, the applicant can apply to provide individual activities.
Step 5 – For new APU, all documents/forms must be updated to include the correct Approved Provider ANCC approval language.
(Name of Approved Provider) is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Step 6 – The APU continues to assess learner needs, plan, implement and evaluate educational activities which adhere to the relevant criteria of the ANCC Accreditation Program within the agency without submission of an application to MNF with each activity. The APU is responsible for maintaining NCPD records for 6 years (see record-keeping list).
Resources:
Step 7 - The APU is responsible for submitting a report annually of NCPD activities conducted to the ANCC’s Nursing Activity Reporting System (NARS). The AAPD will send out a reminder each year regarding the requirements and due date of March 1st.
FORMS/RESOURCES FOR APPROVED PROVIDERS
Approved Provider Self-Study Template
NARS Annual Reporting Resources
Provider - Individual Activity Applicant
Approver Unit Continuing Nursing Education Information for Providers (Individual Activity Applicant)
The Provider is any individual or organization who is dedicated to assessing learner needs, planning, implementing and evaluating an educational activity which adheres to the relevant criteria of the ANCC Accreditation Criteria.
The process for applying for approval of a nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) activity is listed below. All completed paperwork should be submitted electronically to the MNF office at kdorr@msnurses.org and the Accredited Approver Program Director (AAPD), Lindy O’Neill, RN, NPD-BC, MS, CNS at nurseone@gmail.com for review (see the payment fee form for dates and payment). The fee depends on the number of contact hours requested and the number of days the application is submitted before the presentation date. If the application is submitted later than 20 days before the presentation date, you must contact the office to request review (which may not be available) and the application/late fee.
Steps in the NCPD process:
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY APPLICANT (IAA)
Step 1 – Establish eligibility (complete the Applicant Eligibility Verification-Attachment 1). An ineligible company cannot provide an accredited NCPD activity (see Standards for Integrity).
• Required: Applicant Eligibility Verification Form
Resource: Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education - check the web link for the current document and resources at: ANCC Standards for Integrity and Independence
Step 2 - Identify a problem in practice or an opportunity for improvement or the professional practice gap (PPG).
Step 3 – Identify the planning committee. The nurse planner must be a registered nurse with a current, unencumbered nursing license (or international equivalent); and hold a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing (or international equivalent). The planning committee must include at least two people: the nurse planner and a content expert (the nurse planner may function as both). Other individuals may be selected, as appropriate, to help plan the activity. The nurse planner is responsible for ensuring adherence to the ANCC criteria.
Step 4 – Analyze the professional practice gap (PPG) to determine what is causing the problem or why is there a need for improvement and gather evidence to validate the PPG. Is it a knowledge gap (nurse doesn’t know something)? Is it a skills gap (nurse doesn’t knows how to do)? Is it a practice gap (nurse doesn’t know how to apply or implement in practice)?
• Resource: Gap Analysis Worksheet
Step 5 – Describe the target audience Registered nurses must be part of the target audience that the educational activity is expected to impact. Other health care members can be part of the target audience.
Step 6 - Develop measurable learning outcome(s) to identify what is expected of the learners at the end of the activity. The learning outcome(s) flow from the PPG to address the knowledge, skills, and/or practice needs which are action oriented, observable, and measurable. Learning objectives are no longer required.
• Resource: Tips for Writing Learning Outcomes
Step 7 – Select an evaluation method for evaluating the learning outcomes through short-term or long-term options. Explain how you will collect evidence to show change in knowledge, skills and/or practices of target audience at the end of the activity. Examples: knowledge (self-report on Likert scale, post-test), skills (intent to change practice, demonstration), practice (6-month post-program evaluation or observation).
Step 8 - Choose content for the activity based on best available evidenced-based references that are realistic and achievable along with engaging learner activities (Lecture and PowerPoint do not count), selection of presenter(s).
• Resources: Guidance for Nurse Planners, Authors, and Faculty: Ensuring that Clinical Content is Valid and Template for Peer Review or Content Review: Ensuring that Clinical Content is Valid (see ANCC Standards for Integrity Toolkit)
• Resources: Guide for Engaging Teaching Strategies and Planning Table
Step 9 – Calculate contact hours as the unit of measurement (NOT CEU). A contact hour is a 60-minute hour. Contact hours can be rounded to the nearest quarter (i.e., 2.76 hours could be 2.75). Breaks and mealtimes are not included in the calculation of contact hours.
Step 10 - Decide criteria for awarding contact hours (%attendance, post-test, etc.) - what the learner must do or achieve to receive contact hours for the activity which relates to the learning outcome(s) and be enforceable for the activity.
Step 11 - Identify, Mitigate, and Disclose all relevant financial relationships for all individuals in a position to control content (see ANCC Toolkit) for clinical based activities. Please note that the new entitled Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education (ACCME, 2020) and must be fully implemented fully by July 1, 2022.
If the activity is NONCLINICAL in nature (e.g., preceptor development, or leadership), identification, mitigation, and disclosure of financial relationships are NOT required.
If the activity is a CLINICAL TOPIC, complete the required forms in the ANCC Toolkit:
· Template for Collecting Information about All Financial Relationships – page 4
· Nurse Planner’s Worksheet for Mitigation of Identified Relevant Financial Relationships – page 5
Step 12 – Acknowledge commercial support (if applicable)
· Resource: IAA Commercial Support Agreement
Step 13 – Provide required information to the learners before the activity begins (disclosures). Include the Provider of activity, Joint Providership (if applicable), successful completion requirements, ANCC approval language, commercial support (if applicable), enduring materials expiration date (if applicable) and presence or absence of relevant financial relationships for all individuals in a position to control content, including mitigation (if applicable):
• Resource: Sample Disclosure Statements
Step 14 – Award contact hours and validate completion of the activity (certificate). The Provider must verify attendance and maintain records for six years. The certificate must include:
o Title and date of educational activity
o Name and address of the provider of the educational activity (a web address is acceptable)
o Number of contact hours awarded
o Activity approval statement as issued by the Accredited Approver
o Space for participant name
If contact hours are mentioned on marketing materials BEFORE APPROVAL, the following statement should be included on all marketing materials before an activity is approved:
This activity has been submitted to the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Inc for approval to award contact hours. The Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Inc is accredited as an approver of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
The ANCC official approval language for awarding contact hours after the application is approved:
The nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Inc, an Accredited Approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Step 15 – Record Keeping – the Provider is responsible for keeping the activity files (see list of items) for 6 years. All activity records are maintained by the Provider for six years in a secure and confidential manner.
· Required Documentation can be found in the record-keeping list
APPLICATION REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS
Contact the AAPD regarding applicant eligibility. Once eligibility is established, complete the application and payment form. All forms should be submitted to the MNF office to Kasey Dorr, Operations Director at kdorr@msnurses.org. For questions and eligibility, contact the AAPD, Lindy O’Neill, at nurseone@gmail.com. The fee depends on the number of CE credit hours requested and the number of days that the application is submitted for review before the activity. If the application is submitted less than 20 days before the presentation, there is an additional fee and permission must be sought from the Accredited Approver Program Director (AAPD). There is no retroactive approval. The application fee and late fee (if applicable) can be submitted online at the Mississippi Nurses Foundation website: www.msnursesfoundation.com through the donation portal or by mail to: MNF, 31 Woodgreen Place, Madison, MS 39110.
• Required Forms: Provider Application and Payment form
A quantitative review will be conducted to ensure all required components are present. The applicant will be notified of any missing information. Failure to provide additional required information in a timely manner may result in denial of the application. Once the application is complete, all materials will be sent to the nurse peer reviewer(s) for a qualitative review. The AAPD conducts a review and makes a final decision based on adherence to the ANCC Accreditation Criteria. The application can be approved, approved pending, deferred, or denied. The AAPD will send the Provider a letter of notification of the decision rendered through email. The AAPD will guide the Provider through the process and assist with integration of the ANCC Accreditation Criteria.
· A NCPD application may be approved (application meets all requirements.) An application is approved for two years after its original approval. A provider may present an activity an unlimited number of times during this period without re-submitting it for MNF approval. A provider must notify MNF of any repeat of an activity at least 30 days prior to that repeat.
· A NCPD application may be approved-pending (application is incomplete). MNF notifies the provider within a week after the review of the application regarding the information necessary for approval. This information must be submitted to the Approver Unit prior to the date of the presentation in order to facilitate final approval. The Approver Unit does not approve an application retroactively.
· A NCPD application may be deferred (application needs substantial restructuring to comply with the ANCC criteria). A deferred application must be re-submitted to the Approver Unit with necessary revisions. MNF will review an application a maximum of three (3) times. No additional fee is required for the additional reviews.
· A NCPD application may be denied meaning the application does not meet MNF/ANCC requirements for approval.
Advertisement
Materials associated with the activity (marketing materials, advertising, agendas, and certificates of completion) must clearly indicate the Provider awarding contact hours and responsible for adherence to ANCC criteria.
If advertising is released prior to submission of the application, do not mention anything about seeking approval or awarding contact hours.
If advertising is released prior to approval AND after an application has been submitted, the following statements may be used:
“This activity has been submitted to the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Inc for approval to award contact hours. The Mississippi Nurses Foundation is accredited as an approver of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.”If advertising is released after approval, use the ANCC approval statement of provider awarding contact hours:
“This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.”