The culture change movement is sweeping nursing homes and there are many fine culture change models that homes can adopt. However, sometimes readiness, cost, and other factors prohibit nursing homes from implementing these models. Despite the constraints, many homes want to introduce the principles and practices of culture change to their staff to plant the seeds for transformation. AALTCN is please to offer a new resource to assist nursing homes in their journey to culture change.
The Culture Change Nurse Coordinator Manual is now available along with a study guide to prepare nurses for certification in this area. AALTCN views the Culture Change Nursing Coordinator as a member of the nursing home who champions and guides the efforts for culture change. This "in-house culture change resource" bridges knowledge into practice and helps the interdisciplinary team members understand and implement culture change principles and practices.
The program offers an understanding of the culture change movement, strategies for empowering staff, tips for implementing Best Practices, measures to foster resident-directed care, and much more. This independent study program provide 24 contact hours and CCNC-C Certification.
Independent Study Certification Programs
AALTCN is proud to offer Certification Programs for various categories of long term care nurses. These programs define core competencies in various roles and guide nurses in understanding these competencies with relevant and tested educational materials. The educational resources used in AALTCN’s Certification Programs have many years of proven successful use and, in some cases, have won national awards for their quality and unique contributions. Each program provides continuing education contact hours in addition to a certificate upon completion. The following Certification Programs currently are available:
Director of Nursing in Long Term Care Certification Program: DON-CLTC™
Staff Development Specialist in LTC Certification Program: SD-CLTC™
LPN in Long Term Care Certification Program: LPN-CLTC™
RN in Long Term Care Certification Program: RN-CLTC™
Director of Nursing in Long Care Certification Program: DON-CLTC™ Based on materials used in teaching long term care nursing administrators for over 15 years, this certificate program uses the Nursing Administration Manual for Long Term Care Facilities as its primary text, supplemented with a study guide to assist nurse managers, assistant directors of nursing, and directors of nursing in learning the core knowledge required for leading a nursing department, including:
Administration of a Nursing Department: mission, philosophy, standards; interdepartmental team building; strategies to promote communication and collaboration; job descriptions; policies and procedures; determining staffing needs; budgeting, sources of reimbursement
Managing and Developing Human Resources: recruitment and hiring; orientation; performance appraisal; discipline; unions; staff development; time management; stress management
Resident Care: assessment; care planning; managing clinical emergencies; safe medication administration; ethical issues; residents’ rights; infection control; integrative care
Quality Assurance and Assessment: regulatory requirements; purposes of QAA program; QAA coordinator; reporting and tracking data; quality indicators
Legal Issues: unique risks; understanding the law; lawsuits; specific legal risks and how to minimize them
Regulations: regulatory requirements; surveys
Requirements: To obtain the certification and 20 contact hours, nurses must:
Hold an active license as a registered nurse
Have at least 2 years experience as a registered nurse in a nursing home
Complete the independent study materials
Submit the appropriate fee
Pass the examination with a score of at least 80%
Staff Development Specialist in LTC Certification Program: SD-CLTC™ Using the AJN award winning text, Staff Development Manual for Long Term Care Facilities with accompanying workbook, this program assists nurses in learning the knowledge and skills to effectively operate a staff development program in a long term care facility. Areas included are:
Overview of the Staff Development Program: purpose; components; SDC job description; standards
Principles of Adult Education: adult education principles; barriers to learning; characteristics of adult learners; domains of learning
Teaching-Learning Process: assessment; planning; developing lesson plans; creativity in teaching; AV aids; evaluation; testing
Documentation: orientation checklist; records of inservices; employee CE records
Administrative Issues: budget; legal issues; assuring and assessing quality; program promotion
Handouts: sample handouts to supplement teaching
Resources: AV resources; organizations; literature to aid teaching; certifications
Requirements: To obtain the certification and 18 contact hours, the nurse must:
Hold an active nursing license
Have at least 2 years experience in a nursing home
Complete the independent study materials
Submit the appropriate fee
Pass the examination with a score of at least 80% and complete a lesson plan
LPN in Long Term Care Certification Program: LPN-CLTC™ This program intends to help LPNs gain an understanding of the core knowledge needed to function in their roles within long term care facilities. Using the text, LPN Guide for Excellence in Long Term Care and a related study guide, the LPN will be assisted in learning the core knowledge required to effectively function in his or her role. Topics included are:
Responsibilities of LPNs in long term care facilities
Reactions of residents and their loved ones when residents are admitted to a long term care facility
Components of a resident assessment
Factors that enable care plans to be good working tools
Major clinical risks to residents
Signs of medical emergencies
Age-related changes that impact drug therapy in older residents
Measures that promote safe medication use
Key aspects of assertiveness, communication, time management, delegation, performance appraisal, and complaint management that impact effective management
Complaint management
Legal risks in long term care nursing and measures to reduce them
Sources of stress in long term care nursing and measures to mange them
Requirements: To obtain the certification and 10 contact hours, LPNs must:
Hold an active license as a licensed practical nurse
Have at least 2 years experience as a LPN in a nursing home
Complete the independent study materials
Submit the appropriate fee
Pass the examination with a score of at least 80%
RN in Long Term Care Certification Program: RN-CLTC™ This program guides RNs in understanding the clinical and managerial knowledge that is unique to long term care and that is required to effectively provide professional nursing leadership in this highly specialized setting. With the use of videos and texts, the nurse will be guided through topics such as:
Overview of the long term care facility
Promoting regulatory compliance
Resident assessment and care planning
Safe medication administration
Managerial skills
Legal risks and how to minimize them
Self-care
Requirements: To obtain the certification and 12 contact hours, the nurse must:
Hold an active nursing license
Have at least 2 years experience as a RN
Complete the independent study materials
Submit the appropriate fee
Pass the examination with a score of at least 80%
General Information Process for completing a Certification Program:
Order the specific program you desire. AALTCN members receive a discount on all Certification Programs
Study at your pace.
When you have completed the program, send your Registration Form, required completion materials (e.g., test answers, lesson plans) and fee to:
American Association for LTC Nursing PO Box 92956, Cincinnati, OH 45262-0956
*Certification and Contact Hours Fee does not need to be paid until you are ready to complete program and obtain certification.
Certification is valid for a 3 year period, after which recertification can be achieved by either submitting proof of 20 contact hours of continuing education or retaking the Certification Examination.
