General Information -- AANA Continuing Education Program

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Preface

Introduction

Standards and Criteria

General Information
Requirement for CE
Content
Objectives
Contact Time
CE Conference
Recordkeeping -- AANA Members
Recordkeeping -- Nonmembers
CE Transcripts
New Graduates
Refresher Program
Notice of Action for CE Program
Reconsideration
Appeal 16
Confidentiality

Prior Approval

Nonprior Approval

Glossary

Acknowledgment

Requirement for Continuing Education
The CE requirement established by the AANA is one of the criteria required for the recertification of CRNAs as set forth by the Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists.

Forty hours of approved CE credit must be earned within the 2-year period prior to the CRNA’s upcoming August 1 recertification date or, if the applicant’s recertification period is shorter than 2 years, within the shortened period prior to the applicant’s upcoming August 1 recertification date. All CE must be approved by a recognized accrediting or approval agency or organization, and the approval must indicate the number of credits earned in a particular program or through participation in a particular activity. The credits may be earned within any time frame during the recertification period; e.g., within 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. Excess CE credit cannot be carried over to a subsequent recertification period.

Content
The content of CE activities for both prior and nonprior approval must be relevant to the practice of anesthesia in the clinical, educational, administrative, or research areas. Content relevant to the practice of anesthesia means that which is related to the development and promotion of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to maintain quality nurse anesthesia practice. Learning experiences and course content are expected to enhance the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the CRNA at a level above that required for initial certification. The content must go beyond the basic educational level of the CRNA.

The provider or CRNA must demonstrate clearly to the CE Committee how a specific activity relates to the practice of anesthesia. This can be achieved by using the program description, objectives, and content outline. Sufficient information must be submitted for review by the CE Committee.

Program content must be targeted specifically at the CRNA or at a particular area of nurse anesthesia practice. For example, a course in educational methodology may be appropriate for a CRNA who is teaching in a nurse anesthesia program, whereas a course in management or supervision may be appropriate for a CRNA who has administrative responsibilities.

Applications for approval that contain content which deals with topics that may not appear to be relevant to nurse anesthesia practice, such as legal aspects, burnout syndrome, consulting, crisis intervention, stress, current trends, management, insurance, publishing, and statistics, must include a description that clearly indicates the relevance of the topic to improving the practice of anesthesia. The CE Committee may request a description of the entire program content for review. Decisions about approval of such topics are made on a case-by-case basis and are based on the same criteria as are currently applied to traditional CE activities, including documentation of learner outcomes, content, teaching methods, and evaluation.

Non-eligible Content. The following content not eligible for CE credit may include but not be limited to: bereavement; computer tools, techniques and skills; counseling; cultural diversity; diving; domestic violence; foreign languages; forensic medicine; human sexuality; humor; hurricane and disaster planning; massage and touch therapy; music therapy; nutrition; parenting; paramedic training; media training; personal finance; personal enrichment presentations involving self-improvement, self-therapy, and self-awareness; poster sessions; public relations; religious training; or topics directed at nurses in general or at members of the general public.

AANA and state association business meetings, AANA workshop offerings, such as public relations, public speaking, how to be a state treasurer or president, meeting planning, parliamentary procedure, open forums, and departmental orientation programs, are not eligible for CE credit. Liberal arts courses, such as music, art, and philosophy are also not eligible. The CE Program does not award credit for teaching a course or presenting a lecture.

Examples of computer topics not eligible for CE credit include the development or current status of the Internet; how to browse the "Net"; hardware requirements; how to find service providers; how to compare costs and values between Internet providers; how to access the World Wide Web to find professional information; how to send, retrieve, and store e-mail; and how to download, save, and print information from the Internet.

From time to time, there may be other content areas and topics that arise and do not meet the criteria for approval of CE credits for purposes of recertification. The preceeding lists are not all inclusive.

Use of Course Materials. Audio and videocassettes, interactive video instruction, CD-Roms, DVDs, or other similar materials, as well as participation in teleconferences or demonstrations, may be submitted as content only if a moderator or facilitator was present to lead a discussion, answer technical questions relative to the presentation, hand out evaluations, and record attendance. The materials may take the place of an in-person lecturer; they cannot be approved by themselves.

Continuing education credit is not available for programs in which an individual watches movies, listens to presentations via audio and video cassettes, or attends a teleconference where faculty is not available to interact with the participant and provide technical information.

A decision to award or not award CE credit is made at the discretion of the CE Committee after it has reviewed the material submitted.

Learner Objectives (Outcomes)
Learner objectives, or outcomes, form the basis for determining the content of the CE activity. These objectives must be stated in behavioral terms and deal with attributes that can be measured in the participant. Objectives are messages from the instructor to the participant that specify the proficiency the learner should be able to demonstrate. An example of a learner objective is: "At the conclusion of this activity, the CRNA should be able to list the physical properties of three new muscle relaxants." One learner objective is required for each CE credit that is requested for prior approval.

Contact Time
The terms "CE credit" and "contact hour" are used interchangeably; one CE credit equals one contact hour (50 minutes). The definition used for "CE credit" by AANA is consistent with the definition of "contact hour" used by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Fractions of CE credits are not awarded; for example, an individual may be awarded one or two CE credits, not one and one-half. Continuing education units (CEUs), continuing medical education credits (CMEs), or CE points (CPEs) are not used for a prior approval designation in the AANA CE Program, and are not interchangeable with the terms contact hour or CE credit.

Continuing Education Conference
During the initial review of an application submitted for approval, areas that would seriously impede approval may be identified. If this occurs, the CE Committee may advise the provider or individual of the opportunity to participate in a CE conference to address these problems.

Such a conference represents an opportunity for providers or individuals to meet with the CE Committee and attempt to resolve problems and bring their CE activity into compliance with the CE standards. If the provider or individual does not wish to appear before the Committee, written materials to address the problem areas identified may be submitted. If the provider or individual chooses not to participate in a conference or submit additional written materials, the CE Committee will make its final decision based on the information submitted at the time of the original application. The provider’s or individual’s costs for attending a CE Committee meeting or presenting additional written materials are the responsibility of the provider or individual.

Recordkeeping
AANA Members. The AANA maintains records of CE credits for its members. At the end of the 2-year recertification period, the AANA forwards documentation of accumulated CE credits to the Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists at a member’s request. The CRNA must be a current member of the AANA to request transfer of CE documentation to the Council on Recertification. CE credits are recorded during each year from August 1 to July 31.

Nonmembers. For a fee, the AANA will maintain records of CE credits for nonmembers. At the close of the 2-year recertification period, the AANA will forward documentation of accumulated CE credits to the Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists at the nonmember’s request. This service also entitles nonmembers to receive a copy of their CE transcript and to have their applications for nonprior approval processed.

It is strongly recommended that each AANA member, as well as nonmembers, who use the AANA’s recordkeeping service, maintain a personal record of his or her CE credits. In case of a discrepancy, the CRNA may be required to provide additional documentation about attendance at a CE activity.

Continuing Education Transcripts
The CE transcript is a computer-generated record that reflects the CRNA’s CE activities as recorded by the AANA. For prior-approved CE activities, it contains the provider’s name, title of program, code number, date of activity, and number of CE credits earned. For nonprior approved CE activities, relevant information is included.

An interactive voice response system called C-TACS (Credit and Transcript Automated Communication System) enables AANA members to access their continuing education credit record 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By calling (847) 692-7050, ext. 2320, members can gain access to C-TACS and obtain the number of credits on file for their current recertification period, as well as request that a copy of their CE transcript be sent by fax or first class mail. The C-TACS system is also available to nonmembers who use the AANA recordkeeping services. AANA members can also view CE credits for their current recertification period on the AANA Web Site at www.aana.com/members/ctacs.asp. (Member log-in required.)

New Graduates
New graduates of a nurse anesthesia program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs who achieve a passing score on the Certification Examination and are granted initial certification by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists are eligible for recertification 2 years after their initial certification. A newly certified CRNA’s eligibility for recertification is based on the date of their initial certification. The CRNA must comply with the CE requirements for recertification according to the following schedule:

Date of Initial Application is Due Period in Which CE Certification for Recertification Credits May Be Earned

Date of Initial Certification	Application is Due for Recertification	Period in Which CE Credits May Be Earned
Jan. 1-July 31, 2002	July 31, 2004	August 1, 2002 through July 31, 2004
Aug. 1-Dec. 31, 2002	July 31, 2004	Date of Initial Certification through July 31, 2004
Jan. 1-July 31, 2003	July 31, 2005	August 1, 2003 through July 31, 2005
Aug. 1-Dec. 31, 2003	July 31, 2005	Date of Initial Certification through July 31, 2005

Credits earned before the time outlined above are not applicable for meeting the recertification requirements. Applicants must also meet other requirements for recertification, as specified in the Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetist’s publication, Criteria for Recertification.

Refresher Program
The AANA Refresher Program is designed for nurse anesthetists who are not currently engaged in the practice of anesthesia and need to update their knowledge, skills, and attitudes of current clinical and theoretical practice in anesthesia to meet the prevailing standards of practice.

The objectives of the AANA Refresher Program are twofold: (1) to promote the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for safe anesthesia practice; and (2) to establish the minimum continuing educational and clinical anesthesia experience requirements needed to enable the nurse anesthetist who is not currently engaged in the practice of anesthesia to become recertified.

CRNAs who have not been substantially engaged in anesthesia practice for more than 5 years, but have practiced within the past 10 years, are required to complete a refresher program.

CRNAs who have not been substantially engaged in anesthesia practice for more than 10 years must complete a refresher program, retake the certification examination and attain a passing score. The certification examination can be taken only after the individual has earned the required CE credits and completed the required clinical experience.

The AANA Refresher Program consists of CE and clinical components. Depending on the number of years a CRNA has not been substantially engaged in the practice of anesthesia, there are specific requirements for the CE and clinical parts; both must be completed within an 18-month period and must be prior-approved by the AANA CE Committee.

The CE portion of the program is unstructured in the sense that the CRNA is not required to earn CE credits through a particular provider but may earn them through attendance at prior-approved CE activities. These CE programs may be approved by the AANA or another recognized approval or accrediting organization. Examples of other organizations that approve CE credits that may be eligible include the ACCME, ANCC, state boards of nursing, state nursing associations, and specialty nursing groups. The clinical component must be developed by the CRNA in conjunction with a hospital or other accredited medical facility.

CE credits for use in fulfilling the criteria for a refresher program must be earned in clinical topics, not in administration, research, or education.

Additional information concerning requirements for the AANA refresher program may be obtained by contacting the AANA’s CE Department.

Notice of Action Regarding CE Program
The CE Committee shall notify the applicant of its decision regarding approval of the applicant’s CE program. If the CE Committee denies approval of the applicant’s CE program, the notice shall briefly state the reasons for the denial and shall advise the applicant of the right to seek reconsideration by the CE Committee. The "Rules for Appellate Review for the Continuing Education Appeals Panel" shall be sent with the letter of denial.

Reconsideration
An applicant may request reconsideration of a CE Committee decision by filing a request for reconsideration with the CE Committee within 30 days after the CE Committee’s mailing to the Applicant of the CE Committee’s denial of approval. The applicant shall provide the CE Committee with the reasons that the applicant believes that the denial of approval was inappropriate and/or a description of modifications made to the program to correct any cited deficiencies. The applicant may appear before the CE Committee, or may submit written materials to address the identified problem areas.

The CE Committee shall notify the applicant of its decision regarding reconsideration of the denial of the applicant’s CE program. If the CE Committee affirms the denial of the applicant’s CE program, the notice shall briefly state the reasons for affirming the denial and shall advise the applicant of the right to appeal the decision to the Continuing Education Appeals Panel (the "CEAP"). The applicant may appeal an adverse determination only after (a) the applicant has filed a timely request for reconsideration, and (b) the CEC has affirmed its initial decision to deny approval.

Appeal
Appellate review of an adverse determination of the CE Committee is initiated by the applicant’s written notice of appeal which is filed at the following address: Executive Director, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, 222 South Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, IL 60068. The notice must be filed within 30 days after the CE Committee’s mailing to the applicant of the CE Committee’s reconsideration determination and must specify whether an oral presentation is requested. In addition, the notice must specify the grounds for the appeal. A notice of appeal must be accompanied by a filing fee in the amount of $500, payable to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

The scope of appellate review is limited to the information and documents presented to the CE Committee at the time of its deliberations and the rendering of its decisions. Failure to file a notice of appeal in the manner provided in the appeal document is deemed to be a waiver of the applicant’s right to appeal. If affirmed by the CEAP, the denial becomes final; if annulled, the CE Committee will review the program in accordance with the decision of the CEAP. The CEAP may not award approval.

Appellate actions taken by the Continuing Education Appeals Panel will be considered by the Continuing Education Committee no later than its next regularly scheduled meeting after the date of the report from the CEAP.

Statement of Confidentiality
Any information, reports, records, or other materials received or generated by the AANA’s CE Committee in connection with the approval process for CE credit will be treated as confidential. Such material will not be released by the CE Committee, except to the CEAP and such other persons or entities as have a legitimate need to know. The CE Committee will, at its sole discretion, determine which individuals and entities in addition to the CEAP have such a need. However, information regarding whether an applicant or program has obtained CE approval may be disclosed.

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Saturday, March 13, 2010