Policy Statement  Policy No. 04-01 - Qualified Preceptor Continuing Education Credits

Date:	09/16/2004
Referenced Sources:	Board of Registration of Nursing Home Administrators

Policy No. 04-01

The purpose of this policy is to document a consistent methodology in the practice of granting continuing education hours to nursing home administrators who have acted as a qualified preceptor in an approved administrator-in-training program. The Board of Registration of Nursing Home Administrators has determined that, because teaching a professional or academic course or seminar are, pursuant to 245 CMR 2.12(2), acceptable methods for earning continuing education hours, then acting as a qualified preceptor in an approved administrator-in-training program shall also be considered an acceptable method for earning continuing education hours. Nursing home administrators who receive CE units from the Board for acting as a qualified preceptor shall not earn more than twenty (20) continuing education hours for any two-year period through this method.

The Board of Registration of Nursing Home Administrators (hereinafter the "Board") may, upon review, grant continuing education ("CE") hours to licensed nursing home administrators who act as a qualified preceptor in an administrator-in-training ("AIT") program that has been approved pursuant to 245 CMR 2.07. After successful completion of an AIT internship, the Board may grant CE units as follows:

1. up to ten (10) hours of CE units to a nursing home administrator who has acted as a qualified preceptor in a three-month AIT program; and,
2. up to twenty (20) hours of CE units to a nursing home administrator who has acted as a qualified preceptor in a six-month AIT program.

The number of CE hours granted by the Board will be governed according to the length of the internship - not by the amount of time it will take to complete the internship. In the instance where the Board approves preceptorship of an AIT internship and the length of time of the preceptorship is subsequently reduced, the Board may prorate the amount of CE hours according to the following formula:

1. AIT programs of one month will be eligible to earn up to three (3) hours of CE
2. AIT programs of two months will be eligible to earn up to six (6) hours of CE
3. AIT programs of four months will be eligible to earn up to thirteen (13) hours of CE
4. AIT programs of five months will be eligible to earn up to sixteen (16) hours of CE.

The Board will only grant CE hours to qualified preceptors who have participated in an approved AIT program no more than two (2) years preceding their renewal application. Any CE hours granted by the Board to a qualified preceptor shall only be recognized by the Board and only for the purpose of fulfilling a nursing home administrator's CE requirement for renewal of their Massachusetts license. Upon completion of the AIT program, the Board shall notify the preceptor, in writing, of its decision with respect to the amount of CEs earned.