The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Career and Technical Education, is responsible for approving nurse aide training programs in Pennsylvania (PA) including the curriculum, instructional staff, and program delivery. This policy update is effective May 1, 2025, and rescinds the previous policy that required a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (NATCEP) to provide two years of in-person instruction before becoming eligible to provide virtual instruction.
Should an approved NATCEP or applicant for a new program wish to deliver the theory/classroom component in a web-based/online/blended (virtual) format, the program must meet all the requirements for a NATCEP. The calendar and lesson plans must include the PA model curriculum objectives, instructional methodology, and assessment of learning. Completion of all required documentation is necessary whether instruction is delivered in person or virtually.
Nursing procedures/skills are a critical component of a NATCEP. While instruction of these procedures and skills may be presented virtually, the student is still required to competently demonstrate all skills in person in the presence of a PDE-approved instructor in an approved laboratory setting prior to any resident contact, or clinical.
The Commonwealth/PDE does not endorse any specific vendor nurse aide training program. However, vendor curriculum content and hours must be reviewed and approved by PDE prior to use by an approved NATCEP. Locally developed and/or vendor virtual training must include PA Curriculum Content as required by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, Pub. L. No. 100-203, 101 Stat. 1330 (1987) and the Pennsylvania Nurse Aide Resident Abuse Prevention Training Act, 63 P.S. §§ 671-680 (1997).
To obtain PDE-approval for virtual delivery of the theory/classroom component of a PDE-approved nurse aide training program, the NATCEP must:
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Step 1
Submit a New Program Application or Report of Change for virtual theory curriculum delivery to PDE for review and approval.
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Step 2
Submit a NATCEP program calendar and lesson plans that incorporate virtual learning. If the NATCEP chooses to use an online vendor nurse aide training, the program’s calendar and lesson plans must clearly indicate the PA curriculum objectives that are not covered by the online vendor and indicate how instruction of those PA objectives will be incorporated into the delivery.
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Step 3
Ensure a means for student questions to be addressed in an efficient and timely manner during virtual delivery.
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Step 4
Maintain attendance records that provide evidence of each student’s completion of the approved virtual theory/classroom, and in-person lab and clinical hours.
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Step 5
Complete an individualized Performance Checklist for each student.
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Step 6
Maintain evidence of periodic knowledge assessment and test integrity.
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Step 7
Maintain evidence of each student’s demonstrated competency of each skill in the presence of a PDE-approved instructor and ensure that no student will perform any skill/task in clinical for which they have not first been deemed competent by the PDE-approved instructor.