Critical Access Hospital Learning Network
Currently Enrolled Critical Access Hospital Learning Network Nurses click here.
I would like to enroll my hospital (administrative staff)
Current economic changes and scheduling issues have created challenges for most nursing administrators. Administrators must figure out how they can get the most out of limited education dollars. The challenge is even greater for rural hospitals due to their remote location. Traditionally, nursing education has been provided by members of a staff development department or by nurses traveling off-site in order to gain knowledge and earn continuing education credit. Small rural hospitals may not have the education dollars necessary to employee staff development personnel and may not have the scheduling flexibility and funds required to send nurses off-site.
The Critical Assess Hospital (CAH) Program was developed to provide nurses, employed in rural area hospitals, access to continuing education. The goal of the program is twofold; first, to provide opportunities for nurses to earn continuing education credit and secondly, to offer support for nursing professional development. In addition to greater access to continuing education, critical access hospital nurses will have an opportunity to work with nurse educators to develop and present evidence based practice concepts to other critical access hospital nurses in their region.
Description of Project
This program was developed for synchronous and asynchronous web delivery of a variety of topics selected by participants as pertinent to nursing practice. The synchronous component of the program affords interactivity between audience and presenter. Each topic contains an audio/visual presentation, interactive capability, a course evaluation and a final quiz. Learners will be able to log into the presentation "live" or view the presentation at a later time.
Purpose and Goals of the Project
Goals of the project include:
- To provide easy, affordable access to continuing education to CAH nurses
- Establish an education communication network for CAH nurses
- Initiate development and presentation of CE programs to CAH area nurses
- Foster professional development of nurses employed in CAH
- Promote collaboration between ANCC nurse planners and CAH nursing staff
- Minimize the expense to hospitals participating in the program
Who Should Enroll in this Program
This program is designed rural hospitals classified as critical access; meaning their acute care beds number less than 25. The continuing education presentations are designed for English-speaking nurses employed by critical access hospitals in the Southwest Indiana region, who need or want continuing education credits or who want to increase their professional development or improve their practice.
If you would like to enroll your Critical Access Hospital in this program, please contact Karen Jones at kljones7@usi.edu or 812-465-1148.
Program Curriculum and Schedule
| Start Date | End Date | Course & Instructor |
| March-09-11 | March-09-12 | PAD What is it and why is it important? Claudia Merkley RN, MSN, ACNP-BC |
| April-13-11 | April-13-12 | End of Life Issues Melissa Hall DNP, ANP/FNP-BC |
| May-11-11 | May-11-12 | Women and Heart Disease It's not just a man's disease Claudia Merkley RN, MSN, ACNP-BC |
| June-08-11 | June-08-12 | Herbal therapy and your patient Jane Swartz |
| July-13-11 | July-13-12 | Getting with the guidelines for heart failure Jane Swartz |
| August-10-11 | August-10-12 | Prevention of Pressure Ulcers Peggy Hollis RN, MSN, ACNS-BC, CWOCN |
| September-14-11 | September-14-12 | Issues in Gerontology Melissa Hall DNP, ANP/FNP-BC |
| October-12-11 | October-12-12 | Borderline Personality Disorder Linda Evinger |
| November-09-11 | November-09-12 | Acute Renal Failure Tracy Kinner, RN, MSN, NP-C |
| December-14-11 | December-14-12 | Sleep Apnea Jody Delp, BA, RRT, CPFT |
| January-11-12 | January-11-13 | Assessment of Common Abdominal Problems Jennie Hiam FNP |
| February-08-12 | February-08-13 | EKG Interpretation for Telemetry: The Basics Susan Seibert MSN RN |
| March-14-12 | March-14-13 | Bugs, Babies and Broken Hearts: STD's in the 21st Century Jenny Hiam, RN, MSN, FNP, C |
| April-11-12 | April-11-13 | Legal Implication in Nursing Practice Mary J. Rock, MSN, JD |
| May-09-12 | May-09-13 | Inpatient Glycemic Guidelines Jan Oakley |
| June-13-12 | June-13-13 | What are the "buzz" topics in healthcare? M. Jane Swartz |
| July-11-12 | July-11-13 | The role of pharmacology in the management of atrial fibrillation M. Jane Swartz |
| August-08-12 | August-08-13 | Sepsis - Early Recognition and Treatment is Essential Tracy Kinner, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, NP-C |
| September-12-12 | September-12-13 | Basic Chronic Wound Care Connie Swenty, RN, MSN |
| October-10-12 | October-10-13 | Informatics Ruth Metzger |
| November-14-12 | November-14-13 | Burns Mellisa Hall, DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, GNP-BC |
| December-12-12 | December-12-13 | Respiratory Jody Delp |
Program Development
Victoria Pigott MSN, RN
Nance Fiester MS, RN
Peggy Hollis RN, MSN
Jennie Hiam RN, MSN, FNP
Janet Oakley RN, MSN
Colleen R. Walsh, DNP, RN, CS, ONP-C, ACNP-BC
Dr. Melissa Hall RN, MSN, PHD
Dr. Judi Kuric RN, MSN, PHD
Successful Completion
The program has six individual presentations. Each presentation includes a lecture, quiz, and evaluation. In order to complete a presentation you must sign in, attend the session, either synchronously or asynchronously, complete a presentation evaluation, and complete a quiz.
Continuing Education Credits
Continuing Education Credit will be awarded following successful attendance of a presentation, completion of the presentation evaluation and completion of the quiz.
Nurses will receive 1 hour per session.
The University of Southern Indiana, College of Nursing and Health Professions is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
Conflict of Interest
In compliance with the conflict of interest policy of the Commission on Continuing Medical Education of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the authors and editors disclose financial or personal relationships with pharmaceutical or medical equipment companies that may affect their contribution to the development of the program. Disclosure does not suggest bias, but provides registrants with information relevant to evaluation of program content. This information is available for review upon request.
This project was developed with a grant received from
Southwest Indiana - Area Health Education Center (SWI-AHEC).
Contact Us
If you are a Critical Access Hospital and would like more information please contact us. If you are interested in becoming involved in the project please contact the program director Karen Jones via email at kljones7@usi.eduor by phone at (812) 465-1148.
