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If your organization plans many educational activities and wishes to forego the individual activity approval process each time you plan and implement an activity, you may want to consider applying to be an Approved Provider. Once you are approved to function as an Approved Provider, you can deliver as many activities as you like to as many learners as possible for the three-year approval period following ANCC educational design requirements.

The first step in the application process is to fill out the Approved Provider Intent to Apply & Eligibility Verification Form to determine whether you are eligible to be an Approved Provider. This must be submitted 90 days prior to the application cycle you intend to apply in.

An organization can only become an Approved Provider if it meets the structural and operational components outlined below.

 

• To be eligible to apply to become an Approved Provider, an applicant must be one of the following:
  • College or university,
    
  • Constituent and State Nurses Association (C/SNA) of the ANA,
    
  • Federal Nursing Service (FNS),
    
  • Healthcare facility,
    
  • Health-related organization,
    
  • Multidisciplinary educational group,
    
  • Professional nursing education group,
    
  • Specialty nursing organization (SNO), or
    
  • National nursing association/organization.
  • Be in compliance with all applicable international, federal, state, and local laws and regulations that affect the Approved Provider's ability to meet ANCC NCPD Accreditation Program criteria;
  • Be in compliance with ethical standards as identified in the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses and ethical standards for business operations;
  • Not be an ineligible company;
  • Be administratively and operationally responsible for coordinating the entire process of planning, implementing, and delivering NCPD;
  • Identify a Primary Nurse Planner who will serve as the liaison between VNA and the Approved Provider;
    • Must be a registered nurse who holds a current, unrestricted nursing license (or international equivalent) and a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing (or international equivalent),
      and who has authority within the organization to ensure compliance with the accreditation criteria and VNA requirements in the provision of NCPD;
  • Have a Primary Nurse Planner who is responsible for the orientation of all Nurse Planners in the organization to the accreditation criteria;
    
    • Ensure that all other Nurse Planners in the Approved Provider are registered nurses who hold current, unrestricted nursing licenses (or international equivalent) and a baccalaureate degree or higher in
      nursing (or international equivalent);
      
    • Ensure that each NCPD activity has a qualified Nurse Planner who is an active participant in the planning, implementation, and evaluation process;
      
  • Be operational for a minimum of six (6) months prior to application;
  • Target the majority (51%) of NCPD activities to nurses in a single HHS region and its contiguous states. Click here to determine your organization's HHS region.

Note: If you are new to the process, you must first meet criteria by planning a minimum of three (3) individual educational activities that adhere to ANCC educational design criteria. The planning, implementation, and evaluation of these activities must occur within a 12-month period. Activities must be a minimum of one hour (60 minutes) in length and cannot be jointly provided. We highly recommend you submit these for individual activity approval through VNA to ensure adherence to these criteria. 

Step 1. 

 Contact Kate Hildreth, VNA's Accredited Approver Program Director, to discuss your intent to apply and eligibility requirements.

Step 2.

Complete the Approved Provider Intent to Apply & Eligibility Verification Form.

Step 3.

Upon receipt of approval to apply, submit completed self-study application along with payment according to the review cycle you are assigned to by VNA. Please note that the review process does not begin until payment is received.

Approved Provider Self-Study Application

Submit the completed application and payment here. 

Please see our fee schedule to learn about all applicable fees.   

Kate Hildreth, MSN, RN, CPN, NPD-BC
VNA Nursing Professional Development Specialist
Accredited Approver Program Director
khildreth@virginianurses.org