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Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Continuing Education
Why take continuing education courses online?
Distance learning continuing education is a great option for those who want to complete professional development activities at times and in locations convenient to the learner. Online course delivery provides the opportunity for learners to complete educational sessions at home, on the job, or any time of the day or night. Learning is not restricted by time, place or location. Our modules are designed as convenient learning opportunities that serve to expand the professional knowledge of practitioners.
How does online continuing education differ from other types of continuing education?
The major difference between online education and other types of CE education is the mode of instruction. Where possible, our online CE modules have been developed to provide more dynamic learning opportunities when compared with journal readings. This includes the use of animations and colorful graphics when appropriate to enhance learning comprehension. Technology capacities of learners at home have been considered in designing these extras. For example, modem speeds and other technology limitations influence online delivery of course content. As technology improves for the home-user, the sophistication of our online learning delivery will likewise progress.
What is required of me in order to be successful?
Online delivery modes are convenient and flexible; however, competent learning experiences must be verified. At the end of each module, learners will complete a series of self-assessment questions to gauge their comprehension of the learning materials. The opportunity to review relevant course material is provided should learners desire further study of the course content. Based on performance on the self-assessment questions and when learners feel confident, a series of final exam questions will be completed. A 75% minimum success rate is required to pass the final exam. Learners are provided one free opportunity to repeat the final exam should the first attempt be less than the required 75% pass score.
How do I use this program as an RN Refresher?
The Online Nursing Reentry (Refresher) Curriculum includes two broad divisions: Online didactic refresher classes that also serve as continuing education credits for all practicing nurses and, a clinical practicum component designed to upgrade clinical competencies in specialized nursing practice areas. If you seek the reentry curriculum, you can begin the online courses now. All modules listed form the core curriculum for the RN Reentry Program. You will need to contact Andrea Borchers , MS, RN, Liaison for Nursing Continuing Education, to arrange a clinical experience to suit your practice needs.
In addition, the Ohio Board of Nursing has included a requirement for licensure - one hour of continuing education related to the Law and Rules of the Ohio Board of Nursing. To complete this requirement, you will need to find a course that will provide the information about Ohio Law and Rules pertaining to nursing. The following web sites will give you that content:
Check with your state's Board of Nursing for its requirements.
How do I plan for the clinical experience?
Your clinical practicum will take place with an experienced registered nurse who will be your preceptor in an affiliated clinical setting. Distance learners may be expected to initiate contact with a health care agency to accommodate clinical practice needs. You are expected to successfully complete the online modules in the core curriculum prior to clinical placement. Clinical experiences will be individualized according to the practice needs of each learner.
Do I need any special computer hardware or software?
Internet access and common web browsers are what you will need to navigate our Online CE program. (Microsoft Explorer version 5.0 or higher is the preferred browser for viewing the course content pages.) To avoid having to scroll horizontally, it is best to have the monitor resolution setting on 800 x 600. Settings of 640 x 480 can work, but when using this setting you will need to scroll from left to right to see the entire text field.
Can I use AOL, CompuServe or other Internet Provider Services (IPS)?
Yes you can. Most Internet Provider Services (IPS) use common Web browsers that are compatible with the Online CE site. However, if you experience technical glitches, you may want to try the following. Access the Internet using your normal sign-on process for your existing IPS (AOL, CompuServe, etc). Once connected to the Internet, open Internet (Microsoft) Explorer (IE) and logon to the Online CE site using IE. Microsoft Internet Explorer is the preferred browser for viewing course pages.
How do I register for a module?
It’s simple. Just click the “Get Registered” link and go! Payment of fees is required to begin the module. Online payment transactions are guaranteed secure and are made via MasterCard or Visa only. Once registered, learners may take as long as necessary to complete the module. Subsequent logins are permitted to the same module; however, once the final exam has been attempted twice, no additional logons are available under the original registration. To gain access to a module for which the final exam has been attempted twice, a new registration and payment process is required.
What if I forget my user name and password?
On each visit, simply click in the Login box on the home page and enter your user name and password. Each time you login to the Online CE site, you will be given an opportunity to update personal data. It is important to keep this information current so that accurate CE records can be maintained. Do not create a duplicate account if you have forgotten your user name or password. Under the logon field is a "forgot your password" link. Use this link and your user name and password will be immediately emailed to the email address you have listed on your account page.
What if I want to take these courses for college credit?
At this time it is not possible to take these courses for college credit.
Are there any additional course materials required for these modules?
No, each module is completely self-contained. However, you are invited to supplement your learning through the online resources listed in the module's Webliography.
Are there any prerequisites for CE modules?
While some modules have been developed with more than one part, enrollment in each part in sequence is recommended. For example, in the Pharmacology series, five parts have been developed. Learners should begin with Part 1, progress to Part 2 and so on; however, each part of a module is a stand-alone course and may be taken in any order as desired. CE credit is awarded when each part is successfully completed.
What is the process for receiving my continuing education credit?
Upon successful completion of a module, an electronic certificate of completion will be immediately emailed directly to your email address you provided on your "My Account" page. It is important to make sure that the email address is correctly supplied. Sinclair Community College will track successful module completion and will maintain records for six years. Learners are solely responsible to accurately maintain personal CE records for professional reporting purposes. Student records are updated nightly, so please allow 24 hours after the completion of a module for notification to arrive.
Sinclair Community College (OH-101/7-1-09) is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Ohio Nurses Association (OBN-001-91), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
How often can I take a module for CE credit?
Learners may receive CE credit for a single module title once; that is, once you have received credit for completing any given module, you may not re-take the course for CE credit.
How do I take the final assessment (exam)?
Upon completion of the the self-assessment exam, learners will click on a link to complete the final exam. Please note: once an answer is selected and submitted, no corrections or changes can be made. Be sure of the answer for each final exam question before activating the submit button. You cannot go back during the final exam session. Do not click your browser's Back button while taking the final exam. Hitting the Back button will automatically terminate your session and a zero will be recorded for the exam attempt.In addition, once the final exam begins, learners will not be able to access the content area. Should the exam period be interrupted, a subsequent login will place you at your stopping point, in order to resume the final exam where the interruption occurred. Each registration provides 2 attempts at the final exam. To pass the exam, a 75% success rate is required.
Can I logout and re-enter a module?
Yes, you may login and out of a module as many times as needed; however, once the final exam has been attempted twice, a new registration and second payment is required. We expect that online learning may get interrupted at times. For this reason, our system permits multiple re-entries. Please be aware of the two-attempt test limit for the final exam for each registration.
I was studying a lesson and had to leave my computer for about an hour. When I came back, I was no longer logged into the site. What happened?
If you are logged in and accessing any web page on this site, including your module materials, you will be logged out automatically when 30 minutes of inactivity have passed. In other words, you can stay logged in indefinitely as long as you are interacting with the site at least every 30 minutes. Interacting with the site includes scrolling or refreshing the page, clicking on links or answers to assessment questions, filling in information fields, and loading new course or administrative pages. When you’ve been logged out automatically and you try to access a new course page, you’ll be returned to this site’s Home Page.
In the event you are logged out by the site, just re-enter your username and password in the login fields and go back to your lesson. If your final assessment is interrupted for any reason, you will need to complete the self-assessment again; then click on the final assessment link and you'll be returned to the point in the final where you left off.
What if I need help?
Sinclair Community College provides both technical and learning content support. When help is needed, simply click the Contact Us tab at the top of the page. Telephone and email help are available Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. & Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. eastern time. Inquiries will be answered within 24 hours except during weekends and holidays.
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