Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that expands accessibility for long-term care training and exams for nurse aids in Pennsylvania.

Highlights:

• Requires the Department of Education to do the following (Sec. 1):

• Develop and implement a long-term care curriculum for nurse aides;

• Establish qualifications for individuals to conduct training of the long-term care curriculum, including that the instructor must be a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse;

• Establish a training program to implement a train-the-trainer model so that trainers can deliver the long-term care curriculum to nurse aids in the state; and

• Review a facility’s application for approval to establish a training program.

• Requires one of the following in order to become a nurse aide in the state, in addition to achieving a minimum score on the nurse aide competency examination (Sec. 1):

• Successful completion of a state-approved nurse aide curriculum and training program or the long-term care curriculum for nurse aides;

• Graduation from an accredited registered nurse or licensed practical nursing program; or

• To be a student nurse or graduate nurse that has completed courses through a nursing program that is equivalent to the requirements of the nurse aide training program.

• Specifies that certain different provisions of this Act take effect one year after passage, 60 days after passage, or 30 days after passage (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text