Application for Educational Activity INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING APPLICATION 4700 W. Lake Avenue Glenview, IL 60025-1485 Tel. 888/557-2266 847/375-3675 Fax. 847/375-6476 Internet. http://www.aann.org E-mail. info@aann.org 1 The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center’s COA. AANN approves individual educational activities for contact hours but does not approve organizations as providers of continuing nursing education. What is a contact hour? A contact hour is a unit of credit that is awarded for time spent participating in an organized learning activity. ANCC and AANN award one nursing contact hour for every 60 minutes of educational time. What is a provider-paced activity? A provider-paced activity is a live activity that the provider controls all aspects of the learning. What is an independent study activity? An independent study activity is an activity where the learner is not attending a live event. Rather the learner is on their own time completing an activity. Examples of provider-paced activities include a conference, lecture, course, workshop, teleconference, live activity, printed materials, CD, or web-based program where content is provided at a specific date and time by an instructor or instructors. Examples of independent activities include: viewing videotapes or listening to audiotapes and completing post-test questions; completing on-line activities; reading selected articles and completing post-test questions. Who can apply to AANN for approval of contact hours for provider-paced activities? AANN accepts applications from individuals, hospitals, corporations, other healthcare facilities, professional associations or societies, chapters or interest groups of AANN or other associations or societies, and educational facilities. The individual, organization, or facility applying for contact hours is the provider. The individual person who submits the application is the applicant. AANN accepts applications that are co-provided. 2 General Information What is AANN’s application process? Applications must be submitted by e-mail. To e-mail the application, please follow these guidelines: Save the completed application as a Word (.doc) file. Do not save the application as a .pdf file. The application should be one Word (.doc) file that contains all of the required forms (i.e., bio forms, marketing materials, outline forms, etc.). Please remember incomplete applications, applications saved as .pdf files, or applications with multiple attachments will not be accepted Application fees can be paid by check or credit card. Checks should be mailed with a cover letter to AANN, Attn: Jacki Van Oort. The AANN Education Approval Unit (EAC) governs the approval of applications. Applications must be complete at the time they are submitted to AANN. Applications that arrive at the AANN office: 60 days or more prior to the first date of the activity will be reviewed and the base fee schedule will apply. between 30 and 59 days prior to the first date of the activity will be reviewed and the late fee schedule will apply. 29 days or less prior to the first date of the activity will not be accepted for review. The fee schedule for processing applications is included on page 7 of this document. Once an application is received by the EAC, an initial quantitative evaluation will be performed to verify that the application is complete. If an application contains identified deficits or needs correction or clarification, an AANN staff member will contact the applicant via telephone or e-mail. After the initial evaluation, the application is forwarded to three members of the EAC Review Panel for a qualitative critique. This review ensures that the application is accurate, relevant to professional practice, meets the learning level of the identified audience, and adheres to AANN and ANCC criteria. The rigorous application process requires time and may require revisions by the applicant. Retroactive approval is not awarded. 3 What are the actions that can be taken on an application? Applications can be Approved; the applicant receives the approval code number, number of nursing contact hours awarded, and time period for which approval is granted. Deferred (approved pending completion of corrections/additions); the applicant receives a request for revisions or additional information as noted by the EAC Peer Reviewers. Denied; the applicant receives a letter that includes reasons why the application was not approved along with suggestions and instructions for resubmitting the application. The application fee is not refunded if an application is deferred or denied and there is not an additional fee if the application is deferred. What can I do if my application is denied? An applicant may appeal the denial decision by requesting that the EAC Appeals Panel review the application as originally submitted. A letter requesting this appeal must be sent to AANN within 15 days of notification of the denial. A written reply will be sent to the applicant within 21 calendar days after AANN has received the written request to initiate the appeal process. The decision of the EAC Appeals Panel is final. What is the approval period for an approved activity? Programs approved by the AANN EAC have an approval period of one full year in which nursing contact hours can be awarded. For example, a program that is approved for presentation on January 6, 2009 can be repeated with nursing contact hours awarded through January 5, 2010. Do I need to reapply if the program changes? Program approval is granted on the basis of the Provider Content Objectives Coordinator and instructional staff Program length/time, which alters number of contact hours If any change occurs in the provider, content, length of program, or objectives, the activity must be re-submitted with a new application fee. If the only change in the program is the coordinator or instructional staff, a biographical data form for the new personnel must be submitted before presentation of the activity. No additional fee is charged for changes to the coordinator or instructional staff. 4 Provider Responsibilities What are the responsibilities of the provider? The provider of an AANN approved activity is responsible for Presenting the activity as outlined and approved Using all submitted forms and materials as outlined and approved Implementing the activity Recording the names, addresses, and contact hours earned by each participant. Verifying participation in approved activities Establishing accurate, retrievable activity records that adhere to the policies outlined in this application Provider publicity responsibilities When publicizing the program, applicants must adhere to the following guidelines regarding publicity. After submitting an application to AANN, the provider is permitted to advertise the following: An application has been submitted to the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) for approval of (# of hours) contact hours. The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s COA. After receiving written notification of approval of an application, the provider is permitted to advertise the following: This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's COA. This statement must stand alone (it must begin and end on a separate line from all other text). Application assistance If you need help when submitting an application please contact Jacki Van Oort at jvanoort@aann.org or by phone at 847/375-3675. 5 Fee Schedule for Provider-Directed Activity Effective January 1, 2009 Applications must arrive at the AANN office 60 days or more prior to the first date of the activity to qualify for the base fee; applications that arrive between 30 and 59 days prior to the first date of the activity will be charged the late fee; applications that arrive 29 days or less prior to the first date of the activity will NOT be accepted for review. Number of Contact Hours 1-5 5.5 - 10 10.5 - 15 15.5 - 20 20.5 - 50 50.5 & Above AANN Chapters Professional/Voluntary Organizations, Health Care Facilities, and Education Consultants Base Fee (60 days or more) Late Fee (30 - 59 days) Base Fee (60 days or more) Late Fee (30 - 59 days) $75 $150 $125 $250 $100 $200 $200 $125 $250 $250 $180 $360 $300 $200 $400 $400 $300 $600 $500 Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Medical Education Companies Base Fee (60 days or more) $500 Late Fee (30 - 59 days) $1000 $400 $600 $1200 $500 $700 $1400 $600 $800 $1600 $800 $900 $1800 $1000 $1000 $2000 6