E-Learning Advantages
Q: What are the benefits of using E-Learning?
A: We have received a tremendous response to our E-Learning products. Some of the benefits educators are reporting to us include:
- Increase efficiency by standardizing education among learners and their organization.
- Save time by allowing educators to spend more time in the hands-on portion of training.
- Save money by providing cost-effective quality online training.
- Increase productivity by allowing flexibility and convenience.
- Aid in recruitment by offering a competitive advantage when hiring.
- Reduce turnover by providing additional advancement opportunities to current employees.
- Are these modules accredited by The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)?
Yes, the ANCC accredits us as a provider of continuing education products for nurses. CNE course credits may not be available for individual modules within a course. See specific courses for more information.
Our accreditation statement is:
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is accredited with distinction as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC's) Commission on Accreditation, ANCC Provider Number 0012 (60 min contact hour). AACN has been approved as a provider of continuing education in nursing by the California State Board of Nursing, California Provider number CEP01036 contact hours (50 min contact hour).
For states not explicitly listed in our statement, please refer to the state's Board to determine if AACN programming meets their standards for relicensure.
Contracts & Renewals
Q: What information is necessary to begin contracting for E-Learning?
A: To begin the licensing agreement process, the AACN E-Learning team will need to know the following information:
- The term you are interested in — one, two or three years.
- The number of end-users (learners) you want to start with for each curriculum (at least three for your initial order).
- The legal name of the contracting entity to be included on the agreement.
- The address of the contracting entity.
- Our point of contact (POC) for contracting and invoicing, including email address and phone number.
- Our single POC for issues related to the provision of E-Learning services after contracting and invoicing is complete.
Q: What licensing terms for E-Learning are available to organizations?
A: There are two ways to approach E-Learning from AACN for your healthcare organization. Which route to go depends on objectives set forth within your organization. Please note that we have made changes to terminology in order to make things clearer and easier for you.
Single LearnCenter — For healthcare organizations that need only one customized LearnCenter that can be accessed by multiple learners from any location. (Formerly called Site License)
One or more site manager(s) are given the authority to assign learners (end users) purchased courseware, review progress and scores. It is in this way they are able to align learning plans with organizationally defined goals, skills and job roles to drive employee productivity and performance.
Multiple LearnCenters — For organizations requiring more than one customized LearnCenter (each able to be accessed by multiple learners) to deliver and track essential training tied to job role and on-boarding requirements. (Formerly called Enterprise License)
There are two main reasons to employ Multiple LearnCenters:
- Your healthcare organization requires that you maintain confidentiality between departments or locations, and you need to prevent unauthorized viewing of information.
- You expect to have a very large number of learners and need to separate them to facilitate easier management of course scheduling and reporting.
Q: Once we order AACN E-Learning, how long will it be before we begin receiving the E-Learning services?
A: Within one to five days from the date you place your order, AACN will send you three documents requiring action (Hosted E-Learning Agreement, Payment and Site Manager Contact Information). From the time we receive these documents your LearnCenter(s) will be ready to use within 12 business days.
Q: Why do we need a Single or Multiple LearnCenter license as well as end user licenses?
A: The Single or Multiple LearnCenter license grants usage of the Learning Management System (LMS) via one or more custom LearnCenter Website(s) dedicated to your organization. End-user licenses grant individual learners access to assigned curricula, assessment and personal CNE certificates, while allowing Site Managers to track individual activity, progress and results for each individual. Separate end-user licenses are necessary for each course assigned to each Learner.
E-Learning Users
Q: Can we order additional end user licenses or start learners in the middle of the term of our Single or Multiple LearnCenter contract?
A: Yes.
Additional end-user licenses can be purchased and used at any time during an active license term for Single or Multiple LearnCenters. The one-year term of each end user license does not begin until you register the learner in the LearnCenter.
If you have purchased end-user licenses that have not been distributed to a learner by the expiration of your contract, they can be assigned to a learner during the renewal term of your contract instead. Should your contract expire before the end of the one-year term of an assigned end-user license, that end user may continue during the renewal term of your contract until the one-year term is reached.
Please be aware that the end user license term does not start over upon renewal, so the remaining time on any license will be the time available once you renew.
Should your contract expire and you do not choose to renew, access to your LearnCenter will cease for both Site Managers as well as learners, even if they were issued an end-user license less than a year prior.
Q: What if we need additional Site Managers?
A: If you need additional Site Managers beyond the three included with each Site or Enterprise license, you can purchase accounts for a one-time fee. These Site Manager accounts do not expire as long as you have a valid Site or Enterprise license. You can order either of two different types of Site Manager accounts:
- Site Manager: This Site Manager account is identical to those included with the Site or Enterprise license.
- It has the full learning administration capabilities that they do.
- In addition, the Site Manager has access to the same courseware you order for your learners, but without having to consume your end user licenses.
- They review the courseware, register learners in your LearnCenter, enroll learners in a curriculum, review the learners' progress, approve learners to earn CNE units, generate reports on their activities and remove learners who have completed their studies.
- Additional Site Manager accounts are $350 each.
- Administrative-Only Manager: Some LearnCenters have very large numbers of learners that are not manageable by the three Site Manager accounts that are included with your Site license.
- To take up the learning administration load, you can order Administrative-Only Manager accounts.
- This account is much like the Site Manager accounts included with the Site or Enterprise license.
- An Administrative-Only Manager can perform extensive Site Manager functions such as registering new learners in the LearnCenter, enrolling them in a curriculum and generating LearnCenter reports to track the learners' progress and usage of end user licenses.
- However, they have no access to courseware, so it is not an appropriate account for a nurse educator.
- Administrative-Only Manager accounts are only $100 each.
- To take up the learning administration load, you can order Administrative-Only Manager accounts.
Please note that if a Site Manager wishes to receive CNE credit for an E-Learning program, they will need to consume an end-user license for that program.
Assessment Testing
Q: Are there pre- and post-tests for AACN E-Learning curricula?
A: While there are no official pre- and post-tests for AACN E-Learning curricula, some innovative Site Managers have their learners take each module assessment before accessing the module (pre-test), and then take the assessment again after they complete the module (post-test).
Each attempt at the assessment is constructed to cover the same module material, randomly pulling a set of assessment items from a larger pool of assessment items so that no two attempts at a given assessment yield the same assessment items each time. By comparing the score on the pre-test to that on the post-test, you can assess how much the learner learned from the courseware.
Learners are limited to no more than three attempts at any given assessment to ensure they achieve a mastery score by learning the material rather than by continually repeating the assessment until they memorize the answers. A mastery score is also the criterion used to determine if the learner has earned the CE units for the respective module.
AACN E-Learning reporting features give the Site Manager the opportunity to see both composite and individual assessment scores. The AACN E-Learning reporting features also allow for the learner and Site Manager to drill down to the answers and the relevant reference sections within each module.
Q: What score do I have to achieve on a module assessment to earn the associated CNE certificate?
A: AACN suggests that 80 percent be used as the module assessment passing score and, once achieved, the learner be approved for CNE credit.
Technology Issues
Q: How can I get support with technical problems related to AACN E-Learning?
A: The Help Desk is your source for technical support with AACN E-Learning. You can contact our Help Desk any time 24/7/365, even on holidays, to submit a request for support with technology issues like system failures, error messages, login failures, and Web browser configurations.
Please make sure your computer system meets the technical system requirements for AACN E-Learning beforehand because only systems which meet the requirements are supported by the Help Desk. Call (800) 714-AACNor email the Help Desk if you require support for a specific technical problem.
Q: What are the most common technical problems faced with using AACN E-Learning?
- A: Although you can access AACN E-Learning courseware with the Firefox browser, the Site Manager functionality is only supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer.
- Make sure you have the latest Adobe Flash Player and Acrobat Readerinstalled on your computer.
- These plug-ins are used to deliver our E-Learning content.
- Check the Internet Options on your computer system.
- It must use HTTP 1.1 for the module assessments to function correctly.
- Although HTTP 1.1 is enabled by default, subsequent configuration changes can disable it.
- Your browser must also permit third-party cookies.
- Pop-up blocking software and configuration settings must be disabled for the aacn.learn.com domain because AACN E-Learning opens some functions, including the courseware, in new browser windows.
These issues and more are addressed in the technical system requirements for AACN E-Learning. Please ask the information technology department at your organization to support you with establishing these requirements if needed.