N.J. Admin. Code § 8:52-8.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 8:52-8.4 - Workforce continuing education

(a) Each health officer shall provide a coordinated program of continuing education for staff which includes attendance at seminars, workshops, conferences, in-service training, and/or formal courses to improve employee skills and knowledge in accordance with their professional needs.

(b) Each public health professional specified at 8:52-4.1 shall meet continuing education requirements as follows:

1. Each director of public health nursing and public health nursing supervisor shall complete 15 continuing education contact hours of public health-related instruction annually. Eight of the continuing education contact hours shall be comprised of workforce leadership courses. The courses of instruction shall be approved by the Office of Local Health or its authorized representative. The eight continuing education contact hours in workforce leadership shall include topics and subjects that include, but are not limited to:

i. Strategic thinking and planning;

ii. Policy development, implementation, and evaluation;

iii. Advocacy;

iv. Interpretation of epidemiological data and health statistics analysis;

v. Community needs assessment and risk assessment;

vi. Outcome evaluation and quality assurance;

vii. Collaboration, coalition building, and community organization;

viii. Multidisciplinary negotiation;

ix. Legal matters and issues; and

x. Nursing research.

2. Each public health nurse shall complete 15 continuing education contact hours of public health related instruction annually. The programs shall be approved by the New Jersey State Nurses Association or its authorized representative or by the New Jersey Association of Public Health Nurse Administrators, Inc.

3. Each director of health education and each health educator shall complete continuing education in accordance with the requirements of the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc., that is, CHES certification. Eight of the continuing education contact hours annually shall be comprised of workforce leadership courses and shall include topics and subjects that include, but are not limited to:

i. Strategic thinking and planning;

ii. Policy development, implementation, and evaluation;

iii. Advocacy;

iv. Interpretation of epidemiological data and health statistics analysis;

v. Community needs assessment and risk assessment;

vi. Outcome evaluation and quality assurance;

vii. Collaboration, coalition building, and community organization;

viii. Multidisciplinary negotiation;

ix. Legal matters and issues; and

x. Health education research.

4. Each field representative, health education shall complete a minimum of nine continuing education contact hours annually in courses which are approved by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc., New Jersey Society for Public Health Education, or the Office of Local Health.

5. Each health officer and each registered environmental health specialist shall obtain continuing education contact hours in accordance with N.J.A.C. 8:7. Each health officer shall also obtain leadership continuing education contact hours in accordance with N.J.A.C. 8:7.

(c) Each member of a local board of health may participate in a leadership orientation and participate in on-going training courses.

(d) Each health officer shall ensure that all employees are provided the opportunity to participate in distance learning as one method of obtaining continuing education.

(e) Each health officer shall ensure supervisory and managerial competency through leadership training and staff development.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:52-8.4