School Nurse Teacher Certification

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is no longer conducting transcript reviews for School Nurse Teacher Certification. To meet the requirements to earn this certification, RIDE recommends that you complete a Credential Review Pathway (CRP) through Rhode Island College, a Credential Review Consortium Institution. The most common set of requirements recommended is an eight-class sequence of courses. See the tab below titled “Course Requirements.”

Note: Many courses taken for School Nurse Teacher Certification are transferrable to RIC’s M.Ed. in Health Education Program. Students who have successfully completed their first four courses in the CRP program and have a GPA of 3.0 or greater will have the GRE requirement waived. For further information on enrollment in the M.Ed. in Health Education Program, visit the website or contact Carol Cummings at ccummings@ric.edu.

Prospective and current school nurse teachers who want to achieve school nurse certification through Rhode Island College’s credentialing pathway must meet the following requirements:

1. A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
2. A record of past and ongoing academic excellence (ex., a minimum GPA of 3.0).
3. A current Rhode Island R.N. license.
4. Three years of documented experience as a full-time R.N. (or an individually accepted equivalent).

Note:  Once enrolled you are expected to attain extensive teaching experience in the desired certification area. RIC’s SNT Credential Review Pathway course plan includes supervised teaching experiences, arranged by your professors, that meet the RIDE certification requirements for student teaching. 

• You will not need to complete additional student teaching hours 
• Work experience in a non-classroom school nurse teacher (SNT) position or as a teacher’s assistant does not meet this requirement. You must be fully in charge of the class to meet this requirement. 
   

Alternatively, individuals can complete the full requirements to earn certification in a state with which Rhode Island has certificate reciprocity. Individuals who choose this option should contact RIDE to complete the reciprocity paperwork after completing all requirements for that state.  Open the link below and review reciprocity information under the, Current Routes to Certification heading. 

• All Grades School Nurse Teacher Certificate

1. RIC Credential Review Pathway (CRP) Potential Application Overview. RIC Credential Review Pathway (CRP) Application. Follow the directions below if you have a RI School Nurse Teacher Preliminary Certification and need to renew your certification or would like to begin working toward becoming a certified school nurse teacher through RIC.

a. Go to the FSEHD – Credential Review Pathway for information on the application and to apply.

2.    Online Application: The process of assessing the online application and documentation can take up to 14 weeks after you submit:
a.    A completed online application.
b.    The $150 application fee.
c.    All required documentation forms which include the following:

• official transcripts
• a copy of your nurse’s license and the following forms:
• Work Experience as a Registered Nurse Verification Form
• Work Experience Verification Form

Additional Directions for completing the online application:

• Create a separate .pdf document for each transcript and form that you upload. 
• You can complete the application in full at one time or save your work and return to the application at a later time. 
• If you are accepted, you will receive a Plan of Study and other recommendations from the CRP office. If you are not, you will receive an explanation of the requirements you will need to meet in order for you to qualify.
• RIC faculty CRP assessors are not expected to assess applications during the summer (May 15 to late August). Applications submitted between April 15 and June 3 may not be assessed until Sept. 8. If you are applying for the re-issuance of an expert residency preliminary certificate (emergency certificate) and are required by RIDE to submit a CRP Status Form and Plan of Study as evidence of enrollment, we advise that you submit your CRP application materials and $150 fee no later than Feb. 6 to prepare for the Aug. 31 deadline. The Status Form and Plan of Study should be assessed by May 15.

Certification requirements are met by completing the following courses:

1. HPE 500: Introduction to Health Education and Health Promotion 
2. HPE 503: Health Education Pedagogy 
3. HPE 504: Application of Health Content 
4. HPE 531: Methods and Procedures for School Nurse Teachers
5. CEP 532: Theories and Methods of Counseling
6. CEP 552: Psychological Perspectives on Learning and Teaching
7. SPED 531: Universal Design for Educating All Students
8. FNED 502: Social Issues in Education (recommended) or FNED 546: Foundations of Education

Students who are interested in transferring credits from other institutions must obtain copies of the syllabus and a full description of at least two assignments and submit these to CRP@ric.edu which will be forwarded to the appropriate evaluator.

Students enrolled before September 2018 Students who took HPE 404, 501 and/or 505 will have a course substitution form completed on their behalf during their Exit Verification and are considered to have completed the requirements for HPE 500, 503 and/or 504, respectively. All others should complete the full course series noted above.

Order of Courses 

• HPE 500 (f), 503 (s) and 504 (f) should be taken in this order, as the content of each course builds upon the content of the previous course. 
• It is recommended that students begin with HPE 500 in the first fall of their enrollment and complete HPE 531 after completing HPE 500, 503 and 504.
• Students are eligible to enroll in other courses such as the CEP, SPED or FNED courses before enrolling in HPE 500 and these do not have to be taken in an order.

When can I begin taking courses?

• You may begin taking courses while your application is being reviewed and before you receive your plan of study.  You may want to contact Dr. Carol Cummings, SNT CRP Liaison before enrolling in your first course if you are still waiting on your plan of study.

• Students who have never attended Rhode Island College will need to create an account to obtain a username, password and appointment time in order to register for classes. To do this, go to the Records Office Registration Site and follow the directions in the New Non-Degree Student Registration to create an account and obtain a username and password.
• Students enrolled in a Credential Review Pathway (CRP) are categorized as nondegree-seeking students and have a later registration date than students who are enrolled in degree programs. This does not mean that you will lose your seat in a class or that you need to do anything before your registration date. It is purely procedural. For registration dates, visit the Records Office website. 
   

• Email CRP@ric.edu and/or Dr. Carol Cummings at ccummings@ric.edu.
• RI Adjunct Faculty who teach HPE 531 Methods and Procedures for School Nurse Teachers: Alice Brady: abrady@ric.edu and Celine Forte: cforte@ric.edu 
• Contact the Office of Educator Excellence and Certification Services at 401-222-8893. This is also the office to contact for assistance in renewing your emergency and ongoing certifications.
• Visit the website of the Rhode Island Certified School Nurse Teacher Association  This site includes information, resources and professional support and includes sign-up information for those who want to become members. You are eligible to become a member of the association before you are fully certified.

RI School Nurse Teacher Preliminary Certificate Application Form Instructions
RI Educator Certification: RI School Nurse Teacher

• Scroll to the middle of page 3 for the All-Grades School Nurse Teacher Pk-12 code.
• To be issued an Initial Certificate in All Grades School Nurse Teacher from a Preliminary Certificate, an applicant must satisfy all of the following:
  • Completion of an approved School Nurse Teacher Program of Credential Review Consortium Institution (Rhode Island College).
  • 2 years’ experience as a school nurse teacher
  • Valid license as a profession nurse by the RI Department of Health
  • All Grades School Nurse Teacher Certificate Requirements

Rhode Island Certified School Nurse Teacher Association