We make a NAB REVIEW available for you (optional) to compliment your AU and AIT experience and better prepare you for the NAB's examinations. We plan to do these in the late July/early August and February time frames (twice a year - post AU). Be watching for the next one to be "advertised" here (through our Calendar link, above) or call us and ask...cost will be $300 per person. They are held in Shepherd Mall in the OSBELTCA Conference Room (Suite 2H). Look for more info on our calendar...This is primarily for those taking the NHA exams, but we know that with the Core Exam items, this review IS helpful for all candidates (such as RCAL) because there is a considerable amount of "overlap" of the material... The one we are holding in July 2023 may be the last one - it is unknown whether OSDH will continue this practice or not.
Administrators University (AU)
THERE WILL NOT BE A FALL 2023 AU CLASS CONDUCTED BY OSBELTCA...
HB2824 (aka the "Long-Term Care Administrator Licensing Act" has set in motion the abolishment of OSBELTCA and is moving these functions under the OSDH (Oklahoma State Department of Health) in a new "advisory" body. Training standards are to be set by the Commissioner and therefore, with all other things transpiring, we cannot initiate a course to be completed prior to this move to OSDH. In essence, we're not starting something we cannot finish, particularly with all the critical unknowns that are still at play...
HOWEVER, in lieu of AU, with the Board's new rule change (effective August 15, 2023) there IS another option available. The new rule allows the Board to accept *NAB Approved Entry Level Training* in place of other Board approved training (such as AU and the RCAL program taught by OKALA). WHERE WOULD ONE FIND THIS KIND OF TRAINING? You'd go to the NAB Website and the NAB Approved CE Database (it's absolutely NOT "CE" but that is where this "odd" training is posted on their website... it IS "entry level" training...) and do a search for "100 hour" for NHA or CAA (AU equivalent) training, or "56 hour" for RCAL training courses and you should find some courses there by Longtree... Start here at this link. If you're doing this training, you are still going to need to complete the AIT program so you will need to have an application open with us so we can also get you set up with a Preceptor to get those AIT hours...and NONE of the hours in this program can be attributed to your AIT program hours (this is separate "academic" training).
*To be very clear, this is not a "NAB Course" as so many are apparently starting to call it... it is approved by NAB but it is not "their" course. The company providing this training is called "Longtree" so it is the "Longtree Course" but the key to it being accepted by this Board (by rule) is that it is a NAB Approved Entry Level Course. Please don't call it the NAB Course...there may one day be multiple NAB Approved Entry Level Courses and we're setting ourselves up for future confusion by calling it what it's not.
IF YOU ARE DOING THIS ALTERNATIVE TRAINING TO AU... there are several things you need to know because you are pretty much "on your own." When you're in AU, we see you once a week for about 4 months and we kind of "hold your hand" through some of these processes. But, if you're going this route, you're going to have to be a little more self-sustained. FOR EXAMPLE, this "alternative" course does NOT prepare you IN ANY WAY for the "State Examination." In AU, you're somewhat prepared for that and we even hold a review of the material prior to the exam to help prepare you. You're going to have to take the initiative to prepare yourself for this by ordering one of our Study Guides (let us know you want one AFTER you've applied...) and we will create an invoice for that...once you pay for it, we'll get it out in the mail to you. And, after you've looked up the questions in the Study Guide you can then do a "RE-view" (it's only a RE-view if you've previously viewed it...) by using the videos we've also made available (free) on our website to get your final prep for taking the State Exam. Along these same lines, after you've applied, you're going to also need to start the AIT or Internship program... there's a fee for that (let us know you're ready and we will enter an invoice for that, too). You CANNOT start the AIT until you're in the training class... so with these NAB Approved alternatives, you MAY want to finish those courses before you start. But, the bottom line is that the FIRST THING you need to do with us is to get that application started so we can add on to it with the AIT program and the Study guide... the fees for the NAB Approved alternative option are paid directly to the course provider (not to us). We typically also do a "set up" with you and your Preceptor when you're ready to start the AIT program... and some people know who is going to be their Preceptor and some people need our help to make those pairings. We understand that... so here's a sort of checklist:
__ Apply for the NHA license (or CAA certification)
__ Start the NAB Approved alternative training
__ Let us know you're ready to start the AIT Program (do NOT start on your own...a training permit is required to start); you cannot start the AIT until after you've started either AU or the alternative course AND a permit is required, too
__ Let us know when you're ready for a Study Guide for the State Exam
__ After you've finished the AIT and passed the State Exam, you'll need to pass the two NAB exams (Core and NHA line of service...)
Please see the Applicant FAQs where we answer this question more directly as to when the next AU will be held (and Adult Day Care Administrator training as well).
Reference Materials
THIS STUFF IS STILL VALID...
One of the toughest hurdles to becoming a Long Term Care Administrator is "passing the NAB." There are a number of books available and to successfully pass this exam, you need to do outside reading above and beyond what you will get in the classroom. After all, this is your profession, so you will want to know as much about it and be as well versed as the next administrator (even after you are licensed).
Here's a list of books to look for that will help you in this regard:
Pratt, John R., (2004-2nd Edition) Long Term Care: Managing Across the Continuum Sudberry, MA Jones and Bartlett Publishers
Singh, Douglas, A., (2010) Effective Management of Long-Term Care Facilities Sudbury, MA Jones and Bartlett Publishers
* Townsend, Joseph H, (2017/2020) The Principles of Health Care Administration Bossier City, IF YOU ATTEND THE NAB REVIEW SEMINAR (and we hope you will)... the author of this book will be presenting the seminar and references this book...or a more current version of it (updated frequently). This is also the book we have included with reading assignments in our syllabus (the book you will want to get...). To that end, you could go to his publisher (once there click on SHOP NOW) to buy it directly there... and you may also notice that he offers some practice exams as well. You also may be able to get it on Amazon or through the NAB website (?) or some other method, but the most current edition was updated/revised/approved by NAB in April 2020. The 2022 version is just now out and is highly likely to be approved with the updates to the Domains.
Reading one book or another is no guarantee of passing the NAB but you'd better read AT LEAST one or your chances of success are not as high...
The Long Term Care Survey (September 2009) Washington, DC American Health Care Association.
Acello, Barbara., (2006) The Long-Term Care Legal Desk Reference Marblehead, MA HCPro, Inc.
ADDITIONAL READINGS
Gilster, Susan D., (2006) A Way of Life: Developing an Exemplary Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Program Baltimore, MD Health Professions Press
NAB also has an OFFICIAL (more complete and perhaps most current) LISTING of references at this link. And, if you want to learn more about the NAB Exams, here's a link for Exam Information.
Candidates for licensure in Oklahoma as a Long Term Care Administrator are required to meet certain minimum requirements as stipulated in the Rules of the Board. Candidates are encouraged to view and familiarize themselves with these requirements prior to applying for the AIT and/or AU programs to ensure they will be able to meet the Board's requirements for licensure. An 'unofficial' copy of the Board's Rules can be viewed and/or downloaded from this website.
The licenses granted by the Board fall into three types: a 'regular' license, a 'provisional' license, and a ‘temporary’ license. Because the AIT and AU Programs do not apply to the Rules governing the issuance of either the 'provisional' or ‘temporary’ license, the same will not be addressed further herein. However, note, that an AIT who has not yet passed the NAB NHA exam is not eligible for a “provisional’ license.
Candidates for a 'regular' license generally fall into two (2) categories: those individuals currently licensed in another jurisdiction and those who do not hold a license. Potential candidates who meet Oklahoma licensing requirements, have the requisite professional experience and hold a valid license in another jurisdiction may apply to be licensed according to the Rules governing licensure by endorsement (reciprocity). Those potential candidates who do not hold a valid Long Term Care license in another jurisdiction are required to complete the Administrator-In-Training (AIT) program and Administrator University (AU) prior to making application to sit for the State Standards and National (NAB) Examinations. The only exceptions would be someone who was previously (and recently) licensed but let the license lapse...they may not be required to re-accomplish those items (but it also depends on how long they've been out of long term care).
The AIT program consists of a minimum of 560 training hours, which takes fourteen weeks (3½ months) to complete on a full-time basis. In some cases, the AIT program may be completed on a part-time basis with no fewer than 20 hours per week. The maximum time to complete the AIT program, once started, is one year. The training program must be completed in a long term care institutional environment (Nursing Facility or ICF/MR) and under the guidance of a certified preceptor (a licensed administrator who has met the requirements to be certified by the Board as a preceptor). There is also a 700 hour program for those AITs with a degree that is not related to any of the Domains of Practice or without any LTC experience.
Administrator University consists of a scheduled series of lectures/classes on a variety of topics facing long term care administrators and is offered during two (2) sessions each year. One session meets from July/August through early December, and the other session meets from January through May. Classes normally meet for one full day each week at designated sites in either Oklahoma City or Tulsa (mostly in Oklahoma City). The curriculum includes approximately 100 hours of classroom time plus there is a considerable amount of assigned reading involved. Oklahoma’s AU program is “unique” compared to how other states license their administrators and while it may appear that our AIT program is shorter than many states (many states require a 1000 hour AIT experience…), the “intensity” and “focus” of our program, with the changes we’ve made in recent years, has yielded first time pass rates on the NAB NHA exam that are on par with the first time pass rate of colleges/universities around the country with NAB accredited programs.
Individuals interested in pursuing licensure as a long term care administrator in Oklahoma are encouraged to contact Board staff for additional information. Individual contact information (email addresses and telephone numbers) are listed on the Board’s website.
The NAB Study Guide is available. It's an online product and covers the NAB Core Exam and each of the line of service exams (LOS) - NHA, RCAL and HCBS. It can be purchased on the NAB website at this link for $150. You get access to it for one year when you purchase it. A new one is on the way (may be out and we've not updated our links?) and you CAN move from the old one to the new one when it comes out... We expect the new one to be FANTASTIC with a lot of tremendous improvements!
IT HAS BEEN UPDATED!!!
Go here to read more... and find the links to it.
