NEW: Nurse Aide Training Opportunity for Facilities Under 2-Year NATCEP Prohibtion

Attention: nursing home providers who are currently under a two-year Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) prohibition – there is a new opportunity for you to receive a temporary waiver from the two-year prohibition, potentially allowing your facility to serve as a site for training. Please note: as with the traditional NATCEP prohibition waiver, a granted waiver would allow a nurse aide training program to be held in, but not by, a nursing facility within that two-year period.

In light of the staffing crisis and due to the continued public health emergency and 1135 waivers, DHS has determined to temporarily approve waiver requests which may not have been approved in the past due to the criteria outlined in DHS 129. This can only be accomplished by waiving certain portions of DHS 129. DHS has created a quick survey for requesters to complete which we will consider the request for the additional waivers. Please see the language below from the survey for the waiver details. The waiver request survey is available here: Nurse Aide Training Prohibition Waiver Requests.

DHS did send emails to several facilities who have recently had their waiver requests denied, sharing this information so that those providers can re-submit their waiver requests through this new process. If you did not get the email, and your facility is under a two-year, prohibition, you can still complete the survey linked above to be considered for a temporary waiver of the prohibition.

From the waiver request survey:

Due to the public health emergency and worsening staffing crisis as a result of the pandemic, DHS is temporarily allowing waiver approval for nurse aide training prohibitions to allow training in and not by the facility, which may not have been approved prior to the pandemic based on the criteria set forth in DHS 129.04(3)(a-f). Once the public health emergency has been lifted this allowance will no longer be considered and the criteria included in DHS 129.04(3)(a-f) will be followed.

By submitting this survey, you are requesting a waiver of DHS 129.04(3)(a-d,f) to allow nurse aide training in but not by a facility that is under nurse aide training prohibition. DHS129.04(3)(e) is a federal regulation that cannot be waived.

Waiver requests are approved with the following conditions:

  • Nurse aide training must be provided by a third party unrelated to the facility that is under nurse aide training prohibition. You must submit a signed document from the third party agreeing to provide the training or to use the facility as a clinical site. 
  • Any additional events that result in new nurse aide training prohibitions would require you to complete the survey again to request a separate waiver.

Please contact WHCA/WiCAL Director of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, Jim Stoa, with any questions.

Posted in COVID-19, DHS, Workforce