“I completed this course while working full-time and it fit perfectly into my schedule. The certificate was recognized by my employer immediately and I got promoted within a month!”
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Self-paced, online certification programs that help you earn more, do more, and grow your healthcare career — with continuing education toward your license renewal and a certificate you can be proud of. Enroll today and start right away.
Draco Learning's Career Development Programs help care staff step into expanded, higher-impact roles. Every course pairs self-paced online learning with real professional standards and ends in a certificate of completion — so you learn on your own schedule, at an affordable tuition. Pick your program below and get started today.
Don’t let the price tag hold you back. On any program $200 or more, put down $99 today to unlock your full course and start learning right away — then pay the rest on your own terms: any amount, on your own schedule, whenever works for you. No interest, no credit check, no pressure. Your certificate is ready the moment your tuition is paid in full. The sooner you start, the sooner you finish — so why wait?
Real credentials, real flexibility, and a certificate that works as hard as you do.
Every course awards continuing education contact hours toward CNA, LVN, RN, and EMT license renewal — and your certificate is the documentation you submit at renewal time.
Self-paced lessons you can start today and finish on your own schedule — no fixed class times and no commute. Your progress saves automatically.
Transparent pricing with no subscriptions and no hidden fees — and a verifiable certificate of completion the day you finish.
Curriculum written to real professional standards — CDPH guidelines, CMS expectations, and current clinical practice — not generic filler.
Step into expanded, higher-impact roles and stand out to employers with credentials that show initiative and real competence.
Your completed coursework, quiz history, and certificate stay in your account — ready whenever you or an employer need them.
Real 5-star reviews from nurses who earned their Director of Staff Development certification with Draco Learning.
“I completed this course while working full-time and it fit perfectly into my schedule. The certificate was recognized by my employer immediately and I got promoted within a month!”
“Outstanding course! The adult learning principles section transformed how I approach staff education. My in-services are now more effective and better received by our CNAs.”
“The curriculum development and lesson planning modules were incredibly valuable. I now feel confident creating training programs that meet regulatory requirements and actually engage our staff.”
“Worth every penny! The documentation and compliance module alone saved me hours of confusion. Everything is explained clearly with practical examples from real SNF settings.”
“This course was exactly what I needed to advance my career. The content is comprehensive, well-organized, and directly applicable to my daily work in the SNF setting. I passed my certification exam on the first try!”
“As a busy LVN with years of experience, I appreciated the self-paced format. The modules were engaging and the knowledge checks helped reinforce key concepts. Highly recommend for anyone pursuing their DSD certification.”
Become the nurse who leads staff training at a skilled nursing facility — earn your certification 100% online, at your own pace, open to LVNs, LPNs and RNs in all 50 states.
Every skilled nursing facility runs on well-trained staff — and behind that training is one nurse who makes it happen. If you’re the person your coworkers already come to with questions, and you love teaching as much as bedside care, the Director of Staff Development role turns that instinct into a rewarding, off-the-floor career. This is how you step into it: on your own schedule, from wherever you practice.
A Director of Staff Development — “DSD” for short — is the licensed nurse who leads education and training inside a skilled nursing facility. You’re the one who orients new hires, runs the ongoing in-service education every facility is required to provide, confirms that staff are competent at the skills that keep residents safe, and keeps the training records surveyors ask to see. In many facilities the DSD also teaches the Nurse Assistant Training Program — which makes you the nurse who trains the next generation of CNAs.
Here’s what surprises a lot of nurses: this role exists in every state. Federal law requires every nursing facility in the country to have someone leading staff education, so the job is everywhere — it just goes by different names. California calls it the Director of Staff Development; elsewhere you’ll see Staff Development Coordinator, In-Service Coordinator, or Nurse Educator. The title on the door changes; the work behind it doesn’t. That’s why this certification is built for nurses in all 50 states, whether you’re an LVN, LPN, or RN.
For a lot of nurses, this is the move they’ve been waiting for: weekday hours, far less physical strain, a real seat at the leadership table, and the satisfaction of shaping a whole team instead of one shift at a time. It’s one of the most rewarding ways to grow a nursing career without leaving the world you already know.
You’ll finish with 24 continuing-education contact hours and a verifiable Director of Staff Development certificate — complete with a QR code an employer can scan to confirm it’s genuine. It’s the education employers look for when they hire or promote into staff-development roles, and in California it’s the coursework that satisfies the Title 22 requirement on your path to the DSD role. It’s the kind of credential that pays for itself the first time it opens a door.
This course is built for licensed nurses — RNs, LVNs, and LPNs — in any state. It’s a natural next step if you’re already the go-to person for orientation and in-services, if you’ve been asked to help train CNAs, or if you’re simply ready to move from bedside care into teaching and leadership. You don’t need any prior education experience — that’s exactly what the course gives you.
Work through ten modules on any device, on your own schedule — most nurses finish comfortably within their 90 days of access. Enrollment and the classroom are hosted on DSD Certify, our dedicated certification site.
Create your account and enroll in a couple of minutes — one-time $79 tuition, secure Stripe checkout, and 90 days of access.
Adult-learning principles, curriculum and lesson planning, teaching methods, assessment, documentation and compliance — all self-paced, with a quick knowledge check after each one.
A comprehensive exam ties everything together (three attempts are included), and your 24 CE contact hours are recorded.
Download your verifiable DSD certificate with QR-code verification — ready to hand an employer the same day you finish.
Advance your CNA career with restorative care expertise.
The Restorative Nurse Assistant (RNA) program prepares Certified Nursing Assistants to deliver restorative care — helping residents regain and maintain their highest practical level of physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. The program combines an 8-hour online theory component (entirely self-paced, completed on your own schedule) with an 8-hour in-person clinical experience.
A certificate of completion suitable for your employee file, demonstrating advanced restorative-care competency aligned with CMS expectations.
Current Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) in good standing who want to expand their scope, take on restorative-care duties, and grow their long-term-care careers.
Most students finish in a few days. Pause and resume anytime, on any device.
Can be completed in a single day or spread over up to a week if your schedule requires.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Pick the RNA program and enroll in minutes. Secure payment through Stripe.
Entirely self-paced. Lessons, skills checklists, and quizzes. Most students finish in a few days.
Demonstrate restorative-care skills with a clinical instructor. One day, or spread across a week.
Receive your Draco Learning RNA certificate of completion, ready for your employee file.
Acquire flawless 12-lead ECGs and recognize the rhythms that matter.
The ECG Technician program is a complete, self-paced online course that takes you from zero to confident electrocardiography. You will learn how the heart works as a pump and as an electrical organ, master flawless 12-lead electrode placement, and build a systematic, repeatable method for reading rhythms and 12-lead tracings — from normal sinus rhythm to the life-threatening arrhythmias and STEMI patterns every ECG technician must recognize on sight. Everything is online; there is no scheduled clinical day, so you can finish on your own schedule. This course is based on the Draco Learning ECGs & Arrhythmia Recognition textbook.
A Draco Learning ECG/EKG Technician & Basic Arrhythmia Certification of completion for your employee file or job application, plus the systematic interpretation skills and exam readiness to pursue a national ECG/EKG technician credential.
Anyone entering or advancing in patient care — nursing assistants, medical assistants, patient-care and monitor technicians, nursing and pre-health students, and new telemetry staff — who wants to acquire and recognize ECGs accurately and prepare for a national ECG/EKG technician certification exam.
The ~30 hours is your total study time across all eleven modules — lessons and annotated ECG strips, worked examples, a practice-strip atlas, module quizzes, and the final exam. Pause and resume anytime, on any device.
Practice on real rhythm strips with immediate feedback, a quiz after every module, and a comprehensive final exam.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Pick the ECG/EKG Technician & Basic Arrhythmia Certification course and enroll in minutes. One-time tuition, secure payment through Stripe.
Entirely self-paced. Read, study annotated ECG strips, and pass a short quiz after every module.
Put it all together on a randomized final exam covering every module. Review rationales and retake as allowed.
Receive your Draco Learning ECG Technician certificate of completion, ready for your file or application.
Master the Minimum Data Set (MDS 3.0) and the RAI process.
The MDS Nurse Certification prepares nurses to own the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) process in a skilled nursing facility. Accurate MDS 3.0 assessments drive care planning, quality measures, Five-Star ratings, and PDPM reimbursement — making the MDS nurse one of the most valued roles in long-term care. This self-paced online course builds the coding accuracy, scheduling discipline, and audit-readiness to complete the MDS confidently and lead the RAI process.
A Draco Learning MDS Nurse certificate of completion for your employee file, plus the practical judgement to run the RAI process accurately and confidently.
Licensed nurses (LVN/LPN/RN) moving into or strengthening an MDS Coordinator / RAI Coordinator role, and care-team members who want to understand how MDS coding shapes reimbursement and quality.
Lessons, worked coding examples, and a quiz after each module, finishing with a comprehensive final exam. Pause and resume anytime, on any device.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Reserve your seat now — secure payment through Stripe. Your access is saved until the course opens.
Work through the online modules at your own pace, with a short quiz after each.
Put it all together on a randomized final exam covering every module.
Receive your Draco Learning MDS Nurse certificate of completion, ready for your file.
Skin integrity, evidence-based wound care, and confident ostomy management.
Skin, Wound & Ostomy Care builds one of the most in-demand skill sets in long-term care. This self-paced online course develops practical, evidence-based competence in pressure-injury prevention and staging, wound assessment and treatment, and confident ostomy management — for the nurse who wants to lead skin and wound programs at their facility.
A Draco Learning Skin, Wound & Ostomy Care certificate of completion for your employee file, plus the confidence to assess, treat, and document skin and wound care to current standards.
Licensed nurses (LVN/LPN/RN) in long-term or post-acute care who want to strengthen their skin, wound, and ostomy skills or take the lead on a facility skin-and-wound program.
Lessons, clinical photos and worked examples, and a quiz after each module, finishing with a comprehensive final exam. Pause and resume anytime.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Reserve your seat now — secure payment through Stripe. Your access is saved until the course opens.
Work through the online modules at your own pace, with a short quiz after each.
Put it all together on a randomized final exam covering every module.
Receive your Draco Learning Skin, Wound & Ostomy Care certificate of completion.
Lead your facility's infection prevention and control program.
The Infection Control & Prevention Nurse course prepares the nurse who leads a facility's infection prevention and control (IPC) program. Every long-term-care facility relies on strong IPC — this self-paced online course covers surveillance, precautions, outbreak management, antibiotic stewardship, environmental infection control, and regulatory compliance, with the practical judgement to run the program well.
A Draco Learning Infection Control & Prevention certificate of completion for your employee file, plus the practical skills to lead your facility's IPC program.
Licensed nurses (LVN/LPN/RN) serving as, or stepping into, the Infection Preventionist role, and care-team members responsible for infection prevention in long-term or post-acute care.
Lessons, worked examples, and a quiz after each module, finishing with a comprehensive final exam. Pause and resume anytime.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Reserve your seat now — secure payment through Stripe. Your access is saved until the course opens.
Work through the online modules at your own pace, with a short quiz after each.
Put it all together on a randomized final exam covering every module.
Receive your Draco Learning Infection Control & Prevention certificate of completion.
Bridge from CNA to hospital acute care and prepare for the NHA CPCT/A exam.
The Patient Care Technician (PCT) Acute Care Bridge prepares experienced CNAs to step up from skilled nursing into the hospital / acute-care setting and to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) CPCT/A exam via the Work Experience Pathway. You will build the acute-care skill set hospitals expect — telemetry and 12-lead ECGs (practiced on an interactive ECG simulator), specimen and lab-sample collection, assisting with bedside procedures, behavioral-hold (1:1) observation, and hospital safety and codes. This is exam preparation and professional development; it is not a state license, an NHA-issued certification, or a phlebotomy license, and NHA exam eligibility is determined solely by NHA.
A Draco Learning certificate of completion, up to 24 CDPH-approved online CE hours toward California CNA renewal, and the confidence and practice to sit for the NHA CPCT/A exam.
Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) with roughly a year or more of supervised patient-care experience who want to move into acute-care / hospital PCT roles and prepare for the NHA CPCT/A exam.
Lessons, an interactive ECG simulator, and quizzes throughout, finishing with a comprehensive practice exam. Pause and resume anytime, on any device.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Reserve your seat now — secure payment through Stripe. Your access is saved until the course opens.
Work through the online modules and the interactive ECG simulator at your own pace.
Build readiness with a full-length NHA CPCT/A-style practice exam.
Receive your Draco Learning certificate of completion and CE certificate.
Prepare with confidence for your state CNA certification exam.
The Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Exam Prep program is a focused, self-paced review that prepares you for the written and skills portions of your state CNA certification (competency) exam. You will review core nurse-aide knowledge and the most-tested hands-on skills, with practice questions and step-by-step skills walkthroughs. This is exam preparation and review — it is not a state-approved nurse-aide training program (which requires supervised clinical hours).
The knowledge and hands-on skills practice to sit for your state CNA competency exam with confidence. This is exam preparation and review — it prepares you for the state certification exam and does not itself award a certification.
Nurse-aide students preparing for the state CNA competency exam, and CNAs who want a confident refresher on core knowledge and skills.
Lessons, skills walkthroughs, and practice questions after each module. Pause and resume anytime, on any device.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Reserve your seat now — secure payment through Stripe. Your access is saved until the course opens.
Work through the review modules and skills walkthroughs at your own pace.
Reinforce with practice questions and step-by-step skills.
Walk into your state CNA competency exam prepared and confident.
Master EMT-level theory and get ready to pass the NREMT.
The EMT Exam Prep & Review program is a complete, self-paced review of EMT-level knowledge, built to get you confident and exam-ready. You will work through the full national scope — patient assessment, airway and breathing, cardiology and resuscitation, medical and trauma emergencies, and EMS operations — with focused NREMT-style practice testing throughout. This is a review and exam-preparation program for students who trained elsewhere or are refreshing before the exam; it is not a state-licensed EMT training course.
The confidence and full-length practice-exam readiness to pass the NREMT. This is exam preparation and review — it prepares you for the NREMT certification exam and does not itself award a certification.
Students preparing for the NREMT exam, EMTs refreshing core knowledge, and anyone who wants a structured, self-paced review of EMT-level medicine before testing.
Lessons, worked scenarios, and practice questions after each module, finishing with full-length practice exams. Pause and resume anytime.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Reserve your seat now — secure payment through Stripe. Your access is saved until the course opens.
Work through the review modules at your own pace, with practice questions throughout.
Build exam stamina with full-length NREMT-style practice tests.
Walk into the NREMT prepared, with full-length practice behind you.
Advanced paramedic theory and NREMT-Paramedic exam preparation.
The Paramedic Exam Prep & Review program is an advanced, self-paced review of paramedic-level medicine, built to prepare you for the NREMT-Paramedic exam. It spans advanced airway management, pharmacology, cardiology and 12-lead interpretation, medical and trauma emergencies, and clinical reasoning — with targeted practice testing throughout. This is a review and exam-preparation program for those who trained elsewhere or are preparing to test; it is not a state-licensed paramedic training course.
Advanced, full-length practice-exam readiness for the NREMT-Paramedic. This is exam preparation and review — it prepares you for the exam and does not itself award a certification.
Students preparing for the NREMT-Paramedic exam, paramedics refreshing advanced content, and anyone who wants a rigorous, self-paced paramedic-level review before testing.
Advanced lessons, 12-lead practice, and question banks after each module, finishing with full-length practice exams. Pause and resume anytime.
Sign up in under a minute. We send a 6-digit code to verify your email.
Reserve your seat now — secure payment through Stripe. Your access is saved until the course opens.
Work through the advanced review modules at your own pace.
Build exam readiness with full-length NREMT-Paramedic practice tests.
Walk into the exam prepared, with full-length practice behind you.
Damien Draconum · Licensed Nurse (California) · Director of Staff Development · CNA & EMT Instructor
Your programs and reference manuals are written by Damien Draconum, a licensed California nurse with more than 25 years in healthcare and healthcare education — a practicing Director of Staff Development and an authorized nurse-assistant (CNA) and EMT instructor. Every course is built from the regulations themselves, established adult-learning theory, and years of doing the work in skilled nursing facilities.
Pick your program and enroll today — start learning at your own pace, earn continuing education toward your license renewal, and finish with a certificate you can be proud of.
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