Copy and paste the link below into your browser to go to the Trauma Hours PennPoint page (accessible only via UPHS device) to access selected resources for obtaining continuing education for trauma hours, and to read the UPHS Trauma Nurse Credentialing Policy (updated in 2020). The PennPoint page is updated regularly as new resources become available. To submit a resource for this page, please e-mail PACETraining@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Visit the PennPoint website for more information.
All employees who are required to annually account for trauma hours and who have a profile in the trauma hours database will receive reminder emails from REDCap every month with an individualized link allowing them to log their trauma hours. Any employee with a profile in the database who is not receiving these monthly emails (please check junk/spam folder as well) should contact their manager for further assistance.
To add new employees to the database, the employee or their manager can visit the website below and enter the employee's information. It is important to avoid the creation of duplicate profiles in the database. Depending on the unit, information required for the profile may include:
- Hire date
- Start date on unit
- Trauma Nurse Course (TNC) date
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) date of expiration
- Specialty certification and date
Once a profile is created, the employee will receive emails every month asking if they have trauma hours to log. If they have trauma hours, they can enter them on this individualized form. If they do not have hours to log for the month, they should simply click on the link and select "No" to stop receiving reminders for that month. Otherwise, the system will continue to send reminders that the form has not been completed for the month.
Managers will receive quarterly reports from PACE detailing which employees have claimed trauma hours in order to guide their strategy for ensuring all employees are on track to meet this requirement by the end of each calendar year.
Nurses maintaining an active advanced trauma certification (CEN/CPEN, CCRN/CCRN-K, TCRN, PCCN, CPN, CFRN, CNRN, CNOR, CPAN, ANCC Medical-Surgical Nursing board certification (RN-BC)) are not required to maintain annual continuing education reporting of trauma hours in the trauma hours database. For record keeping, PACE will request an annual updated list of all employees with active advanced certification(s) from each unit/department manager. However, the employee should still have a profile in the trauma hours database. The employee will still receive a monthly e-mail to log trauma hours, which they can choose to disregard if they have the advanced certification.
PPMC Trauma Hours Database Information for Employees
Create an Initial Employee Entry in the Trauma Hours Database
Employees responsible for completing trauma hours must have a profile in the database in order to receive e-mails to log hours. To create a profile, complete an Initial Employee Entry form using this link. To prevent the creation of duplicate profiles, please consult your manager prior to creating a profile.
Log Trauma Hours via Monthly E-mailed Links
Personalized links for logging trauma hours in the database will be e-mailed on the first Monday of each month to every employee with an active profile in the database. If you do not have trauma hours to claim for a given month, just click on the link in the e-mail and select "No hours to log." on the form.
Trauma Hours Compliance is Tracked by your Manager or CNS
You are responsible for logging your required # of trauma hours into the database during each calendar year, January 1 through December 31. It is important to keep your own records (certificates, certification cards, CE documents, etc.) of hours completed and claimed. Please visit the UPHS Trauma Hours page of the PACE website for further details.
To access a trauma hours database job aid for managers, please e-mail PACETraining@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Q. How can I find out how many hours I need per year based on my role?
A. Please review the UPHS policy. The hour requirements are notated in Appendix A. The year of compliance measurement starts January 1st and runs through December 31st.
Q. How can I find educational offerings that will fulfill my yearly continuing education requirements?
A. PACE offers many courses, conferences, and workshops that will fulfill yearly continuing education requirements for trauma. Other outside conferences, courses, and workshops have the potential to fulfill these requirements as well, depending on the content. A comprehensive listing of educational offerings that count for trauma hours is included for your review. For any questions on whether an offering outside of PACE meets trauma education requirements, please contact PACEtraining@pennmedicine.upenn.edu for approval.
Q. What educational offerings count for trauma hours?
- All PACE Offerings
- Tuesday Multidisciplinary Rounds
- Wednesday AM Educational Conferences
- M&M
- Teaching ATCN, FCCS, RTTDC, B-Con, TNCC or other approved critical care courses
- External Trauma Conferences • Scrubbing for ATOM or ASSET
- ACLS/PALS (refer to policy for number of hours) • Unit Specific Trainings (Gift of Life, etc.)
- Review of Articles that provide CE ONLY
- Approved courses as part of academic advancement
**Please note, as of January 1, 2019, STN Trauma Modules in Knowledge Link will no longer count for trauma hours**
Q. What educational offerings are employees responsible for entering into the trauma hours database via automated emails (effective January 1, 2019)?
- All PACE Offerings
- Refer to e-certificate issued upon evalcompletion at each course for tracking
- Tuesday Multidisciplinary Rounds
- Wednesday AM Educational Conferences
- Refer to CME database for tracking
- M&M
- Refer to CME database for tracking
- Teaching ATCN, FCCS, RTTDC, B-Con, TNCC or other approved critical care courses
- External Trauma Conferences
- Scrubbing for ATOM or ASSET
- ACLS/PALS (refer to policy for number of hours)
- Unit Specific Trainings (Gift of Life, etc.)
- Review of Articles that provide CE ONLY
- Approved courses as part of academic advancement
Q. How can I log trauma hours when I complete continuing education?
A. All employees required to report yearly continuing education for trauma will receive individualized emails every month throughout the year asking them if they have trauma hours to report. It is important that they report their own trauma hours through this link because it is specific to the individual. For example, do not use someone else's link to report trauma hours because they will not count. For more information on the process, please visit the LOG TRAUMA HOURS section above.
Q. Who enters trauma hours into the database?
A. All employees required to report yearly continuing education will log their own trauma hours via the individualized emails they receive. For questions, please ask your manager.
Q. What do I do if I am not receiving individualized emails?
A. Please contact your manager who can verify that you have been entered into the system. Employees who do not have a profile in the trauma hours database should refer to the Enter New Employee section of our website after consulting with their manager. Please avoid the creation of duplicate profiles for an employee in the database.
Q. Can I get an update on how many more hours I need for the year if I forget?
A. The database does not have a search feature accessible to employees. All employees should maintain their own records of trauma hours completed for the year and when they are entered into the database. If an employee needs clarification, they should first ask their manager who will receive bi-annual reports (at the minimum) on their unit's compliance with this educational mandate. If there are still questions, please contact PACETraining@pennmedicine.upenn.edu