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School of Environment and Natural Resources

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New continuing professional development course on the Amish available

Jan. 5, 2023
Two hats hung side-by-side on a wall.

School of Environment and Natural Resources teams up with the College of Nursing to offer Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) for Nurses (and non-Nurse professionals too).  

The School of Environment and Natural Resources has partnered with the College of Nursing to offer nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) focused on the Amish. The Amish are a small, religious-based and rural-located sect of Christianity who have established communities across the rural landscapes of The United States and Canada. While the Amish are known for a slower pace of life, their population is growing at nearly 2x the rate of the mainstream North American population. The continued growth and spread of Amish communities makes understanding this unique subculture especially important for health professionals serving in rural hospitals or even trauma centers located in nearby city centers.  

Built to compliment the Nursing Cultural Competency requirements for nursing contact hours, the online, self-paced course provides an overview of the history and logic behind the cultural practices and preferred religious lifestyle of Amish society with special interest given to medical and wellness topics. 

The course includes 6 units which examine the Amish origins in Europe, the religious basis for Amish beliefs and cultural practices, Amish medical and wellness practices, and common accidents and injuries experienced in Amish communities. 

Non-nurse professionals also have the opportunity to enroll in a self-paced course

While this course was created with nurses in mind, the collaborators recognize that a course on the Amish is of great importance to any professional working with this population. With this in mind, two versions of the course are available. "A Guide to Amish Society", is open to all non-nurse professionals and will provide a Document of Completion to all enrolled students who meet course requirements. "A Guide to Amish Society: Continuing Education for Nurses" is only open to licensed Nurses and will award Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) credits to all enrolled students who meet course requirements. Both courses are identical in content and only differ in the document issued at the completion of the course.  

Dr. Joseph Donnermeyer is the instructor for both courses. Dr. Donnermeyer is a professor emeritus in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University.

Enroll today

This online, self-paced course is offered through ScarletCanvas, the course management system for Ohio State University Extension. The cost of enrollment is $200 plus the purchase of a required textbook (~$20). Nurses and non-nurse professionals can enroll starting January 2022.


Course Administrator: Kylienne Shaul (shaul.9@osu.edu) 

Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) contact: Kate Trinter (trinter.11@osu.edu)