About the Northern Illinois Healthcare Education Network

Welcome to the continuing education opportunities presented by the Northern Illinois Healthcare Education Network (NIHEN). A division of Halligan-Lynch Healthcare Consulting, NIHEN was created to provide Chicago-area healthcare organizations with a variety of high quality, cost-effective education options for their employees. All healthcare professionals are welcome and encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities in a dynamic, live classroom setting. Programs will be offered at member organization locations, and member organization employees will be eligible for reduced registration fees.

With the recent passage of the Illinois Nurse Practice Act bill, RN's will be required to obtain 20 contact hours of continuing education during the 2 year licensure cycle. The Northern Illinois Healthcare Education Network is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Illinois Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

We also offer many opportunities to those who wish to become certified in their specialty, with courses aimed at preparing nurses for success on their certification exams.

Network FAQ's

What is the Northern Illinois Healthcare Education Network?

An organization which provides a variety of cost effective, quality education programs for healthcare organizations and their employees.

Who can participate?

Any healthcare organization in the Chicago Metropolitan Region can participate.

What are the benefits of membership?

•Education that provides practical, applicable skills to improve work performance
•Variety of quality educational offerings
•Reduced registration fees for employees
•Reduced cost of providing education to employees
•Networking opportunities
•Additional benefit to offer employees, as part of retention and recruitment strategy
•Opportunity to participate in NIHEN Advisory Board, providing direction for programming
•Frees up educators to attend to organization-specific needs
•Supports Magnet Status initiative.

What is the membership fee?

There is no fee if organizations agree to host a minimum of 4 education offerings per year. If organizations are unable to do so, the fee is $1500 annually.

What are the requirements of member organizations?

•Provide adequate classroom space with AV equipment for scheduled classes
•Host a minimum of 4 classes per year
•Schedule classes far enough in advance for catalog publishing
•Actively support the network through employee participation in classes

How do we know these education programs will be high quality?

•Only healthcare professionals with the appropriate credentials and expertise will be teaching.
•NIHEN is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Illinois Nurses
  Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s
  Commission on Accreditation.
•Ongoing quality monitoring will be in place to ensure the programs provided are of the highest
  quality.
•Advisory Board members will be part of the QI process and receive feedback at meetings with
  an opportunity to provide recommendations for improvement.

How does my organization join?

Contact: Rosemary MacLean Homer, President, RN MBA
Northern Illinois Healthcare Education Network
630-468-2162