If you have a caring nature, Lewis and Clark can help you turn that asset into a career as a nurse assistant. You’ll learn the skills necessary for the position, and receive the background that can make you an important part of a professional health care team. You’ll use your caring attitude to help comfort individuals when they need it the most.

The care provided by nursing assistants is essential to the quality of life in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. Because nursing assistants work closely on a daily basis with residents or patients, they are an important part of the healing process.

As a nursing assistant, you will be part of a team that includes other health care professionals such as doctors, nurses, and/or physical therapists. In most clinical settings, you will work under the direction of a registered nurse and be responsible for the personal care of residents or patients. Because you will work directly with patients, other staff members will rely on you for observations and reports. Your responsibilities will include skilled routine care such as assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs).

The skills of a well-trained nursing assistant are valued in a wide range of facilities. As well as general-care positions in hospitals and nursing homes, certification can lead to interesting specialty areas such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, pediatrics, emergency room and respiratory therapy. You might choose to become a unit clerk in a hospital or specialize as a home-care provider. Salaries vary from position to position and usually increase with experience.

Because there are many more jobs available than there are graduates to fill them, a well-trained nursing assistant can usually choose the location that is most suitable. Quite often you’ll also have a choice of hours, including part-time employment in some facilities.

L&C has a strong reputation for training nurse assistants. In order to meet the clinical practicum requirement, you’ll attend 48 hours of clinical training in a nursing home and/or hospital. These facilities often recruit L&C students for employment after successfully completing the program and the state competency exam.

In order to make courses available to students who have family and/or professional responsibilities, classes are offered at a variety of times, including evenings; however, the 48 hours of clinical training is only available during day time hours.

Program Learning Objectives

Define self-awareness and self-esteem and discuss how they can help the nurse assistant develop a sense of self-worth
Explain the role of the nursing assistant and the accompanying responsibilities
State and follow the policies and procedures of specific health care settings
Describe attitudes and perform skills that contribute to effective nursing care of the patient in the most competent manner
Discuss the ethical standards and legal aspects for giving competent care

Nature of Work: Nurse Assistants work under the direction of the nursing and medical staff in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. They are responsible for providing assistance with all ADLs as needed; making beds and cleaning patients’ rooms, transporting patients to different departments when needed, taking and recording vital signs as directed and a variety of other basic but essential services. Sometimes nurse assistants are called nurses’ aides. Male nurse aides are sometimes also called orderlies.

Opportunities: Upon successful completion of the Basic Nurse Assistant Training course with a grade of “C” or better, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and be eligible to be tested for competency as a Certified Nurse Assistant. As a certificated person, you will be eligible to work in nursing homes, hospitals, and community and public health services. There is a constant need for qualified people in this area of the health occupations field.

Skills and Abilities: Because of the extensive contact with patients, nurses’ aides must have a desire to help others. They must be tactful and able to work in sometimes unpleasant conditions. They need to be physically able to stand or walk for long periods of time and lift patients and supplies when needed.

*Health Care Worker Background Check Act: The Illinois Department of Public Health requires that all Nurse Assistant students initiate an application for a criminal background check prior to the first day of class. Students who have questions or a criminal background should contact the Coordinator of the Nurse Assistant Program for more information on determining their eligibility for the program or their ability to complete the program. A satisfactory background check is required for the program.

Admission Requirements:

Be 16 years or older
Provide evidence of reading test scores or courses taken with a reading level of eighth grade or above
Submit evidence of a negative chest x-ray or TB skin test within the timeframe required by the class instructor
Submit a satisfactory health examination report by the student’s physician within the timeframe required by the class instructor
Submit evidence of having at least an eighth grade education level- evidence may include a high school diploma, an Illinois High School Diploma (formerly GED), or a school transcript documenting eighth grade completion or higher
Drug test as directed by instructor

Students in this program will be required to abide by specific policies for this program. These policies are available for review in the Health Sciences Division Office or with the program coordinator.

Technical Standards: All students must be able to fulfill certain “technical standards.” These standards are the essential requirements of the Nurse Assistant program that students must master to successfully participate in the program and become employable in the nursing field. Technical standards for the students in the Nurse Assistant Program:

All students must possess the manual dexterity, physical stamina, and visual capacity to perform all required technical procedures.
Students must be able to communicate in an effectual manner. Students will be required to read and comprehend technical material, as well as write technical reports in a clear and concise manner. In addition, all students must be able to verbally communicate effectively with patients, coworkers, and other healthcare personnel.

Each applicant needs to assess his/her own ability to meet the above technical standards.

Nurse Assistant - NURS/ASST.CC

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Certificate Type

Degree Requirements

Certificate of Completion

Requirements:

Note:

Total credit hours required for the Certificate of Completion in Nurse Assistant: 6