CNA Classes Silver Spring, MD

A certified nursing assistant (CNA) or geriatric nursing assistant (GNA) as they’re called in Maryland work under the direction of a licensed nurse to care for residents in need of long-term care. Since residents or patients may need round-the-clock care, CNAs often work long and unusual hours. The job typically requires a willingness to work nights, weekends, and on holidays. The responsibilities are challenging both physically and mentally but the reward of helping those in need more than makes up for the challenges. The skills developed in certified nursing assistant programs prepare students for a lifetime of care as nursing assistants or as foundational preparation for a career in nursing.

CNAs perform their duties under the supervision of a licensed practical or registered nurse. Though they are situated at the bottom tier of the nursing team, they are essential to patient care. They spend the most time with patients, so are ideally positioned to observe life-threatening reactions to treatments or medications. Their duties include but are not limited to feeding, bathing, and dressing patients, taking vital signs, serving meals and keeping patients’ rooms clean, answering calls for assistance, monitoring patients’ condition, and setting up medical equipment and assisting with medical procedures.

Training and experience as a CNA are worthwhile if you’re considering a career as a nurse. Certification is essential for entry into many Associate Degree in Nursing programs. It will also give you a competitive edge in the admission process.

Perpetual School of Nursing Assistant

Perpetual School of Nursing Assistant seeks to develop competent nursing assistants to meet health care demands in Maryland. The nursing assistant program comprises of 120 hours of lecture and laboratory sessions and clinical rotations in local health care facilities. The duration of the program is 4 weeks and includes 3 weeks of classrooms and lab on campus and the final week in a clinical setting. Experienced instructors help students develop the skills to pass the state nurse aide evaluation and success as direct caregivers in a long-term care facility. Course modules include anatomy and physiology, the role of the nursing assistant, basic nursing skills, care across the lifespan, nutrition, personal care, vital signs, infection control, patient transfers, patient rights and respect, legal and ethical issues, and safety. Perpetual School of Nursing Assistant offers day and evening schedules to meet students’ needs. The day schedule runs from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm from Monday through Friday. The evening schedule meets from 4:00 pm to 10:30 from Monday through Friday.

Admission criteria:

  • A completed application
  • Background clearance
  • Complete the health requirements including TB clearance and immunization

The cost of tuition and textbook is $1,030. Registration for the program is free. Students will incur additional costs for MBON certification, fingerprinting, and a watch with a second hand.

Montgomery College, Health Sciences Institute

The nursing assistant program at Montgomery College admits new students three times a year in the fall, spring, and summer. Persons interested in enrolling in the program must attend a free orientation session, where they will learn the program requirements and take a math and reading test. Students must pass the first and second exams with a score of 80% or higher to qualify for enrollment in the program. Those who pass the exam will receive a signed registration form to complete and deliver to Customer Service to register for the program. Interested persons must register for both the CNA Classroom and corresponding CNA Clinical as they must be taken together. The classroom lectures will cover 88 hours of lectures and practical instruction. Course topics include basic nursing skills, taking vital signs, Alzheimer’s care, patient safety, nutrition, role of the nurse aide, communication, and infection control. Students must pass class evaluations with a score of 80% or over and demonstrate the 20 skills before commencing the clinical rotation. The CNA clinical will comprise of 60 hours of direct patient care in a long-term care facility and supervised by an experienced RN instructor. Students will have the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills to good use as they assist patients with the activities of daily living, give bed baths, take vital signs, and other activities. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive an attendance award and will be eligible to apply to take the Geriatric Nursing Assistant Licensing examination. Enrollment is limited.

Admission criteria:

  • Be 18 years or older
  • Have a valid Social Security Number or Tax ID number for the state licensing process
  • Complete a criminal background check
  • Complete CPR Health Provider certification before the clinical
  • A negative TB skin test or chest x-ray

Payment for both components of the course must be paid in full at the time of registration. The cost of tuition and additional experiences will be covered in the program orientation. The Tuition Installment Plan is available for eligible students.

Care Xpert Academy

The nursing assistant program at Care Xpert Academy prepares adults for Certification as a Nurse Aide in the State of Maryland. The training will include instruction in the classroom and hands-on work in a skills lab. Upon completion of the on-campus requirements, students will participate in a clinical rotation at a skilled nursing facility. Course modules will include caring for patients with Alzheimer’s and other disorders, infection control, basic nursing skills, vital signs, nutrition, the role of the nurse aide, patient rights and independence, hospice care, rehabilitative treatments, and communication. Morning and evening schedules are available. Morning classes meet Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Evening classes meet Monday through Friday from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Admission criteria:

  • A high school diploma or GED
  • Be 18 years or older
  • Provide a federal or state ID as confirmation of age
  • A valid social security card
  • Pass an Ability to Benefit exam if no high school diploma or GED is available
  • Provide a recent report of a physical examination – no more than 6 months
  • Proof of negative TB test or chest x-ray – not older than 6 months
  • Complete Hepatitis B series or waiver
  • Complete a criminal background check – state and federal

The cost of tuition and textbook is $1,100. A payment plan is available.

Cambridge GNA

Cambridge GNA hosts a nurse aide program that is designed to equip students with the skills to provide basic nursing care in an acute or long-term care facility. Students who successfully complete the program’s requirements will receive a Certificate of Completion that will grant them eligibility to sit the nurse aide licensing exam to become a Geriatric Nursing Assistant. The program delivers 120 hours of instruction including 80 hours of lectures and 40 hours of supervised clinical activities in a long-term care facility. Students learn how to communicate effectively with residents and members of the health care team, identify the needs of patients, assume accountability for their actions, assist with rehabilitative treatments, and provide safe and quality care. The curriculum covers topics such as infection prevention, nutrition and hydration, restorative care and rehabilitation, hospice care, mental health, Alzheimer’s care, personal care, special care, communication, human needs and development, bowel and urinary elimination, basic nursing skills, hand hygiene, patient transfers and ambulation, and positioning. Classes meet Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. Weekend classes are available.

Admission criteria:

  • A completed application and fee of $25
  • Provide proof of age – must be 18 years or older
  • A high school diploma or GED. Nonhigh school graduates must take the Wonderlic Basic Skills test and achieve the minimum score of 200 on the Verbal and 210 from the Quantitative
  • Negative TB test or chest x-ray – without one year before the training date
  • A physical exam report – completed within one year of program application

Use the contact information below to obtain the current schedule and pricing.

Compassionate Academy

The goal at Compassionate Academy is to provide opportunities for adults to prepare for a career in healthcare. The nursing assistant program is approved by the state and includes both theory and practical instruction in the basics of nursing. Classroom instruction will include recording keeping, monitoring patients’ response to medication and treatments, mental health, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, infection control, safety and emergency response, cognitive impairments, basic nursing skills, cultural sensitivity, transfers and positioning, vital signs, anatomy and physiology, and hospice care. Students will participate in a clinical rotation where they will care for patients and apply the theoretical principles in a real-world setting. The clinical rotation will take place in a skilled nursing facility and will be directed by an experienced Nurse Instructor. Graduates will receive a Certificate of Completion and will be eligible to sit for the state nurse aide exam to become a Geriatric Nurse Aide. A license will be issued by the Maryland Board of Nursing to candidates who pass the state exam.

Fomen Nursing Assistant Training Academy

Graduates of a state-approved nursing assistant program at Fomen Nursing Assistant Training Academy will have the skills and knowledge to assume entry-level nurse aide positions in long-term care. They will also be prepared for success on the competency evaluation to practice as Geriatric Nursing Assistants. The curriculum covers 120 hours of theory and practical instruction. Students will develop hands-on skills in a simulated lab and use their skills to care for patients in a long-term care facility and directed by an experienced nursing instructor. Areas of study include infection control, safety and emergency procedures, healthy human body, preventing infection, effective communication, the health care environment, nutrition and hydration, legal and ethical issues, body mechanics, personal care skills, disaster preparation, bowel elimination, and positioning. Other topics include Alzheimer’s care, rehabilitation, special care skills, mental health, urinary elimination, dementia, death and dying, and range of motion. Weekday, evening, and weekend schedules are available.

Tuition costs $900. The registration fee is $50, and the application fee is $25.

Quality First Career Center

Quality First Career Center helps nursing assistant students develop the essential competencies to administer safe, effective, and respectful care to residents in long-term facilities. The state-approved program includes classroom lectures, hands-on practice in a skills lab, and supervised clinical rotations in a long-term care facility. Instructors will cover basic nursing skills, human anatomy and physiology, vital signs, the role of the nurse aide, care across the lifespan, mental health, infection control, medical terminology, patient safety, hospice care, communication, and other topics that will benefit nurse aides in the workplace. The curriculum covers 120 hours of theory and practical instruction. The duration of the program is 20 days. The clinical rotation will occur during the final 7 days of the program. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm.