Your job as a Certified Nursing Assistant requires compassion and patience to manage the daily needs of residents in long-term care facilities. CNAs typically assist residents with personal grooming and hygiene, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and nail care. They prepare meals and feed patients who cannot feed themselves. These activities put them in close contact with patients, so they are in the best position to detect when something is amiss and alert doctors and nurses. Other duties include measuring and interpreting vital signs, patient charting, recording observations, answering call lights, maintaining clean rooms, making beds, and moving patients from the bed to the wheelchair and vice verse. CNAs might also set up medical equipment, prep patients for treatment, assist nurses and doctors with diagnostic procedures, measure fluid intake and output, and collect samples for the lab.
Long-term care is continuous, so nurse aides must be willing to work nights, weekends, and holidays. They work primarily in long-term care facilities and home health, but opportunities are also available in hospitals and clinics. There is a great demand for nursing assistants in the fast-growing field of healthcare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the estimated number of Nursing Assistant jobs will grow by 11% by the year 2026, faster than the average of all occupations.
Wilson Community College
Wilson Community College hosts a nursing assistant program to prepare adults to perform basic nursing care in long-term care facilities. The program includes classroom lectures, laboratory, and clinical learning experiences. Students who successfully complete the requirements will be eligible to sit for the written and skills evaluation to be listed on the Division of Health Service Regulations’ Nurse Aide Level I Registry. Course topics include basic nursing skills, the role and responsibility of the nurse aide, infection control, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, patient safety, positioning and turning, communication, personal hygiene, handwashing techniques, measuring vital signs, and much more. The school also offers a 170-hour Nurse Aide II program for Nurse Aide I graduates that helps them perform more complex skills.
Admission criteria:
- Complete a background check
- Submit a completed application
- Provide proof of immunizations
- Submit a copy of a high school diploma or equivalent
- Provide of a copy of an NC picture ID
- A valid email address
- Uniforms for the clinical experience
Visit the school’s website for an existing schedule. In addition to tuition, students must budget for malpractice insurance, textbook, materials, uniforms, shoes, and CPR certification.
- Website: https://www.wilsoncc.edu/continuing-education/health-occupations/
- Address: 902 Herring Avenue E, P.O. Box 4305, Wilson, NC 27893
- Phone: (252) 291-1195
- Fax: (252) 243-7148
Fast Track Career Prep, Inc.
Fast Track Career Prep prepares students for certification as a nursing assistant in just 5 weeks. The state-approved program covers 136 hours of combined theory and practical instruction including 57 hours of online theory, 47 lab hours, 32 clinical hours. Students learn how to assist patients with daily living tasks, assist with diagnostic procedures and treatments, perform charting, turn and position patients, make beds while the patient is on the bed, ensure patient safety, communicate effectively, and prevent the spread of infections. The hybrid program requires two weeks of online instruction from Monday through Friday. Upon completion of the theory, students will attend lab and clinical rotations for 5 consecutive weekends. Classes meet Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Graduates are eligible to take the North Carolina NNAAP exam to be listed as a Nurse Aide I on the NC Nurse Aide I Registry.
Admission criteria:
- Submit a completed Application and Enrollment Agreement
- Two forms of ID
- Pay the deposit or full payment
- Provide a high school or GED transcript
- Complete a criminal background check and drug test – must be completed at an approved vendor
- Obtain TB clearance
- Provide proof of immunization (MMR, varicella, and Hepatitis B) or vaccine declination form
Tuition costs $620. A payment plan is available. Students must purchase malpractice insurance, a material kit that will include a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope and other supplies, uniform, and textbook.
- Website: https://www.fasttrackcareerprep.com/
- Address: 3456 Airport Blvd., Wilson, NC 27896
- Phone: 252-243-3276
- Fax: 252-243-3930
- Email: careers@fasttrackcareerprep.com
Edgecombe Community College
The Nurse Aide I Training at Edgecombe Community College prepares adults to supply nursing care to the elderly. The program combines didactic instruction with practical experiences so students will have success on the state evaluation. Areas of study include restorative services, nutrition management, meeting patients’ physical, mental, and social needs, elimination procedures, patients’ rights, human body structure and function, common diseases, safe environment, roles of the nursing assistant, communication, and death and dying. Students will participate in a clinical rotation, which will provide the opportunity to hone their skills under the supervision of the licensed instructor. Clinical times will vary, but the schedule will be earlier than the traditional classroom and lab sessions. At the conclusion of the program, students will be eligible to apply for the written and skills competency evaluation to be listed as a Nurse Aide I by the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation.
Admission criteria:
- A photo ID issued by the state of North Carolina
- Social security card
- Be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs.
- Complete a TD skin test or chest x-ray
- A high school GPA of 2.6, English 111, or a college degree or diploma
- Acceptable scores on a placement test – NC DAP, TABE, SAT, ASSET, ACT, or COMPASS
Tuition for the program is $195.50. Additional costs for the textbook, criminal background check, uniforms, and drug screen will apply.
- Website: https://www.edgecombe.edu/
- Address: 2009 W. Wilson St., Tarboro, NC 27886
- Phone: (252) 823-5166
- Fax: (252) 823-6817
- Email: admissions@edgecombe.edu
Wayne County Community College – Workforce Continuing Education
The Workforce Continuing Education at Wayne County Community College prepares nursing assistant students with the skills to care for elderly adults. The program will include classroom, lab, and clinical instruction. Areas of study include the role of the nurse aide, personal and special care, safe communication, nutrition management, patients’ rights, human body structure and functions, common diseases and disorders, elimination procedures, and patients’ rights. Graduates will be eligible to apply for the NC State Exam to be added to the NA I registry. The training is offered in traditional and hybrid format.
Admission criteria:
- Attend a mandatory information session before registration
- A high school diploma or GED transcript
- Complete a criminal background check and drug screen
- Pregnant applicants must provide a letter from a physician confirming that there are no limitations from taking the class
- Record of vaccinations including MMR records, two immunization shots or titer of Hepatitis B Series
- A current (within past year) TB skin test
- Record of flu shots
Visit the school’s website for a current schedule of information sessions for your chosen semester.
- Website: https://www.waynecc.edu/continuing-ed/programs/allied-health/
- Address: 3000 Wayne Memorial Drive, Goldsboro, NC 27534
- Phone: 919-739-6900
Care One Health Training Institute
The Nurse Aide I training at Care One Health Training teaches students proficiency in personal care, mental health and social needs, rehabilitative care, vital signs, personal care, interpersonal skills, and safety and emergency procedures. The program will include theory and clinical instruction to prepare students for the state Competency Exam. Candidates who pass the exam will be added to the Nurse Aide I Registry. The program comprises of 105 clock hours – 65 hours of classroom and lab and 40 hours of clinical experience. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm.
Admission criteria:
- Submit a completed admission application
- Be at least 18 years old
- Provide two forms of ID – a picture ID and social security card
- Submit proof of meeting educational requirements – high school transcripts or GED
- Evidence of physical health and TB test
- Complete a criminal background check
- Provide immunization records and drug test
Tuition, fees, and books cost $625.
- Website: http://www.careonehealth.org/
- Address: 319 Chapanoke Road, Suite 104, Raleigh, NC 27603
- Phone: (919) 773-7165
- Email: info@careonehealth.org
Johnston Community College
Students interested in the Nurse Aide I program at Johnston Community College must first attend a scheduled orientation. The program includes classroom theory and clinical experiences to prepare students for the state Competency Exam as well as practice in a long-term care setting. Areas of study include the role of the nurse aide, state laws, ethics in practice, nutrition and feeding, communication, vital signs, basic nursing skills, infection control, rehabilitation and restoration, personal care, and patient safety. Students must participate in the clinical rotation to develop nursing care skills under the supervision of a licensed nurse instructor. Applicants must take their driver’s license, social security card, and a copy of high school transcript or GED to the orientation.
Admission criteria:
- Complete the CE Registration Form
- Collect the information packet which gives instructions for completing a criminal background check and drug screen
- Present documentation of completing high school or GED
- Schedule and take a reading placement test if no high school diploma
- Current Healthcare Provider BLS card
- Two forms of matching ID – driver’s license and signed social security card
- Provide documentation of immunization – Tdap vaccine, MMR, TST, tetanus, varicella, and influenza.
Students must pay $214 in the form of a money order, personal check, or credit card at the time of registration. Additional costs include the required textbook, nurse aide handbooks, nurse aide skills pack, nametag, uniforms, white leather shoes, stethoscope, drug screen, and background check.
- Website: http://www.johnstoncc.edu/programs/health-sciences/therapeutic-diagnostic-services/nurse-aide/na-1-registration.aspx
- Address: 245 College Road, PO Box 2350 Smithfield, NC 27577
- Phone: (919) 934-3051
Miller-Motte College
Miller-Motte College equips nursing assistant students with the experience and skills to assume entry-level employment as a nursing assistant. The comprehensive program blends classroom instruction with real-life experience and career assistance to increase graduates’ employability and success in the field. Students will learn how to care for patients in hospitals, home health care, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and clinics. They will gain skills in medical terminology, infection control and safety procedures, grooming and dressing patients, collecting and handling lab samples, and safe patient transfer from the bed to the wheelchair and back. The program comprises of 130 clock hours of instruction.
Admission criteria:
- Complete an application form
- A high school diploma or GED
- Schedule and take a reading placement test if no high school diploma
- Current Healthcare Provider BLS card
- Two forms of ID – driver’s license and signed social security card
- Provide documentation of immunization – Tdap vaccine, MMR, TST, tetanus, varicella, and influenza.
- CPR for Healthcare Providers
- Complete a criminal background check and drug screen
Contact the school for a current schedule and tuition worksheet.
- Website: https://www.miller-motte.edu/campuses/raleigh-career-training
- Address: 3901 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604
- Phone: 919-230-6471
Nash Community College
Nash Community College prepares nursing assistant students to provide basic nursing skills and personal care to the elderly. Through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experiences, instructors will emphasize the patient safety and quality care. Students will learn the mental, social, and physical needs of patients, elimination procedures, the aging process, human body structure and function, death and dying, the role of the nursing assistant, restorative services, maintaining a safe environment, common diseases and disorders, nutrition management, patients’ rights, and infection control. Students who complete the program and pass the skill competency evaluation will be eligible for listing as a Nurse Aide I in North Carolina. The program is offered in hybrid format.
Admission criteria:
- Pass a placement test – TABE Reading & Math. The test is waived for applicants who have completed English 111 and Math 070 or have a Silver CRC Career Readiness Certification or have a 2-year or 4-year degree
- Provide the documents on the checklist
The course fee is $186.25.
- Website: https://www.nashcc.edu/courses-programs/continuing-education-courses/P150
- Address: 522 N. Old Carriage Road, Rocky Mount, NC 27804
- Phone: (252) 443-4011