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New CNA class starts September 18
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September 5, 2012 |
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Eight new
Certified Nursing Assistants graduated
from Boundary Community Hospital's CNA
program in August. They are(from back to
front) Tony Onstott, Chelsea Pine, Haley
Cromwell, Xandrix Ecklor, Josiah
McIntosh, Instructor Tracey Maas,
Rebecca Jones, Anna McGuire, Vanessa
Osorio. |
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It is not too late. You can still register for
the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) class
offered by Boundary Community Hospital starting
Tuesday, September 18. CNA training can begin as
early as age 16. A high school or college
diploma is not a prerequisite for either the
training or the certification.
The class meets at the Fry Healthcare Education
Center across from the hospital from 8 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday of each week
starting September 18 and continuing through
November 15.
There are many advantages for both men and women
as Certified Nursing Assistants. As Boundary
Community Hospital Instructor Tracey Maas says,
“They are the back-bone of the healthcare
system.”
A CNA has a wide-range of employment options.
Employers hire CNAs to work in hospitals,
assisted living homes, nursing homes, home care
agencies, rehabilitation centers, doctor’s
offices, outpatient medical and surgical
offices, hospices, respite care, group homes,
and in schools.
There are choices of working with children, with
the elderly and with any age in-between. For
instance, many elderly people want to stay in
their own home, but need some assistance with
daily living. Often a CNA is qualified to offer
that needed care. Many times indirect care like
housekeeping and running errands are part of the
CNA’s job. On the other end of the age spectrum,
children with long-term problems and needs can
receive good care in the comfort of their homes
with assistance from a CNA or nurse.
Often CNAs decide that they want to further
their schooling in the healthcare field and go
back to school for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN),
or Registered Nurse (RN) degree. A CNA
certification is an educational requirement for
becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or
Registered Nurse (RN) in many nursing programs.
Boundary Community Hospital employs close to
forty CNAs as full-time, part-time and per diem
employees. Some have worked in our community
hospital for many years; others are recent
graduates of the CNA class.
Boundary Community Hospital’s CNA class is in
affiliation with North Idaho College (NIC) and
is a State of Idaho certified course. The course
consists of 120 hours of instruction: 80 hours
in the classroom and 40 hours of clinical
experience. At the end of the 120 hours of
training, the student will take a certification
examination at the North Idaho Workforce
Training Center in Post Falls, Idaho.
When certified, the Nursing Assistant can work
throughout the State of Idaho and within those
states that have a reciprocity agreement with
the State of Idaho.
Tracey Maas, RN has been a CNA instructor since
the 1990s. She encourages all who are interested
in the class to contact her about this
professional occupation offered locally. Call
today, (208) 267-3141 extension 4253. |
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