Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) Programs

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are also known as nurses aides, orderlies and home health aides. They provide assistance to patients, releasing nurses of the same and allowing them to take care of more pressing tasks that only they can do. By nature of their roles, they are supervised by nurses and assist patients with tasks relating to daily living like bathing, grooming, feeding, assisting nurses in applying medical equipment and importantly, monitoring patient vital signs constantly. They are a source of social and emotional support to patients since they bond with them by providing regular bedside care.

Though nursing assistants don’t require a license, yet most employers prefer Certified Nursing Assistants. Certified Nursing Assistant courses spanning 6-12 weeks are available where nursing assistants can get certified on completion. These CNA courses usually are 50 hours theory with 100 hours of supervised clinical training. Basic nursing skills, anatomy and physiology, nutrition and infection control are covered alongside hands-on-experience through clinical activities. After completion of these programs, they can take exams for getting certified as CNA.

Career prospects are fair for this profession as government economists anticipate job growth for nursing aides to increase faster than average for all other careers mainly driven by increased life expectancies and aging population. Entry level nursing assistants earn between $19,925 and $29,764 annually with more experienced and certified CNAs earning average annual salaries of $35,377.

The University of Phoenix takes the lead in offering CAN programs followed by Lincoln Technical Institute and Kaplan University. USPs of these institutions are campus plus online modes flexible learning and practitioner oriented education. Everest Institute and South University complete the list. Both universities are second to none and come with impeccable credentials in imparting quality, career oriented and affordable education over several decades.