CNA Class
Certified nurse aide course at The Mason Center for Healthcare Education
The Mason Center for Healthcare Education offers certification programs for individuals who want to pursue careers in healthcare, especially in the senior care industry, including skilled nursing, assisted living and long-term care. Here’s an inside glimpse of the certified nurse aide course, which prepares students to take the exam to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA).
Students from all backgrounds are invited to join the certified nurse aide classes – we will have a mix of students already employed in healthcare, working in other fields (retail, manufacturing and more) or who are planning to enter the workforce as a CNA. Scholarships are available for qualified students through the center’s healthcare partners.
Course overview
The certified nurse aide course is seven weeks and includes five weeks in the classroom and two weeks in a clinical setting, providing hands-on experience.
Students will receive instruction in the roles and responsibilities of a nursing aide from topics such as body structure and function to infection prevention. Students will learn basic patient care and assistance skills, such as with activities of daily living and vital sign measurement.
Students will practice supervised basic patient care in a clinical setting prior to completion of the program, then must successfully meet all objectives of the course for completion. When complete, students will be eligible to take the Tennessee CNA certification exam, and center staff will help students schedule the exam.
There is an interesting array of topics covered in the classrooms, labs and clinicals that are relevant to becoming a successful CNA:
- Understanding healthcare settings
- Nursing assistant and care team
- Legal and ethical issues
- Communication and cultural diversity
- Infection prevention and control
- Safety and body mechanics
- Emergency care and disaster preparation
- Human needs and human development
- Healthy human body
- Positioning, transfers and ambulation
- Admitting, transferring and discharging
- Resident unit
- Personal care skills
- Basic nursing skills
- Nutrition and hydration
- Urinary elimination
- Bowel elimination
- Common chronic and acute conditions
- Confusion, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
- Mental health and mental health disorders
- Rehabilitation and restorative care
- Special care skills
- Dying, death and hospice
- Caring for your career and yourself
If you have ever wanted to pursue or advance your healthcare education, we hope you’ll reach out to The Mason Center for Healthcare Education’s executive director, Brandi Miller, at 865-246-4029 to discuss how to join an upcoming class. You’ll receive support and instruction from experienced professionals all along the path.
About the Mason Center
The Mason Center for Healthcare Education is a non-profit education center that offers certification programs for individuals who want to pursue careers in the senior care industry, including skilled nursing, assisted living and long-term care fields. Sparked by the great need for certified senior care employees and named for healthcare supporters William E. and Janet Mason, The Mason Center recruits and welcomes students from various backgrounds; provides classroom training in a convenient location; offers real-world clinical experience; and helps connect students with potential employers. The Mason Center is pursuing certification and will offer financial aid for qualified students. For more information, visit themasoncenterknox.com.