Nursing Assistant Careers Enter the challenging and rewarding career of a nursing assistant. The Cochise College Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate program prepares students to care for sub-acutely ill clients and to work as a member of the healthcare community. Students who successfully complete the five-credit-hour course may take the Arizona State Certification test to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
This course is approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and meets OBRA requirements. Students learn the basic concepts of communication, client safety, anatomy and physiology, nursing process, patient rights, legal and professional responsibilities, and specific patient care skills. Students learn to recognize and meet the basic physical, psychosocial, and cultural needs of patients. Special emphasis is placed on the needs of geriatric clients.
Students who plan to work as CNAs after completion of the course should be at least 16 years of age. Most long-term care facilities require employees to be 16 years of age, however, some healthcare facilities may require employees to be 18 years of age. Fingerprinting with background check for felony convictions is required by the Arizona State Board of Nursing prior to certification.
Reliable transportation is needed to attend classes and clinicals at various healthcare facilities throughout Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties.
Cost of certification - $90 (subject to change)
Cost of books - $65 (subject to change)
Employment Outlook This program prepares students to become employed as certified nursing assistants, and employment is found with emergency service providers and in hospitals.
Certified nursing assistants earn an average of $8 to $12 an hour, for an average $16,000 to $24,000 a year.
Program Length HLT 109 (Nursing Assistant) takes one semester to complete and is offered in the fall and spring each
year.
Class Schedule
The classes are scheduled to meet the needs of the working adult.
• Classes meet two evenings a week.
• All classes, except the skills laboratory classes, are taught via
interactive television (ITV). This means you can attend most of
your classes on the Douglas orSierra Vista campuses or atthe Benson, Nogales, or Willcox centers.
• The laboratory classes are held in Douglas, Sierra Vista, and
Benson, with plans for a Nogales lab in the spring 2008
semester.
• Lecture classes start at 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and end at 6:30 p.m.
(three hours per week)
• Labs/clinicals are held on alternate days according to availability and
run from 3:30to 8:30 p.m. (five hours per week)
Cost
Program Cost*
$515
Tuition (5 x $47/credit)
$235
Registration fee
20
Technology fee
10
Lab fee
25
Liability insurance
30
State certification fee
90
Drug screen fee
40
Books
65
*All fees are approximate, subject to change, and for in-state students.
