Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) provide basic patient care under the supervision of senior nurses.
Mostly, your job is to help long-term care facilities’ residents with their daily living activities, such as:
- Bathing and cleaning them
- Dressing them up
- Serving them meals
- Measuring their vital signs
- Listening to their health concerns and reporting these to the senior nurses
- Turning, repositioning, or transferring them between beds and wheelchairs
And for you to be able to do these things, you need to get the appropriate nursing assistant training and certification.
At times, it may be inconvenient for you to study through traditional schooling.
Fortunately, many accredited CNA training facilities now offer the program online.
This has made it easier and more convenient for you to earn the CNA certification.
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Taking an Online CNA Training Program
The first step toward becoming a CNA is to complete a state-approved nursing assistant training program (NATP).
For someone like you who wants flexibility, an online NATP is much preferable and advantageous.
In the online NATP curriculum, you will…
- Complete all the theories and other academic points online
- Complete the supervised clinical practice in person at a long-term care facility
How long the program will be depends on the training facilities’ curriculum.
But usually, the courses can be completed within 12 weeks.
Then after you complete them, the training facility will award you with an NATP Certificate of Completion.
Course Content
Because it’s online, the regulating bodies want to ensure that you can develop the necessary patient care skills, such as:
- Infection control
- Personal care and hygiene
- Vital signs
- Wound dressing
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
And so, they developed an NATP curriculum that equally cultivates your knowledge and skills as a nursing assistant.
At a minimum, training facilities must follow this course content:
- Basics of a healthcare worker, where you’ll learn:
- Different roles of a healthcare worker
- CNA’s legal and ethical responsibilities
- Conflict resolution strategies
- Responsibilities of a CNA, where you’ll learn:
- Communication skills
- Promotion of safety
- Promotion of the health and function of patients
- Basic and specialized nursing care
- Supervised clinical practice, where you’ll apply your knowledge in an actual caregiving situation
Benefits of Taking an Online CNA Training Program
There are many benefits to taking an online NATP, and here are some of them:
More School Options
Some of you may not have accredited NATP training facilities in your local area.
So by enrolling online, you can have multiple school options to choose from.
Affordability
Because it’s online, the tuition and miscellaneous fees are much lesser.
It makes online NATP more affordable than traditional schooling.
Plus, you can save up on meals, accommodations, and travel expenses.
Accessibility and Flexibility
You can access the lectures and other course materials anywhere, any time, and at your own pace.
This allows you to learn asynchronously, as well as take part in class discussions whenever it’s convenient.
Utilizing Technology
You can easily connect with your instructors and peers through:
- Videoconferences
- Discussion boards
- Digital resources
Diversity
You can get in touch with a more diverse group of people in the U.S. and across the world.
This allows you the opportunity to learn from people with different backgrounds and perspectives.
As a result, you are able to build a wide network of professional connections.
Admissions Requirements to an Online CNA Training Program
An online NATP has similar admissions requirements as that of traditional schooling.
At a minimum, training facilities will require the following:
- High school diploma or GED equivalent
- Undergo a criminal background check
- Pass a medical/physical exam
Finding an Online CNA Training Program
Here are some of the approved online NATPs you can check out.
- A & W Healthcare Educators (LA)
- Abcott Institute (MI)
- Abilene Christian University (TX)
- Abington Memorial Hospital Dixon School of Nursing (PA)
- Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (GA)
- Academy for Careers and Technology (SC)
- Academy of Careers and Technology (WV)
- Access Careers (NY)
- Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations (FL)
- Adams State University (CO)
- Adelphi University (NY)
- Adirondack Community College (NY)
- Adult and Community Education-Hudson (OH)
- Advance Science Institute (FL)
- Advanced College (CA)
- Adventist University of Health Sciences (FL).
- Aiken Technical College (SC)
- Aims Community College (CO)
- Akron School of Practical Nursing (OH)
