The Calhoun Community College issued the following announcement on March 22.
The Calhoun Community College Workforce Solutions (CWS) team partnered with Senior Helpers, a local home healthcare company, to offer aspiring Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA’s) paid training opportunities.
According to Diane Peck, CWS Project Manager, the college’s 6-week CNA training program provides real-world hands-on teaching. Students work on-site at an assigned long-term healthcare facility and are required to complete 20-hour clinical rotation shifts. They also receive lecture training that equips them with the knowledge and skillset necessary to immediately enter the workforce and provide direct patient care.
“CNA’s are very hard to come by, with many senior citizens being directly affected by the shortage,” comments Peck. “Sometimes it’s months until some senior citizens are assigned an at-home CNA, which has only worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic,” she added. In an attempt to assist with retaining and attracting new individuals to the nursing field, Governor Ivey reallocated $12.3M in CARES Act funding to assist with Alabama’s nursing shortage.
The $799 Senior Helpers Scholarship covers fees such as training, background check and drug screening, as well as the 2-part TB skin testing. Students who receive the scholarship automatically become employed with Senior Helpers. The only out-of-pocket cost to the students is $75 for the state certification exam fee.
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be eligible to sit for the state board exam, become certified, and be listed on the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry.
Classes begin April 18, 2022. To learn more about this program or to apply, visit www.calhoun.edu/cna.
Original source can be found here.
