Certified Nursing Assistant is a very important member of the healthcare team and can work in a variety of settings including: acute hospital care, long term care, rehabilitation, assisted living, adult day care, services respite, home care, hospice and many others. The CNA works directly with patients, and provide physical and emotional needs.

The patient care requires a great deal of understanding and confidence. Nursing assistants most successful are sensitive, mature, reliable, patient, and have a positive attitude.Course Description for HLTH 1200: Long Term Care / Certified Nursing Assistant

The course is designed to comply with the Nebraska Department of Health training requirements for nursing assistant certification and employment centers, long term care. The course combines classroom lectures, laboratory application and clinical experience to develop the basic skills needed to care for the elderly. Course content will focus on teaching the nursing assistant to provide safe, effective, and patient care of elderly or chronically ill of any age, at a long-term care.The main requirements for the certification of nursing assistant course

The Nursing Assistant course is 6.5 credit hours in length and is designed to comply with the Nebraska Department of Health training requirements for nursing assistant certification and employment centers, long term care . Daily attendance is required to successfully complete the course.

Course content will focus on teaching the nursing assistant skills to provide safe, effective, and customer care of elderly or chronically ill of any age, at a long-term care.

Successful completion of the course, students must pass the state exam, administered as part of the course. After a resident of Nebraska pass the exam, your registration information is available on the system Nebraska Health and Human Services license verification. (For non-Nebraska residents should talk to your instructor about requirements for the state in which they live.) This process takes several days to complete.Career and Program Data

Overall employment of nursing assistants and home health is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2012, although individual growth rates of operation may vary. The use of health aides in the home is expected to grow faster as a result of the increasing demand for health services in the home of an aging population and efforts to contain healthcare costs by moving patients from hospitals and nursing care as quickly as possible. Consumer preference for home care and improvements in medical technologies for the home treatment also will contribute to faster employment growth than the average health aides in the home. (Source - U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook)

Employment opportunities for nursing assistants are still excellent. The provision of health services to a wide range of people and increased starting salaries have contributed to positive growth of nursing assistants.