When easy entry to a professional field seems too good to be true, it often is.
Dottie Bement, coordinator and assistant professor of the Nursing Assistant program at Sandhills Community College, has seen firsthand some of the misconceptions associated with training of nursing assistants.
"There have always been shortcut educational programs that do not adequately prepare students to become successful in their chosen career," Bement said. "We are seeing more and more of these programs in the nursing assistant field. From online courses to those that only teach the state exam, we are talking to many who have tried these routes and are now coming to us for proper training.
"I have a student who previously attended a program which claimed to certify students to become nursing assistants. The program stated that neither a high school diploma, GED nor placement test was required.
"The problem with this approach is that students who attend programs such as this without previously having obtained their GED or high school diploma are almost destined to fail from the very beginning."
Bement's student paid several hundred dollars to such a program to prepare her for the Nursing Assistant I exam.
"Not only did this student not pass the exam, but she lost her money, and is now enrolled in our Nursing Assistant program at Sandhills.
"She has already commented on the differences between the other program and the instruction she is receiving at Sandhills. Since completion of our program leads to excellent performance on the state test for registry listing, I am confident she will do much better here and be much more qualified to give excellent care to patients."
The Nursing Assistant program at Sandhills is state-approved and prepares students to work under the supervision of licensed health-care professionals in providing nursing care to patients of all ages. Emphasis is placed on growth and development throughout the life span, personal care, vital signs, communication, nutrition and other aspects of the field.
Graduates can expect to be employed with home-health agencies, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, extended-care facilities and doctors' offices. Bement emphasizes the importance of "upward career mobility" for her students.
"Salaries in health care are directly tied to the amount of education one receives," she said. "We want our Nursing Assistant students to not only be adequately prepared to enter the field, but to also recognize the better paying nursing career opportunities that come with continuing their education."
For students considering the Nursing Assistant program at Sandhills who have not obtained their GED or high school diploma, Bement recommends that they do so.
"Having a GED or high school diploma makes you much more employable," she said. "At Sandhills, we offer financial aid to qualified students, and for those who complete their GED here, we will offer a $100 grant to be used toward tuition when they continue their education here. We also have several scholarships available for Nursing Assistant students.
"Plus, a certified nurse aide (CNA) who pays for their own education in a state-approved CNA program, who goes to work in a long-term care facility or nursing home that accepts Medicaid patients, must be reimbursed on a pro-rata basis, for their education up to $550, within one year of graduation from a state-approved program."
Research has shown that individuals who complete their high school diploma or GED make higher salaries than those that do not. Sandhills offers GED preparation on the main campus in Pinehurst, as well as Aberdeen Elementary School, the Day Reporting Center in Carthage and the Westmoore Center in Robbins. Classes are also held in Hoke County at the Sandhills Hoke Center and Hawkeye Sands Housing Authority.
Bement encourages aspiring nursing assistants to "do it right the first time," and to question programs that make nursing assistant training sound too good to be true.
"We want to help elevate our students, and we want them to know that what sometimes appears to be the easiest route will often not work out for the best."
For more information on the day and evening Nursing Assistant program at Sandhills, interested persons can contact Bement at 695-3965 or Bementd@sandhills.edu. (source) |
