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Are you the compassionate type? Do you enjoy helping others? Certified nursing assistants (C.N.A.) provide basic care to patients and assist them in daily activities such as dressing, eating and bathing. The personal nature of the job requires compassion and people skills, and offers infinite rewards while working closely with patients, families and care teams.
Typical Day for a C.N.A.:
The C.N.A program at CHI Health St. Elizabeth is an approved education program and is licensed by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS). Our program provides at minimum a 76 hour Certified Nursing Aide course and partners with the Nebraska Health Care Association for testing. CHI Health St Elizabeth C.N.A. program is an equal opportunity program and every effort will be made to accommodate people with disabilities. It is the expectation that the student will request special accommodations and make their needs known, as well as provide reasonable proof of need.
Objectives:
Courses, clinical and simulation hours are located at CHI Health St Elizabeth, 555 S. 70th Street Lincoln, NE.
State testing, both skills and written (or oral), will take place at the Nebraska Health Association's Health Care Learning Center, 1200 Libra Drive, Suite 100 Lincoln, NE.
Program Coordinator:
Amanda Tran MSN/MBA, RN, NPD-BC
CHI Health St Elizabeth
CHI Health St Elizabeth’s C.N.A. program is offered four times per year on a quarterly basis, Winter (January), Spring (April), Summer (July) and Fall (October). The following holidays are observed and no class will be held on them:
Each course session typically lasts two and half weeks, Monday through Friday, consisting of classroom instruction, simulation lab and clinical observation. Days start at 9:00am and end at approximately 5:00pm. Testing will take place on a Saturday following primary course instruction and will be arranged by the program coordinator with date shared on day one of the program. Each course offering is limited to ten students.
Program is open to anyone ages 18 years and older who demonstrates a desire to acquire new information and skills and possesses a passion for working in a healthcare environment at a Lincoln CHI Health facility. Candidates must be able to pass a criminal background check, be able to lift 25 pounds, be able to speak, read, write and understand English, provide a copy of immunizations including influenza and COVID-19 (or complete a waiver application), and complete a TB test. Students will be considered a “CHI Health St Elizabeth Volunteer” while undergoing the C.N.A. program course and must adhere to any and all volunteer on boarding requirements. You will not be required or expected to complete any hours as a volunteer during or after this process. Applications must be submitted no later than six weeks prior to the course start date.
Steps for Admission to the CNA Program:
Sign Up for CNA Program Classes
Applicants must have all steps completed prior to the first day of class.
Withdrawal Policy:
Students may initiate a withdrawal prior to the start of classes. To withdraw from a class, an official request in writing (email) must be submitted to the program coordinator. Failure to attend classes and/or notification by telephone does not constitute a drop from a class. Participants who withdraw from the program will not pay any fees or incurred any program costs.
Program Expectations:
What CHI Health Pays:
Timeline:
Students are expected to attend all sessions of the class in which they are enrolled. If a student is to be absent for any time, for any reason, the program coordinator must be notified immediately. If a student is ill, this includes but is not limited to having a fever, COVID-19 symptoms, or any contagious condition, you will not be allowed to attend class and will be asked to leave class if symptoms arise during the course of the class. Students who have missed hours will be required to make up these missed hours with a course instructor prior to state testing and within 2 weeks of course end date. Students who miss more than 16 hours of class will not be permitted to continue and must drop the course.
A single class that is canceled due to inclement weather or natural disasters will not require additional make-up days as more than the state required 76 course hours are built into the course curriculum. Instructors will ensure all material will be covered in remaining course dates. The CNA program will follow the lead of the University of Nebraska Lincoln Campus on deciding to cancel for weather conditions. Students will be contacted as soon as possible for any weather or natural disaster related cancellations. In the rare event that more than two days need to be canceled for these reasons, the program coordinator will work with the students to arrange makeup days.
Classes start promptly at 9:00 am each day. Students who are late will be considered tardy. Excessive tardiness (more than 3 tardies) will result in dismissal from the program. Students more than 20 minutes late will be asked to leave and will be considered absent that day and will need to make up the class day. Students will be expected to return promptly after all break periods and not be late on return to class. Late returns will also be considered tardies.
Policies and procedures have been developed to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. These rights apply to all students 18 years of age or older, students who are no longer dependent upon a parent/guardian, students in a post-secondary program regardless of their age, and parents of eligible dependent children.
Students have the right to:
All requests for student records must be submitted to Amanda.Tran@commonspirit.org.
Information that may be released:
The student’s social security number (SSN) is required as a condition of enrollment. The SSN is considered a part of the educational record under FERPA. Disclosure of SSNs is only with the consent of the student or in those limited circumstances when consent is not required by FERPA.
The CNA program will be graded on a pass/no pass system. To graduate and successfully complete the program, a grade of “pass” will need to be achieved. This includes a satisfactory grade (Nurse Aide pass at 70 percent), attendance to all required hours of the program, and obeying all expected student conduct guidelines.
Once graduation has been achieved, the student can proceed to state licensing requirements.
This program is a non-credit program.
Content/curriculum for this program is approved by DHHS. This program is a non-credit program and it’s not licensed or regulated by Nebraska Department of Education under the Private Postsecondary Career School Act, therefore is not authorized to operate by the Commissioner of Education as a Career School/Institution as it is exempt as follow:
85-1604(2) Education sponsored by a bona fide trade, business, professional, or fraternal organization which is offered solely for that organization's membership or offered without charge;
Students are expected to obey all laws, regulations, and policies of the nation, state, community, and hospital. Honesty and integrity are expectations while enrolled in the program. Students may be dismissed when violations occur. Due process is provided. Suspension or dismissal may be the first action depending on the severity of the violation.
Categories of misconduct which are incompatible with the program’s standards include:
Dress code:
Breaks:
Students will receive two 15 minute breaks (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and one 30 minute lunch break each day. Students will be responsible for providing their own lunch. It is an expectation you are back in the classroom promptly after the break's conclusion or you will be counted as tardy. A refrigerator and microwave will be available for use.
Parking:
Parking is only permitted on the fourth and fifth floors of the parking garage.
Smoking:
CHI Health is a tobacco-free campus and smoking or use of any kind of tobacco products including vaping on the property is not allowed.
First Day Meeting Location:
On the first day of class please meet the program coordinator on the first floor of the hospital in the main lobby outside of the gift shop.
Privacy and Confidentiality:
Students who have clinical experiences in a health care environment are exposed to sensitive and confidential information. All health information and experiences related to patients in the clinical environment need to be treated confidentially. Confidential information related to patients is communicated to staff and the instructor to assist the patients to the best possible health and well-being. Information about a patient should not be shared without a valid purpose and only in appropriate areas. Patient information is not shared in public areas such as hallways, elevators, dining, or break areas. A breach in confidentiality can result in immediate dismissal from the program. Questions about confidentiality should be directed to the instructor.
Infection Control:
Students of CHI Health St Elizabeth’s CNA program are expected to maintain cleanliness and follow infection control procedures required by the hospital. If an exposure should occur, the instructor will be notified immediately and facility procedures are implemented to control the spread of infection. The instructor will notify the hospital’s employee health department immediately for follow-up evaluation.