Nursing - Acute Care Nursing Assistant Certificate

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Program Description The Acute Care Nursing Assistant Certificate program prepares the nursing assistant to function in acute care settings including hospitals and sub-acute facilities under the supervision of a registered nurse.

In addition to training in all client care aspects that are necessary to obtain certification as a Washington State Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), additional classroom and externship coursework in skills such as point of care testing, glucose monitoring, sterile techniques, and wound care prepare the nursing assistant to provide high quality care in an acute setting. Clinical rotations in specialized acute care areas such as medical/surgical and orthopedics, are completed at the end of the Acute Care Nurse Assisting course. This certificate requires successful completion of a minimum of 24 credits as outlined.

Advising Note This program requirement sheet is not a substitute for meeting with an academic advisor. Meeting the requirements to graduate with an Edmonds College certificate or degree is ultimately the responsibility of the student.

Program Requirements (24 credits)

OUTCOMES:

Function as a member of the health care team to provide basic patient care in the home health, long term care, and acute care settings.
Use appropriate medical language to communicate with co-workers and ancillary staff.
Perform duties safely and effectively within their scope of practice in the home health, long term care, and acute care settings.
Apply problem solving and critical thinking skills within their scope of practice and in coordination with team members to foster good patient outcomes.
Understand and practice infection control per CDC, OSHA, and facility guidelines.
Use effective written and oral communication and listening skills in interactions with a diverse patient population.

NURS 101 - Certified Nursing Assistant: Basic Patient Care 3.0 Credits
NURS 102 - Certified Nursing Assistant: Basic Skills Lab 2.0 Credits
NURS 103 - Certified Nursing Assistant: Clinical Externship 2.0 Credits
NURS 104 - Acute Care Nursing Assistant 2.0 Credits
NURS 105 - Acute Care Nursing Assistant: Lab 1.0 Credits
NURS 106 - Acute Care Nursing Assistant Externship 1.0 Credits
AHE 110 - The Human Body: Structure and Function 5.0 Credits
AHE 115 - AHE Healthcare Provider: CPR 1.0 Credits
AHE 116 - Introduction to Healthcare 4.0 Credits
HCA 104 - Medical Terminology 3.0 Credits

Program Notes

The program code for this certificate is NAAACC20. For financial aid, advising, and other reasons, students should work with their advisor to ensure that this code is properly recorded on their academic record.

Students are required to take AHE 115 in order to enroll in NURS 101. Students with current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, valid through the end of the program, can substitute another course for AHE 115. See faculty advisor for approval.
Students with limited computer skills are encouraged to consider taking BSTEC 129 - PC Basics.
Participation in externship classes requires documentation of immunization, TB, COVID-19, and criminal background status before registering for those classes. Students are advised that clinical placement may be denied if immunization records and CPR are not current or if there is a criminal history that the facility considers unacceptable.
All students will be required to set up an account with CastleBranch (www.castlebranch.com, package code “EE78”) to store immunization documentation and complete a criminal background check for a fee.
Students may be placed in a Clinical Placements Northwest (CPNW) consortium site, which requires an extra fee.
Students will be required to complete additional facility-specific on boarding documents. Failure to do so may result in denial of clinical placement.

The department advisor for this program is:
Julia Erickson | julia.erickson@edmonds.edu | 425.640.1623

Program Director:
Kyra McCoy | kyra.mccoy@edmonds.edu | 425.640.1017

Department website: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) | Nursing Programs

Certificate General Information (20-23 credits)

This certificate is under 23 credits and is not eligible for financial aid.

Credit/Grade Requirements

A minimum of 30 credits or one-third of the required college-level (100-level or above) credits, whichever is less, must be earned at Edmonds College. Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in all college-level courses.

Program of Study Outcomes

Student achievement is assessed in the general and program specific outcomes via the courses and course objectives that align with those outcomes. More information about program outcomes and course objectives can be found on the Using Program Requirement Sheets page.

Students Are Advised To

Review how to apply for certain exams to be awarded as credit.
Plan their schedule several quarters in advance in order to accommodate courses that are offered only once or twice a year;
Be aware that certificates 24 credits and under are not eligible for financial aid.
Review the college catalog for required course prerequisites and include these in schedule planning; and
Communicate with an academic advisor and/or a faculty advisor.

Graduation Application

A completed Graduation Application form must be submitted online by the 10th day of the quarter in which the student expects to graduate. Note: Applications for summer quarter are due by the 8th day of the quarter.

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