Although the Black Hawk College Nurse Assistant program is designed to train nurse assistants, many people take this course to begin working in a health care field before and during nursing school or other health care training. Working as a Certified Nurse Assistant can also give a potential nursing student a preview of the nursing profession.
There are no prerequisite classes for the Black Hawk College Nurse Assistant Program. Applicants must be 16 years old or older and have at least an eighth-grade education. A criminal background check is mandatory. If you have a conviction for disqualifying crimes listed on the Illinois Department of Public Health website, you should file for a waiver through the IDPH before applying at Black Hawk College. You must also be fluent in English.
Prospective students need to apply, either online or by filling out an application and returning it to one of the Black Hawk College campuses. A high school transcript, middle school transcript or GED transcript are needed. Once accepted, students will need to attend orientation, meet with an adviser, enroll and pay for the course. Payment in full is required before the start date.
The Black Hawk College Nurse Assistant program tuition is the same as eight credit hours of college classes. As of June 2010, in-district tuition and lab fees were $900. Fees and books are additional expenses, as well as required items such as a uniform, gait belt and watch. Students must have a physical exam, two-step TB test and updated immunizations before the clinical practicum. These expenses are included in the lab fees.
The course lasts eight weeks. Classes meet three times a week for six hours each meeting. Theory (in-class) instruction is 18 clock hours for six weeks. The clinical portion of the program is 40 clock hours and is done in the last two weeks of class. Clinicals may be done at a long-term care facility or hospital.
Black Hawk College Nurse Assistant students learn to assist licensed nurses in direct patient care. They learn hands-on skills like bathing, feeding, dressing, bed making, taking vital signs and properly moving and lifting patients. Academic training is in communication techniques, reporting techniques and infection control. Other in-class subjects are professional behavior, simple anatomy and physiology, nutrition and some pathophysiology. The course meets the state requirements for Alzheimer's training and CPR content.