New CNAs graduate BCH
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| Boundary Community Hospital's most recent CNA graduates are, left to right, Mariah Rae, Kasandra Lecrenski, Kami Kramer, Joslyn Invernon, Savannah Mendenhall, Tracey Maas instructor, Natalie Shelton, Preston Johnson, Christian Trocke and Wesley Hubbard (not pictured.) |
CNA training can begin as early as age 16 with no maximum age limit. A high school or college diploma is not a prerequisite for either the training or the certification. Graduates are work-ready.
Class meets at the Fry Healthcare Education Center, across from the hospital, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday of each week.
“A tremendous savings in gasoline and lunch expenses is realized because the hospital is willing to teach the classes in Bonners Ferry,” says Boundary Community Hospital’s Community Relations Coordinator, Marcia Morman. “This is a commitment to bettering the community that the hospital has offered for years. Many, many local people have taken the classes over the years. “
Tracey Maas, RN has been a CNA instructor since the 1990s.
”Tracey Maas is a compassionate and knowledgeable instructor working with the students to succeed in learning the subject material,” Morman enthused.
There are many advantages for both men and women as Certified Nursing Assistants. Instructor Tracey Maas explains, “They are the back-bone of the healthcare system.”
A class catering to high school students is held annually during the fall school term. Many of the students after graduating the class take their state tests and are trained and certified to work throughout Idaho. December's graduates are Mariah Rae, Kasandra Lecrenski, Kami Kramer, Joslyn Invernon, Savannah Mendenhall, Natalie Shelton, Preston Johnson, Christian Trocke and Wesley Hubbard.
A CNA has a wide-range of employment options. Employers hire CNAs to work in hospitals, assisted living homes, nursing homes, home care agencies, rehabilitation centers, doctor’s offices, outpatient medical and surgical offices, hospices, respite care, group homes, and in schools.
There are choices of working with children, with the elderly and with any age in-between. For instance, many elderly people want to stay in their own home, but need some assistance with daily living. Often a CNA is qualified to offer that needed care. Many times indirect care like housekeeping and running errands are part of the CNA’s job. On the other end of the age spectrum, children with long-term problems and needs can receive good care in the comfort of their homes with assistance from a CNA.
Often CNAs decide that they want to further their education in the healthcare field and go back to school for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Registered Nurse (RN) degree. A CNA certification is an educational requirement for becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN) in many nursing programs.
Boundary Community Hospital employs nearly forty CNAs as full-time, part-time and per diem employees. Some have worked in our community hospital for many years; others are recent graduates of the CNA class.
Boundary Community Hospital’s CNA class is in affiliation with North Idaho College (NIC) and is a State of Idaho certified course. The course consists of 120 hours of instruction: 80 hours in the classroom and 40 hours of clinical experience. At the end of the 120 hours of training, the student will take a certification examination at the North Idaho Workforce Training Center in Post Falls, Idaho.
When certified, the Nursing Assistant can work throughout the State of Idaho and within those states that have a reciprocity agreement with the State of Idaho.
If you are interested in the class, contact Tracey about this professional occupation offered locally. Call today, (208) 267-3141 extension 4312, or email, tracey.m@bcch.org.