Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
CNAs provide basic care and help patients with the activities of daily living. CNAs work as part of a healthcare team under the supervision of licensed practical or licensed vocational nurses and registered nurses. Once students complete ESCC’s CNA course, they are eligible to take the Alabama Nurse Aide competency exam.
Course Schedule & Availability
This course is typically offered every five weeks and consists of four weeks of classroom instruction followed by one week of clinical training at Enterprise Health & Rehabilitation.
Classes are traditionally held three days per week from 10AM-3:30PM. During the clinical week, students attend clinicals Monday through Friday from 6:30AM to 3PM.
Because this is one of our most in-demand training programs, classes often fill quickly and may operate from a waitlist. To receive the most up-to-date course schedule, availability, and registration information, we encourage you to complete the interest form.
What does a CNA do?
CNAs can help a unit run smoothly, especially for nurses with multiple medically complex patients. Common CNA responsibilities include:
- Turning or repositioning patients
- Gathering supplies for the RN or MD
- Checking and charting vital signs and weights
- Answering patient calls/bells
- Bathing, feeding, and dressing patients
- Measuring and recording patient food/liquid intake
- Preparing rooms for admissions
- Assisting with medical procedures
- Making and changing beds
- Assisting patients with elimination and recording output
- Providing grooming needs such as hair care, mouth care and shaving
- Transferring and ambulating patients
- Observing, reporting and documenting patient information
Where do CNAs work?
The most common CNA workplaces include:
- Hospitals (state and local)
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Long-term residential facilities
- Rehabilitation centers
- Adult daycare centers
- Assisted Living facilities
- Home Health and Hospice agencies
These facilities all require nursing assistants to act as a liaison between the nurse and the patient. Certified nursing assistants rarely work in outpatient, office, or clinic settings.