Friday, 1 June 2012

Online Schools for Aspiring Certified Nursing Assistants: How to Choose

Nurse's assistants may rarely find training in an online form. Some programs are offered in a hybrid format, combining online and in-person training. Others may be programs that can be completed through online-only study. The availability of online-only and hybrid programs depends on the state in which they are based.

How to Choose an Online School for a Certified Nursing Assistant

Program Availability

Entry-level online education programs for nursing assistants that lead to certification are rare, but may be offered by some colleges and universities, usually with restrictions on enrollment. Nursing assistant education programs are normally offered only as certificates. Students who are interested in becoming a nurse's aide must seek certificate programs, usually from trade schools and junior colleges.

Licensing Requirements

Licensing requirements vary from state to state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). Nurse's aides who work at nursing care facilities must, under federal law, complete at least 75 hours of training at a state-approved education institution. Because institutional approval is usually handled by each state individually and there is no central authority determining which programs will be approved and which will not, some states may allow for online programs while others will not. Students should check local regulations to see what their state's requirements are before enrolling in a program, especially an out of state program, that may not satisfy their licensing needs.

Online Program Options for Certified Nursing Assistants

Online Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate

Online nursing assistant certificate programs do not have courses covering individual subjects. Instead, there may be one or two courses covering a variety of different subjects, from anatomy and physiology to patient care communication. Many times, nurse's aide education programs are hybrid programs, requiring students to complete theoretical coursework online and attend campus-based classes for clinical or hands-on training. Often, these online certificate programs are designed as flexible education programs for working adults and do not have strict assignment or test due dates or class attendance times.

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