Local Nursing Home ‘Fast Tracking’ Classes For Certified Nursing Assistants

A local nursing home is “fast tracking” courses for people interested in becoming certified nursing assistants.

The need is greater now more than ever in nursing homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff inside the Noble Health Care Center are working around the clock to keep their COVID-19 patient number at zero.

To help with that, manpower is needed, fast tracking the process for incoming certified nursing assistants at no cost.

“The decision on how they’ll become certified has yet to be determined by the health department,” said Tamara Meadows, Division Director for Stonegate Senior Living LLC. “We’ll learn about that later. Right now, it is an opportunity for people to get a new job, to get a new field.”

The Center for Federal Medicare and Medicaid services issued a blanket waiver with requirements.

All Stonegate Senior Living facilities, including several around the metro, are taking part.

“There is 16 hours of classroom that covers infection control, emergency services, things like that,” said Meadows. “Then we put them through competency training for the nursing skills that they have to learn and that is all done prior to them even walking into the facility.”

The program has only recently started. So far, so good.

“We’ve had several current staff members step up and determine they want to get into nursing, maybe they’re working in nutrition services or housekeeping,” said Meadows. “We’ve had a lot of participation, but we’ve also had tons of applications from the community of people wanting to get into nursing.”

It’s a difficult time for many patients. Nursing home staff hope you may be able to help them through.

“It is not as hard as you think it is,” said Kanesha Olden, a Dietary Aide at Tuscany. “Just jump in there and be there for the residents that need you because their family cannot be there for them right now.”

If you are interested in applying to become a certified nursing assistant at a Stonegate Senior Living facility, click here to apply.