Many students know that they want to be a Certified Nursing Assistant, or CNA, while they’re still in high school. This is actually a great thing in boosting the process along. It’s not necessary to wait until after graduation if you’re motivated and produce high grades in school. Instead, you can take college CNA courses while still attending high school.
This is called post-secondary education option, or PSEO, for short. If you’re interested in studying nursing courses in college, you can also begin by successfully completing a CNA program. As CNAs must know how to give basic care to patients doing things like feeding, dressing, bathing, and taking vital signs, this is the perfect way to see if nursing is the career for you.
CNA Certification in High School
To find out more about options with PSEO, you need to talk to your high school guidance counselor about whether or not your school offers it. If the answer is yes, you can start the qualification process and find out the approved colleges. Your tuition will be covered by your high school until after your high school graduation.
Once you’ve been qualified for PSEO, it’s time to talk to the college admissions office of your choice. You can get all of your questions answered regarding policies and procedures with PSEO students. Be sure to take a parent with you along with the completed required paperwork.
The next step is to talk with a college counselor that specializes in nursing classes. In this way, you’ll discover more about the program and get some help in your schedule planning. If you want to continue at this college following high school graduation, you can ask what other classes you’re allowed to take while still in high school.
When you’re ready to get started, it’s time to enroll in the CNA classes. There are two parts in the program. One part takes place in the classroom with instruction from a textbook. The second part is hands-on clinical training. This program typically runs from one to two months long.
The next step is to take the exam to certify you. When you pass both the classroom and clinical training, you must pass the exam. There’s a written portion as well as a skills portion that you need to successfully pass on this exam. When you pass both parts of this exam, you’ll be certified.