Prepare for A Career in Skilled Nursing Care in San Diego

The combination of nursing assistant and home health aide programs is a way to get a wide range of training that prepares you for several different and equally rewarding careers in the healthcare industry. This course grouping means that students who complete the course will be able to take the certification tests and be hired either in a long-term care facility, as part of a home healthcare agency, or at another type of medical facility.

The Nurse Assistant Training and Assessment Program was developed to prepare the nurse assistant for certification by the State of California as an entry-level worker on a health care team, in a long-term care facility. The curriculum is structured to provide theory and practical application on skills needed to function as a nursing assistant.

The Home Health Aide Training Program was developed following California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidelines for the education of nurse assistants to become certified home health aides. This certification allows the home health aide to function as an entry-level worker on a health care team, in a home health agency. The curriculum is structured to provide theory and practical application of knowledge and skill needed to function as a home health aide. This curriculum meets Federal and State training regulations.

The intent of the program is threefold: To promote quality of assistance in the long-term care or home health care setting, to provide entry-level skills for employment as a nurse assistant or home health aide, and to expand the role of the CNA as a paraprofessional.

Program details

The Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide program is a 210-hour program split between nurse assistant coursework and training for 170 hours, and home health aide coursework for the remaining 40 hours.

The program is taught:

Monday to Friday

• Theory: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Lab: 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Clinical 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.*

* Clinical hours vary per clinical training site and program

The course is designed for candidates seeking nurse assistant certification in California. This four-part curriculum meets all federal and state training requirements.

Course descriptions

This program is made up of four courses: two lecture courses, one for each the nurse assistant and home health aide track, and two clinical/lab courses, and an additional one for each of the included tracks.

CNA 100 – Nurse Assistant Theory and Lab

This California State approved NATAP Curriculum provides 51 hours of theory and 18 hours lab skills training. Curriculum content includes: an introduction to the role of Nurse Assistant, patient rights, communication skills, safe environment, body mechanics, principles of asepsis, observation and charting, resident care skills, resident care procedures, vital signs, rehabilitation and restorative care, emergency procedures, death and dying, nutrition, weights and measures, and long-term care resident.

Because nursing assistants (CNAs) often seek employment in a long-term care/nursing facility, they must be skilled both in medical and healthcare applications, but also in the personal side of resident care and management. This course encompasses all responsibilities that nursing assistants are likely to be held to, ensuring that they are fully prepared for both the certification process and the career in practice.

This course is split: 51 hours of the 69-hour course is considered classroom/lecture time, and 18 hours is clinical/lab instruction.

The objectives of the course include:

• Building an understanding of legal and ethical practices in various different types of healthcare facilities, as well as communication and understanding of cultural diversity
• Building a working knowledge of the human body systems, human development, and performing safe body mechanics
• Demonstrating the practical ability to perform vital sign monitoring, as well as healthcare services on people with disabilities and in need of advanced care for Alzheimer’s and similar conditions.
• Building a base of knowledge about a nursing assistant’s administrative tasks, like patient intake and discharge, managing medical records, and safely managing patient transfers
• Demonstrating the ability to put lecture materials into practice: i.e., not only understanding how to identify patients based on current medical standards, but demonstrating the ability to do it in a realistic job setting

CLN 100 – Nurse Assistant Clinical

The California State approved program provides 101 clinical hours of supervised clinical skills training in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), as a pass/fail course.

While CNA 100 is focused on building a basis of understanding in students of what the roles of a nursing assistant are, and the knowledge needed to perform those roles, the course doesn’t give much time for practical application. This course is a full 101 hours in a clinical setting that allows students to accomplish these application goals. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Use their knowledge of legal and ethical codes and regulations to make decisions in a clinical setting
• Understand the social aspects of their career, such as cultural diversity and communication
• Exhibit a practical understanding of anatomy, body systems, human development, and how nurse assistants use these concepts to guide strategies of care for their patients
• Get experience in clinical setting with different types of patient conditions, how to monitor vital signs and handle common roles in a long-term care facility
• Perform administrative tasks such as patient transfers, admission and discharge, and management of patient medical records

HHA 101 – Home Health Aide Theory

This California State-approved Home Health Aide curriculum provides 20 hours of theory that include: an introduction to aide and agency roles, interpretation of medical and social needs of clients, personal care services, nutrition, and cleaning and care tasks in the home.

The objectives of this lecture course are that students build a foundation of knowing how to care for both the medical and routine daily needs of their patients and clients, no matter where they are employed.

CLN 101 – Home Health Aide Clinical

The California State-approved program provides 20 clinical hours of supervised skills training in a Long-Term Care Facility or Assisted Living Facility. This lab/clinical course involves putting the theory taught in HHA 101 into practice, so as to further prepare students for a career as a Home Health Aide.

Final course emphasis is geared towards preparing the students for taking the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) Examination (California Certification Exam for Nurse Assistants).

Learn more about these careers by contacting us today.