Everything You Need to Know About CNA Classes Online
The nursing profession is one of the broadest professions in the world. Today, nursing is considered an essential factor in a patient’s journey to recovery, as they work tirelessly to identify and meet the patient’s health care needs. Over the years, the nursing profession has continuously evolved, leading to new complex roles that require critical attention and determination to accomplish. Currently, there are nearly four million nurses in the United States.
Nursing education has significantly transformed to train nurses to help meet the rising nursing shortage, leading to introducing a certified nursing aide. The certified nursing assistants play a variety of roles helping registered nurses perform various care tasks. A certified nursing assistant’s primary role is to provide basic care by helping patients perform their day-to-day tasks. In most cases, these are the tasks that patients might find difficult to perform, such as bathing and general cleanliness.
The first step into becoming a CNA is enrolling in a CNA program and earning your CNA certification. CNA training programs are offered through online and on-campus learning. However, the easiest way to earn your CNA certification is by enrolling in an online CAN class. This will enable you to undergo CNA training with a lot of flexibility. There are several benefits of the online CNA program to those considering the nursing assistant profession. This article explores CNA classes online in detail, including:
- CNA classes that can be taken online
- Benefits of online CNA classes
- How to gain clinical practice time while taking online CNA classes
- Best schools offering online CNA classes
CNA Classes That Can Be Taken Online
Nursing assistant programs have increasingly gained popularity, especially with the increased shortage of registered nurses in the country. If you want to enter the nursing profession and don’t know where to start, the CNA training program could be a suitable option. This is because the certification will be a stepping stone in your nursing career, especially to those who dream of pursuing nursing degrees needed to become registered nurses.
The classes are readily available online. On this page, we will explore CNA classes online to help you make a knowledgeable decision.
What Is the Availability of Various CNA Classes Online?
If you are considering pursuing a CNA certification and do not want to attend physical classes, you need not stress out. The classes are readily available only. Unlike most professions in the nursing field, nursing aides aren’t required to have a college degree. All they need is rigorous training in the field, which either results in a diploma or a postsecondary non-degree certificate. CNA online classes are easily accessible as you only need your high school certificate to register.
Currently, there are several nursing institutions in the country offering online classes for certified nursing assistants. Each state in the country has more than colleges offering nursing education which might earn you a CNA certification. All you need to do is conduct an online search to determine the institutions that meet your specifications. The CNA classes might differ from one nursing school to the other. However, this doesn’t have to stress you out, as almost all of these institutions have met the threshold set by various accrediting institutions.
As the demand for CNAs grows, so does the number of colleges offering the programs. Most colleges have embraced online learning to enable students to train on the nursing course’s fundamentals to their advantage. Interestingly, most of these colleges offer financial aids such as scholarships. Earning a scholarship will most likely earn you free CNA training as almost all the tuition costs will be covered by the financial aid. This makes the various CNA online classes readily available. Here are some of the institutions where you are likely to find online CNA classes:
- Community Colleges: We all know how inexpensive community colleges are. Well, there’s a good chance that several community colleges around you have been accredited to offer online CNA classes.
- Technical and Vocational Schools: These schools have undoubtedly gained popularity over the past several years. If you want hands-on experience, then registered for your nursing assistant online class in these schools.
- Colleges and Universities: If you want an unforgettable learning experience, enroll for your certification in these schools. They offer the best online CNA classes. However, most of them could be expensive, so you have to be on the look-out.
What Is the Learning Experience Like for Online CNA Classes?
What could be more satisfying than earning your CNA certification online? CNA classes online come with a lot of flexibility. You have the option to choose when to study and where to study from, unlike on-campus nursing programs that have fixed learning schedules. The online classes are quite convenient to those working part-time or adult learning who want to begin their professional nursing journey. The coursework is quite flexible, especially for part-timers.
Additionally, the online CNA classes help you become independent as it allows you to make your personal studying decisions. However, the learning process could be stressful to adult learners who balance family to school work. Online CNA classes are undoubtedly effective, just like on-campus training. Therefore, you need not worry about the quality of the education. With the online classes, you have access to your tutors most of the time through emails or phone calls without worrying about face-to-face interactions.
What Can Be Covered by Online CNA Courses?
The certified nursing assistant profession can be satisfying to those who enjoy helping others. The aspects covered by online CNA courses train and prepare nurse aides on basic patient care. The course is relatively short, as the training usually lasts between four to twelve weeks. However, several aspects are covered to complete the training.
The course is typically a combination of classroom learning and clinical training. After completing the coursework, you are required to undertake a CNA competency exam. If you successfully pass the exam, your State will add you to the CNA registry. This helps boost your CNA resume. The various aspects covered revolve around:
- Patient bathing and dressing processes
- Proper transfer and moving patients
- Taking important signs
- Infection control
- Effective communication
- Handling emergencies
- Maintaining a safe patient environment
- Understanding basic mechanics
- Patient nutrition
Benefits of Online CNA Classes
Choosing an online CNA class to earn your CNA certification could be the best decision ever. Just like any other online nursing course, pursuing a CNA course could have several benefits to you as a student. Some of the benefits include gaining a solid foundation to advance your career and exposure to a wide range of job opportunities in an increasingly growing professional field.
What Work Opportunities Will Be Available After Online CNA Classes?
CNA certification unlocks several professional doors, as a nursing assistant are well trained and prepared to work in several areas. Nursing care facilities are considered to be leading employers of certified nursing aides. Some nursing assistant opportunities exist in hospitals, home health care, hospice, private duty home care, long-term care facilities, schools, and prisons.
- Nursing Care Facilities: Nursing care facilities provide primary care to patients. These facilities need nursing assistants’ services around the clock as patients of different ailments throng the facilities throughout.
- Hospice care: Terminally ill patients require care all the time. CNAs work in hospice care homes to help provide essential services to terminally ill patients. They help clean, move, and feed the patients.
- General Medical Hospitals: General medical hospitals employ close to 7% of certified nursing assistants. They help clean wounds of surgery patients and ensure that patient wards are clean and safe from disease risk factors.
- Home Healthcare Services: Most patients are continuously discharged from care facilities to recover from home and reduce the chances of clinically acquired infections. Some of these patients require basic care needs, as they might be unable to perform simple tasks until they are fully recovered. CNAs are always assigned to these patients to help take care of the basic care needs.
What Are the Benefits of Taking Online CNA Classes?
Students undergoing their CNA training online enjoy several benefits compared to on-campus CNA training. One of the most significant advantages of online CNA training is flexibility and convenience. Online CNA courses allow you to study the program at your own time and pace. All you need to do is log in to your student portal during your free hours and attend online classes. The online course allows you to attend classes anywhere as long as you have a reliable internet connection.
Online CNA classes are a leading path to professional connections as the online program allows students to choose places to gain clinical training. With this, they will get hands-on experience in some of their career roles. The facilities might be an appropriate place to begin their career after completing their training and earning certification. Thirdly, students considering pursuing nursing degrees might opt to transfer credit earned from the CNA training courses to their four-year course making it less costly.
Online CNA classes allow students to complete their coursework quicker than their peers in on-campus programs. However, part-timers might complete the program at a slower rate. In some instances, online CNA classes have proven to be less costly than traditional classroom programs. Online students forgo several costs such as rent costs, parking costs, commuting expenses, and campus meals. This helps them save, unlike those in-classroom programs.
What Do Online CNA Courses Cost Compare to Traditional CNA Courses?
Most students believe that online CNA courses are less expensive compared to in-person classes. Well, at some point, this notion is true. Online CNA courses have always helped students forgo several expenses they might have incurred if they had enrolled in on-campus programs. However, in terms of tuition fees paid for the CNA training, the costs are relatively the same. The price of both online classes and in-person CNA courses varies considerably based on the type of school.
Nursing assistant programs offered in for-profit colleges are quite expensive compared to those provided by community schools or vocational colleges. Online CNA classes cost anywhere between $400 and $2000. Meaning a student is likely to pay an average of $70 per credit hour. On the other hand, traditional CNA courses cost anywhere between $600 and $2500. This cost also varies with the type of school. This indicates that the costs are relatively similar.
How to Gain Clinical Practice Time While Taking Online CNA Classes
Online CNA classes are mainly theoretical. However, to effectively complete your nurse aide training program, a nurse aide will be required to gain hands-on experience in clinical practice. Clinical practice experience is usually provided by local health facilities or clinics, depending on the student’s preference. Those undertaking their online CNA classes from hospital institutions are luckier as they readily have clinical practice facilities.
The clinical trials will prepare the student for the state certification exams after which they become certified nursing assistants ready for practice as a nurse aide. Remember, clinical practice is also a qualification that helps boost your resume when applying for job openings. Let’s explore these aspects of clinical practice in detail.
How Many Clinical Hours Are Required to Become A CNA?
Clinical hours are quite significant in a CNA certification. For certified nurse assistants to complete their training, they must complete a specific number of clinical hours. These hours are essential, especially when seeking career opportunities. Currently, employers only consider nurse aides who have at least attempted the required minimum clinical hours. The clinical hours are also essential for nursing assistants who dream of advancing their profession. It is among the minimum entry requirements for nursing degrees.
The number of clinical hours required for a student to become a CNA varies from one state to another since each state has its accreditation standards. For instance, to qualify as a nursing assistant in Missouri and California, you must complete 100 clinical hours. Other states, such as Michigan, Mississippi, and North Carolina, require a minimum of 16 clinical hours to be listed in the State’s CNA register. However, the average clinical hours required by the federal government is 75 hours. Therefore, it is essential to know the necessary minimum clinical hours within your state. The clinical hours are always a requirement for the State CNA exam, making it unlikely to undertake the exam before meeting the threshold.
What Do CNAs Do During Clinical Trials?
After completing their online classroom coursework, CNA students are ready to apply the theoretically acquired knowledge into practice. Clinical trials involve working directly with patients to gain the hands-on experience needed for future career practice within a clinical setting. The clinical practice coursework is appropriately designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to provide quality care to patients. The clinical trials help train and prepare students for patient safety measures.
CNA students usually undertake various roles assigned to them by the registered nurse they are working under during clinicals. They might be assigned duties either in the hospital facility, community health center, hospice care centers, or nursing homes. Firstly, students always train on the effective ways of communicating with patients. Without effective communication, care outcomes are unlikely to be achieved.
Students learn some of the vital signs, especially those from patients who are unable to communicate efficiently. Throughout clinicals, the CNA student learns patient movement strategies. Some patients have walking difficulties, hence have to be supported. The CNAs are tasked with providing the needed support. The nursing students learn how to provide a safe living environment for the patient to prevent re-infection. During clinical practice, they learn how to handle and clean patients, which will be their primary role as new nurses.
How Do You Get Clinical Hours Through Online CNA Programs?
Many individuals believe it is impossible to gain clinical experience when undertaking their online CNA programs. It is important to note that certified nursing assistant programs have two major components; classroom and clinical practice. The online CNA program’s coursework is designed to allow students to complete their theoretical courses before embarking on the practical classes.
Most students ask themselves how they will get their clinical hours, yet they have enrolled in self-paced courses. Well, this is much easier than you think. Colleges, community schools, and vocational institutions have always collaborated with several clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and other care settings to provide their online CNA students with clinical practice. Students have the option to choose the facility to get their clinical hours. Students are assigned to specific registered nurses to assist them in their daily activities while at the same time gaining hands-on experience in clinical practice.
Students are evaluated based on their performance during clinical trials. This is always based on various measures set by both the clinic and the college instructor. In some schools, college instructors visit the clinic to assess the student on their performance. Remember, high performance during your clinical hours can help boost your overall CNA exam grades.
Best Schools Offering Online CNA Classes
Currently, online CNA training programs are offered in several learning institutions ranging from community schools, vocational colleges, and hospitals. With this, online CNA programs have flooded the education market, making it difficult to choose the right online CNA classes to enroll in and earn your CNA certification. Determining if a CNA program is suitable for you can also be devastating. On this page, we explore some of the best online CNA classes in the country.
What Is the Best Online CNA Course Available?
If you are having trouble choosing the right CNA class, you are in the right place. Choosing a CNA program has never been easy. However, we are here to make a choice easier for you. Here are some of the best online CNA colleges that might meet your education and career needs:
- Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College is one of the top institutions in Kansas. The college is suitable for students wishing to pursue nursing assistant certifications. The college is considered the online college of CNA certification due to its partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Students looking for a college with outstanding learning experience should enroll in this program. Certified nursing assistants from this college are always the most sought-after CNAs. You are likely to begin your practice a few days after passing your certification examination. - State Fair Community College
State Fair Community College offers two online programs for certified nursing assistants. The program incorporates various aspects of Skills Certificate in Nurse Aide, which help train and prepare certified nurse assistants for their future roles. The programs require students to complete 30 credits. The program is also perfect for students planning to enroll in continuing education programs. - Pratt Community College
Pratte Community College boasts of top-notch certifications. Even though students might opt to enroll for an online CNA training course, they must make regular visits for clinical and lab trials. The program is likely to be completed within three months, especially those training full-time. - Wallace State Community College
Wallace State Community College is home to over 7000 students studying various degrees and certificates. The Alabama-based college is one of the colleges offering high-end online CNA programs. Interestingly, the charged tuition fees cover all the program costs, including stationery and certification exams. Just like other online CNA programs, students are expected to undertake clinical trials to earn their certification. Students with financial constraints should consider this college as it offers a variety of scholarships to its students. - Ridgewater College
Ridgewater College is one of the most respected college institutions offering CNA training. The online CNA course is one of the most popular nursing assistant programs offered around the country. Through the program, you will most likely earn your certification after five-week CNA training. According to the college’s curriculum, students begin with the online program’s theoretical aspects and complete the program through various practical sessions.
How Do You Determine If an Online CNA Class Is Suitable for You?
Finding the best online CNA program requires a lot of research. Even though there are several CNA programs that you might choose from, not all might meet your personal preferences. You must ensure that the online CNA classes you have enrolled in are suitable for you. One factor you need to consider is state accreditation. Ensure that your state approves the CNA class. This will ensure that you take certification exams required to practice within your state.
Secondly, if the program is flexible enough for you, then it’s a suitable one. This will help you balance your daily responsibilities and school work. Thirdly, an online CNA program is appropriate only if it’s easily accessible. Nursing assistant training coursework involves both theory and practical. In some cases, you might be required to attend lab sessions. Hence, college proximity is a key factor to consider when determining its suitability.
What Coursework Will Prepare You for The CNA Certification Exam?
CNA students are required to take certification exams. Passing the certification exams will usher students into the nursing world. The exams are not always a walk in the park. Students need to prepare adequately for the examinations. Students need to go through some of the coursework in detail, including vital signs, client rights, ethical and legal practicing issues, anatomy and physiology, infection control, body mechanics, and safety issues. Also, the exam is usually divided into written and clinical. Be sure to go through all the tested skill areas during your clinical trials.
In Summary
The certified nursing assistant profession is one of the rapidly growing careers in the nursing field. The nursing profession is becoming popular owing to the increased nursing shortage. Earning a CNA certification enables ambitious CNAs to advance quickly to higher nursing levels. CNA programs are offered in several learning institutions across the country, including community colleges, vocational institutions, and medical facilities.
One quick way of earning the certificate is by enrolling in online CNA classes. They are readily available, flexible, and convenient. The online programs are suitable for adults who want to pursue a nursing certificate. Some of the courses covered by the online CNA course include anatomy, vital signs, patient safety, client rights, effective communication, and more. Online CNA classes are quite beneficial due to their flexibility and reduced costs. It opens up several opportunities in various places such as nursing homes, primary care facilities, hospice care centers, and homecare.
CNAs’ roles revolve around providing basic care to patients, with the primary function being helping the patients perform the task they can’t do on their own. CNAs take care of the patients by bathing, cleaning, feeding, and helping them move around. They also remind patients when to take medications and provide them with the drugs as prescribed by the physicians. To help train and prepare the nurse aides for these roles, they must undergo clinical practice as part of their coursework. The clinical practice enables them to gain hands-on experience in their future career roles.
