Nursing Assistant Certified (NAC)

About

The Nursing Assistant Program prepares students for a career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Nursing assistants must complete a state-approved education program that includes both instruction on the principles of nursing and supervised clinical work. Upon completion of training, students are eligible to take their state examination to become a Nursing Assistant, Certified. The Nursing Assistant Program at TCC is approved by the State of Washington, Department of Health, and Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission.

Nursing Assistants work under the direction and supervision of licensed nursing staff, have a great deal of contact with patients, and provide personal care such as bathing, feeding, and dressing. They also perform support functions such as taking vital signs, making beds, helping patients become ambulatory, and answering patient calls. Nursing Assistants are responsible for documenting care given, observing, and reporting how patients respond to the care that is being given. Nursing Assistants have far more contact with residents than any other staff and are expected to develop ongoing relationships with the patients/residents and treat them in a positive, caring way. To be a successful Nursing Assistant, they will work in a multidisciplinary team, be able to follow directions, and have a great deal of patience.

The knowledge and skills gained in the Nursing Assistant program are highly valued by healthcare industry employers such as hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and home health agencies. The training can also serve to meet requirements for patient care when applying to other health care education programs, such as nursing, sonography, respiratory care, and radiology.