Certified Nurse Assistant Training Programs

(14) COURSE
(14.a.) NURA 1001 Nurse Aide for Health Care
(14.b.) PHILOSOPHY and PURPOSE

All MeritLife Academy courses are designed to provide students with excellent clinical experience. This Nurse Aide Assistant program is rooted in the five principles of care: Privacy, Dignity, Independence, Communication, and Safety. The program is designed to motivate the participant and establish a deeper appreciation of his/her important role in providing quality nursing care in a variety of healthcare settings. The purpose of the Nurse Assistant Training Program is to provide the information, knowledge, skills, and abilities that will enable nurse assistants to provide quality care for residents in nursing homes, as well as supplemental information and skills to enable them to provide quality healthcare for clients at home and patients in hospitals, doctor’s offices and other the healthcare facilities.

The course is led by a Licensed Nurse who has completed a training course and meets all Federal, Texas Workforce, and Texas Health and Human Services and American Red Cross instructor requirements. A certificate of completion of the course qualifies the student to take the 2-part state exam. Successful testing in both portions of the state test certifies (Statewide) the student and qualifies the new Certified Nurse Assistant for placement in the Nurse Aide Registry (NAR).

Preparation for entry-level nursing assistants to achieve a level of knowledge, skills, and abilities essential to provide basic care to residents of long-term care facilities. Topics include residents’ rights, communication, safety, observation, reporting, and assisting residents in maintaining basic comfort and safety. Emphasis on effective interaction with members of the health care team. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) course.

The certified nurse aide will demonstrate basic skills that:

1. Protect, support, and promote the rights of residents.

2. Communicate and interact effectively and appropriately with residents, their families, and other staff.

3. Assist residents in maximizing their functional independence.

4. Will function effectively as a member of the health care team.

5. Demonstrate observation and reporting skills.

6. Are proactive in residents’ safety and implementing preventive safety measures.

Prerequisites - None

Credit Hours: 0

Lecture Hours: 1

Lab Hours: 0

Extended hours: Two weeks of skills lab and clinical rotation follow the virtual portion

Contact Hours per Semester: 11

State Approval Code: 51.3902

Class Section Meeting Time: Individualized in the Virtual Classroom; skills lab and clinical rotation meeting time 7:45 AM - 4:45 PM M-R, 7:45 -12 noon Friday.

(15) COURSE COMPONENTS

BLENDED LEARNING: The Red Cross Blended Learning Program is an online course that replaces the theory portion of instructor-led lectures of a CNA program. While students are not in a traditional classroom setting, instructors are able to monitor student progress and performance through the Learning Management System. Red Cross Blended Learning is device-agnostic, allowing students to use smartphones, tablets, or computers to complete the course at hours that best suit them while following the CNA program’s syllabus.

In conjunction with the online theory, students will meet in person with their instructors to cover the skills portion of their CNA training and their clinical hours in a skilled nursing facility. While these skills are initially introduced to students throughout the blended program, the training partner provides in-person instruction, providing students with hands-on practice to master the skills.

Students will also complete 48 clinical hours as determined by the state, getting hands-on experience with residents under the supervision of their instructor.

MeritLife Academy partners with the Red Cross Blended Learning and is not meant to replace the skills or clinical components of a CNA program. It is meant to serve all students who prefer the flexibility of online learning at their own pace and schedule.

Lab sessions: Lab sessions allow students to demonstrate competency in each skill prior to the clinical experience.

Clinical experience: The clinical component of the program will provide students with a real-world, hands-on learning opportunity in a long-term healthcare facility.

(16) GRADING:

Students are required to pass written exams (10 quizzes and a final exam) with a minimum of 80%. Students may retake quizzes one time and may retake the final exam one time. If a student does not successfully pass on their second attempt at a quiz or the final exam, he/she will be dismissed from the program. Students are required to demonstrate competency in all skills required in the program. Evaluation of competency occurs both in the lab and the clinical components of the program.

Classroom and skills lab: Quizzes1-8,10; 80%

Final Test 20%

Virtual training 50% of Final grade

Clinical: Mastery of Skills 50% of Final grade (All Skills Must Be Mastered)

Rehabilitation specialist helps man to get up from a wheelchair at clinic

(18) CLASS ATTENDANCE PUNCTUALITY POLICY

Cause for Dismissal from the Program:

Missing any time during clinical (40 hours of clinical training is Mandatory)
More than two occurrences of tardiness (Arriving late or arriving early)

REIMBURSEMENT for TRAINING

Federal and state law requires Medicare-certified and Medicaid-certified healthcare facilities to reimburse nursing assistants if they meet the following conditions:

The nursing assistant has received employment from the facility within 12 months of completing training and testing.
The nursing assistant has not already been reimbursed by another facility (Reimbursement must be made by the first facility where the nursing assistant is employed 90 days from the date of employment).
The nursing assistant has not quit/been terminated within the first 90 days of the job.
The nursing assistant has actually paid for the cost of training and testing him/herself.
The nursing assistant has kept all receipts to prove costs*

*Reimbursement costs may include tuition, gas, uniform, shoes, etc. - keep your receipts!

Note: Always ask about Medicare and Medicaid certifications during the hiring process! Also, make sure that you ask about the company’s HR policies for reimbursement before accepting any position.

Please visit the official Medicare website for further information: https://www.medicare.gov/

(19) STUDENT CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS

Students on the clinical site are expected to behave in a manner that will create a safe and orderly academic environment for themselves and others. Students found in violation of these conduct expectations will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include a written warning, suspension, dismissal, and/or referral to law enforcement officials. Below is a partial list of inappropriate behaviors that will be subject to disciplinary action. This list is not all-inclusive.

1. Academic dishonesty, including any form of plagiarism, cheating, falsification of records, or collaboration with others to defraud

2. Actions that disrupt teaching, learning, administration, or interfere with the rights of others

3. Non-compliance with the directives of school instructors and staff

4. Violation of any sort that infringes upon the residents’ rights.

5. Violation of HIPAA

6. Theft of any kind, and related behaviors, such as possessing stolen property or using the property of others without their permission

7. Damage to property or destruction of property

8. Creation of unsafe conditions

9. Carrying out a false alarm or creating an emergency such as a fire or a bomb threat

10. Hurting others, threatening others, or engaging in behavior that may result in harm to others

11. Selling, consuming, and/or possessing alcoholic beverages

12. Possessing or using drugs not prescribed for the student by a physician; selling any drugs; possessing or using illegal drugs or narcotics

13. Possessing a firearm or other deadly or dangerous weapons such as knives, knuckles, clubs, baseball bats, and hammers while on the property of the school or in any part of the school building

14. Sexual harassment in any form by students or any member of the administration, faculty, or staff is prohibited. The school is committed to creating and maintaining an environment for all school personnel and students that is free of harassment, forced sexual activity, or any other sexual communication or conduct that interferes with performance in the classroom or the workplace

Sexual Harassment is Defined: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when a. submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment,

1. submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individuals, or

2. such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Re-enrollment after Dismissal for Violation of Student Conduct Expectations:

After 180 days have elapsed, a student whose enrollment was terminated for violation of student conduct expectations that did not result in the involvement of law enforcement officials will have one opportunity for re-enrollment in a subsequent term in the next 12 calendar months.

CPR First Aid Training with CPR dummy in the class

(20) GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To successfully graduate from the Nurse Assistant Training Program, students are required to: pass all written exams (minimum score of 80%), demonstrate competency in all required skills, and complete the clinical component. The State of Texas requires the student to complete 60 hours of classroom (virtual and skills lab) and 40 hours of clinical for a total of 100 hours.

(22) GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

MeritLife recognizes that there are times when a student needs to express concerns or complaints in a formal manner. The following procedures will ensure that students receive a fair and unbiased review of the student’s concerns.

Step 1. Student concerns should first be discussed with MeritLife staff instructors or their immediate supervisor. Many concerns can be resolved informally when a student and instructor take time to review the concern and discuss options to address the issue.

Step 2. If the student is not satisfied with the results of the informal discussion in Step 1, the student may submit a written complaint within 5 days to his instructor, including:

The nature of the grievance.
Detailed information, including evidence of the issue, witnesses, related incidents, etc.
The remedy or outcome desired.

*If the student’s complaint is regarding illegal harassment, discrimination or retaliation, the student should submit the written complaint directly to the Administrator of MeritLife.

Step 3. A written complaint to MeritLife.

If the student is not satisfied with the response from the immediate supervisor, the student may submit a detailed written complaint to senior management for review. The request for review should include:

An explanation of the grievance and details of all previous efforts to resolve the issue.

A copy of the written complaint submitted to the immediate supervisor.

Detailed information regarding the student’s dissatisfaction with the immediate supervisor’s response.

Senior management will consult with the student’s instructor/supervisor. The administrator will evaluate the grievance and provide a written response within five days. The outcome will be final unless new evidence or other circumstances warrant an additional review of the complaint.

The student may file a report of unsatisfactory outcome with the Texas Workforce Commission:

Texas Workforce Commission

Career Schools and Colleges, Room 226T

101 East 15th Street
Austin, Texas 78778-0001

Phone: (512) 936-6959 http://csc.twc.state.tx.us/