Important Qualities To Have
Communication skills. Nursing assistants must be able to communicate effectively to address patients’ or residents’ concerns. They also need to relay important information to other healthcare workers.
Compassion. Nursing assistants assist and care for the sick, injured, and elderly. Doing so requires a compassionate and empathetic attitude.
Patience. The routine tasks of cleaning, feeding, and bathing patients or residents can be stressful. Nursing assistants must have patience in order to complete these tasks.
Physical stamina. Nursing assistants spend much of their time on their feet. They should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as lifting or moving patients.
Work Schedule
Most nursing assistants and orderlies work full time. Because nursing homes and hospitals provide care at all hours, nursing assistants and orderlies may need to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Per the requirements of our clinical site partners, all Certified Nursing Assistant students are required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination(s) prior to beginning any externship. No exceptions will be made. Proof of Covid-19 vaccinations required for clinical.
New! nccrs college credit
More than 1,500 cooperating colleges and universities (including most California Community Colleges and Cal State Universities) will consider granting college credit based on NCCRS credit recommendations. Additional colleges may also award college units for SICE Medical Career Courses. Please visit our Credit Recommendations FAQs page for more info.
Certified Nurse Assistant
Nursing assistants help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes.
Classroom instruction and clinical training include resident care skills, vital signs, nutrition, emergency procedures and rehabilitation. Eligible students take the state competency exam for certification.
First class meeting will consist of an orientation that will include a mandatory reading comprehension test.
sPRING 2023
CLASSROOM (Basic / Didactic)
Dates: January 24 - May 24, 2023
Days: Tuesday & Wednesday
Time: 8:00 am - 2:30 pm
Room: 107
Fee: $1,300, includes textbooks, supplies, CPR training, uniforms
NCCRS Credits: 5
Medical Program Requirements: All SICE medical courses include required textbooks, supplies, and uniforms (unless otherwise noted). Students in all SICE medical programs should be 18 years or older, and speak, read, and write at a minimum 10th grade level.
Clinical Requirements: A Social Security or tax ID number, background check, medical exam, vaccinations (including Covid-19), drug screening, government-issued picture ID, N95 mask fitting, CPR, TB test, and Fire Card (for Los Angeles if applicable) are mandatory for those SICE medical programs that require clinical exernships at partner facilities. Other clinical requirements may exist. Clinical externships included in SICE medical programs are unpaid educational experiences.
Licensing Requirements: In addition to program completion and clinical requirements, proof of U.S. High School diploma or equivalent, passing licensure exam score, and additional items may be required for licensure in California.
CLINICAL
Dates: Beginning March 14, 2023
Days: Tuesday & Wednesday
Time: 7:00 am - 2:30 pm
Room: Offsite
Fee: Included in cost above
A background check may be required for externships, clinicals and licensing, certification or registration with the appropriate governing board.
Job Duties
Nursing assistants provide basic care and help with activities of daily living. They typically do the following:
- Clean and bathe patients or residents
- Help patients use the toilet and dress
- Turn, re-position, and transfer patients between beds and wheelchairs
- Listen to and record patients’ health concerns and report that information to nurses
- Measure patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure and temperature
- Serve meals and help patients eat
Some nursing assistants also may dispense medication, depending on their training level and the state in which they work.
In nursing homes and residential care facilities, assistants are often the principal caregivers. They have more contact with residents than other members of the staff. Because some residents stay in a nursing home for months or years, assistants may develop close relationships with their residents.
Work Environment
Most nursing assistants and orderlies work in hospitals and nursing care facilities. Some work in ambulatory healthcare services, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living facilities for the elderly, and government facilities. The work of nursing assistants can be strenuous. They spend much of their time on their feet as they take care of many patients or residents. Because they frequently lift people and do other physically demanding tasks, nursing assistants have a higher rate of injuries and illnesses than the national average. They are typically trained in how to properly lift and move patients, which can reduce the risk of injuries.
