The focus of this certification is to prepare students to be nursing assistants in accordance with the South Dakota Board of Nursing, South Dakota Healthcare Association, South Dakota Department of Health, and Federal regulations. Students will be instructed in the following areas prior to having direct patient contact: communication and interpersonal skills, infection control, safety and emergency procedures, promoting residents’ independence, and respecting residents’ rights. Students will also be instructed in the following content areas: basic nursing assistant skills, personal care skills, mental health and social services, care of cognitively impaired clients, basic restorative nursing services, and residents’ rights. The course includes certification testing of both knowledge and skills formats. Upon passing both knowledge and skills assessments nursing assistants remain certified for two years.
The course is presented in a hybrid format with online, on-campus, and clinical components. The online portion requires a minimum of 40 hours to complete and includes the majority of the content. The on-campus lab will be when students see the skills demonstrated and have the opportunity to practice. Lab requires a minimum of 35 hours to complete. In addition, there is a clinical component in which the student will be providing direct patient care at a long-term care facility in the Sioux Falls area for a minimum of 16 hours.
Note: This degree is a Bring Your Own Laptop (BYOL) program, meaning you can purchase a laptop on your own or from the Southeast Tech Support Center.
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