TNCC Adds Expedited Nurse Aide Program

By Amber Lester Kennedy Friday, January 07, 2011

A new program at Thomas Nelson Community College’s Williamsburg campus will help jobseekers find work in the medical field quickly.

On Jan. 25, TNCC will begin a two-month nurse aide program that will place students on the fast track to filling a need on the Peninsula, where nurse aides are needed in hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities. “Our first class begins with ten students, but one local employer recommended that we double that as soon as feasible because of the shortage of nursing aides in the region,” said Carmen Burrows, associate vice president for workforce development at TNCC, in a press release.

The Nurse Aide Program was developed with the help of a grant from Virginia’s Community Colleges. The program will prepare students to provide patient care under supervision and help long-term care residents; it will also qualify them to take the Virginia Nurse Aid Exam. Students will study through classroom instruction, while obtaining practical experience at Williamsburg Landing, an assisted care facility in Williamsburg.

Students will learn basic anatomy and physiology, how to assist patients and take vital signs and obtain 40 hours of clinical practice. The cost of the class is $975, with an estimated textbook cost of $110 and an additional $120 for scrubs and white shoes.

The college is promoting the program as a good start toward becoming a licensed practical nurse, then registered nurse, which could be achieved through TNCC’s LPN to RN program. The expedited program will meet from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 25 to March 31. An orientation is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Jan. 13. To reserve a spot in the class, call (757) 258-6591.