Nurse Aide

Course Contact: Allen Welch
Office: Multipurpose Building, Room 215
Address: 802 E. Lavaca St., Beaumont, TX 77705
Phone: (409) 880-8845
E-mail: nurseaide@lit.edu

Certified Nurse Aides are professionals who work beside physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to provide direct patient care in a variety of healthcare environments. They play a vital role in the healthcare delivery setting, often having more patient contact than any other team member including doctors and nurses. Certified Nurse Aides help patients with many tasks that they cannot do for themselves while they are in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, home health, or long-term care facilities.

Nurse Aide courses include both hands-on experience at healthcare facilities, basic biology, and health course work with an emphasis on areas such as safety regulations, infection control, and patient care. The classes include communication, vital signs, personal hygiene, basic nutrition and activities of daily living.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), employment of Certified Nurse Aides is expected to grow by 20% from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Because of the growing elderly population, many nurse aides will be needed in long term care facilities. This career will be a good choice if you are interested in medicine and enjoy caring for others.

Requirements to enter this course of study are a high school diploma or a GED, current negative TB Test, and a criminal background screening. Nurse aide students should be aware that there are certain expenses that will be incurred throughout the course, in addition to tuition, fees, and textbooks. These expenses may include, but are not limited to, liability insurance, TB test, CPR certification, uniforms, equipment, and examination/application fee for the State of Texas Nurse Aide Certification Exam.

Upon completion of the 5 SCH Nurse Aide classes, students are eligible to take the State of Texas Nurse Aide Certification Examination. Upon passing the exam, students' names are added to the Texas Nurse Aide Registry.

Awards

• Nurse Aide Certification