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High schools look at nursing programs
Published Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Administrators with two Otter Tail County school districts say they may offer certified nursing assistant (CNA) courses to area students next school year.
Up for consideration in Battle Lake and Pelican Rapids, the courses are part of a larger effort to interest students in health-related careers. Leading that effort is the Central Minnesota Area Health Education Center (AHEC), located on the MSCTC-Fergus Falls campus and under the direction of MSCTC and the University of Minnesota.
“The CNA is kind of the first rung on the health career ladder,” said Richard Smestad, AHEC’s program coordinator. “A lot of individuals have begun with certification degrees and later completed two-year and four-year degrees.”
Smestad is working with the Battle Lake and Pelican Rapids districts to develop CNA training similar to the program currently in place in Perham. With a $5,000 start-up grant from West Central Initiative, Perham High School began offering CNA courses to its students last school year. The trimester-long training includes clinical experience at Perham Memorial Hospital and Home, said Principal John Rutten, and is taught by an instructor from MSCTC’s Wadena campus.
“We knew that there was a need for it,” Rutten said, “and for kids that age (16 or older) it’s a good feeder program into the hospital.”
Upon completion of the training and passage of the state’s competency evaluation, students are qualified to work in nursing home, assisted living and in-home health care settings.
How CNA training would look in Battle Lake and Pelican Rapids is still under consideration. One option, Smestad said, is to embed the training in a school’s curriculum. Another possibility is to hold classes as an extracurricular activity. Because the state does not mandate exactly what the training must look like, he said, it’s really up to the school district to determine the format.
Battle Lake Superintendent Rick Bleichner said his district may open the training to non-traditional students and high schoolers outside the area. For Bleichner, who’s met with local health providers on the topic, the availability of CNA training would be a win-win situation for students and community members alike.
“We’re looking at, with our economic development in Battle Lake, what we can do to keep people in the community,” he said.
As part of AHEC, Smestad is doing the same thing. Aging baby boomers, he says, have already increased the demand for health professionals both locally and nationwide.
“There’s a pretty well-recognized need for actual health care providers, baseline providers,” he said. “Right now we really have a shortage in the CNA, the LPN (licensed practical nurse) and the RN (registered nurse)” fields.
School administrators stress discussion of CNA training is still in its early stages. Pelican Rapids Superintendent Deb Wanek will meet with district staff and health care professionals on the topic next week.
“We’re just going to take a look and see how it could fit into our programs,” she said.
Smestad is working with West Central Initiative to see if Battle Lake and Pelican Rapids could benefit from the kind of grant awarded to Perham. If embedded in the curriculum, the training would cost students $140 — the cost of taking the state competency evaluation, Smestad said. Otherwise courses typically range in price from $450 to $650.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by c0nc3rn3d (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Take note on this Fergus Falls School District!!!!
Posted by tomsmom (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 11:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Do we really need to offer this in schools? Most employers assist in training for nursing assistants. 14 years ago, I learned how to become a NA on the job and then took a credentialing exam. I worked as an aide through HS and college. Don't get me wrong, I think that there is a shortage of experienced NAs and I also think that it is an important first step in becoming a nurse, but I don't think that our already strapped for cash public schools should bear the burden of training the healthcare workforce. I also think that high school students generally don't make the best nursing assistants because of their immaturity. I also fear that many HS students will turn away from nursing as a career if they see what the job really entails.
Posted by elephant15 (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 11:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am going to agree with tomsmom on this one! I dont think that is needs to be in the schools! I am a CNA and I agree that it could very well turn kids away from a nursing career! Being a CNA isnt as easy as people think! It is hard work! I think that there is deffinately a shortage is CNAs but I dont think this is the right way to go about getting them. But yeah, tomsmom you basically summed it all up!
Posted by fergusfallsmom (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting idea, but I have to agree with the others. Maybe things can be done as an intro in the medical field, but again,.. so many programs that used to exist like that have been cut.
Posted by caregiver90 (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think this is an excellent idea. The more accessible it is for someone to take this course, the more likely they will be to do it. I have worked in nursing for a number of years - first as a CNA and then moved up the ladder and now have a management position. Being a CNA (yes, darn hard work) should be a prerequisite for anyone entering nursing. Having worked as a CNA myself, I can really appreciate how hard they work and the excellent care they give. I have worked with a number of high school age CNAs who are very caring and compassionate. You learn the basics first, and it may help you make up your mind if this is the career for you. I have seen nurses come out of school and find that they don't like much of the work they have to do. Nursing is a challenging - and rewarding career.
Posted by tmakonyonga (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 3:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, we are doing this next year in Alaska!! We will be the first school to offer this program. I am so thrilled to be teaching it and we have collaborated with prganizations that will hire everyone that we put through the program, just think some of our kids who walk out of school that will never go to college or now going to walk out and be able to have a job right away! I would love to collaborate with the school districts in MN and share ideas if this is something that goes through!!!!!!
Posted by tomsmom (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 9:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, nursing is a great career-I am a BSN myself-but with so many essential programs being cut from our public school curriculums I don't see how we can justify the expense. Many schools offer a "health careers" course (I attended one that the school district in Breckenridge participates in in conjunction with Richland County Vo-Tech). It gives classroom and on-the job experience in many aspects of healthcare: nursing, pharmaceutical, dental, chiropractic, et cetera. I would support a program such as this but I don't think that something such as NA training is worthwhile. I stand by my statement that HS kids are too young to do patient care. Besides, and please don't take this the wrong way as I have nothing but sincere respect for nursing assistants, I don't think that we should encourage students to aspire to being a career nursing assistants. Most NAs would agree that it is a thankless and non-lucrative position and most (by no means all) would like to be more but are not in a position to do so. I submit my opinion with the utmost respect to all who read this.
Posted by tmakonyonga (anonymous) on March 21, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ok haven't been around in a while but do you realize that there are some kids that walk out of high school, have no where to live, hang out at the local Pamida parking lot, or whatever is in style now days in FF. They cause trouble they pop out babies they live off welfare and if we as educators can get these kids a job a start at something then I feel it to be a success!
Posted by elephant15 (anonymous) on March 21, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I just want to say that being a CNA is very underpaid and under-respected (ina sense)! We do a lot of work with not very much thanks! Furthermore, I really dont think that kids in the Fergus Falls area would even want to do it after they find out what it is all about! Just a thought!
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