Nursing

One section of HSCI 111- Nursing Assistant Training is offered every quarter at Pierce College. This 5-credit course typically meets Thursday evenings from 5-9 pm for the lecture/nursing lab portion. The clinical/patient care portion is normally taught on Fridays 7 AM-3:30 PM at a local nursing care facility. The course costs about $450.00 (which includes student malpractice insurance) plus $110.00 for additional required costs. To be eligible to enroll, the student must score into Reading 75 or above on the COMPASS assessment and pass a Dept of Social and Health Services background check. During the training, each student will be registered with the state as a NAR (Nursing Assistant – Registered).

After satisfactory completion of the course, the student will be eligible to take the Washington State Board NAC Examination, and receive their license as a CNA or NAC – Nursing Assistance-Certified.

Because the CNA class is limited to 10 students, the class fills rapidly. This class usually closes by the end of the first or second day of current student registration. First priority is always given to currently enrolled students during the first week of registration. Former and new students must wait until the second week. More specific information may be obtained from Angela Lawson, CNA instructor, at (360) 878-6286, or alawson@pierce.ctc.edu.

ABE, GED, and ESL adult learners may qualify for our 2-quarter I-BEST (Integrated Basic Education & Skills Training) program which consists of HSCI 101- Foundations of Allied Health + HSCI 111- Nursing Assistant Training. This class meets on different days. For more information contact the I-BEST office at (253) 964-6447.

If you are not currently attending classes at Pierce, we recommend that you explore other local schools offering CNA classes. They include Bates Technical College, Clover Park Technical College, Olympic College, Renton Tech, South Puget Sound CC, Green River Community College and Tacoma CC.

Nursing Assistant Training is also offered at Medical Training Consultants, Inc. located in Lakewood. Check their website for dates, times, and costs (www.mtci-wa.com). Additional independent private training schools include: Priority Instructional Center (Lakewood), Care Plus Home Health, Inc (Port Orchard), Kamanga CNA Training (DesMoines), Health Professional Institute (Renton), and Nursing Assistant Training School (Tukwila).

Local long-term care facilities and convalescent centers offer free training as a nursing assistant as part of their employee recruitment, but this benefit occurs only when the facility needs new staff. Training begins as soon as you pass the background check to be a “Registered” Nursing Assistant (RNA or NAR). An RN on their staff does the formal classroom training; the required number of clinical training hours is met by working with a preceptor (experienced CNA). Check local newspapers for current opportunities. Be aware that these employers will expect each trainee to work for them for a specified time – especially since they provide the training at no cost and pay the state board testing fee. Examples include Linden Grove Health Care Center, University Place Care Center, Cottesmore of Life Care, Evergreen Tacoma Health & Rehab Center, Rainier Vista Care Center, Orchard Park Care Center, Life Care Center of Puyallup, Park Rose Care Center, and Tacoma Rehab and Specialty Care.