East St. John approved as CNA testing location: Students earn 60+ hours of clinical experience in high school
Published 8:48 am Wednesday, October 16, 2019
- Sa’Dajia Alvis, Kiyla Morris, Makayla Dupre and La’Naiya Turner are learning the essential skills needed to become certified nursing assistants before their high school graduation.
LAPLACE — In the 14 years Victoria Millet has taught at East St. John High School, she’s seen the school’s certified nursing assistant program grow from eight students to a full class of 40 students. However, students previously had to travel to New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Slidell to earn their certifications after a year of classroom learning and clinical experience.
That changed last week when East St. John was officially designated a certified nursing program testing site by Prometric testing. Starting in April, students in the CNA program will be evaluated using a list of skills approved by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.
Assisting residents in using a bedpan, changing bed linens while a resident remains in bed, emptying a urinary drainage bag, providing mouth care to residents with dentures and providing a partial bath and back massage are among the 20 essential CNA skills taught in the program, according to instructor Chanel Zeno.
Zeno said students will be well prepared when it comes time for exams. In addition to working in the practice labs at East St. John, students get real world experience working at Twin Oaks Nursing Home and the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home.
East St. John senior Tyler Rodman empties a urinary drainage bag as part of the certified nursing assistant program.
“In January, they start clinicals where they actually go in and work as CNA students,” Zeno said. “They are going to follow the nursing care plan for that resident. It requires feeding, bathing, emptying urinary drainage bags. They assist with things like brushing teeth and walking, and they learn how to use all of the durable medical equipment like walkers and wheelchairs. Basically, they provide activities of daily living for the residents.”
Other skills include taking vital signs, blood pressure, pulse, temperature and skin assessments. Students must differentiate what is normal from what is abnormal so they know when to alert the nurses.
A computer exam precedes the end-of-year skills test and allows students to earn their certifications. East St. John’s CNA students are also certified in CPR, according to Zeno. She said students also undergo physicals, backgrounds checks and other tests that would be required to work in the medical field.
“After they get certified, they are good to go and work in the industry,” Zeno said.
Millet encourages students to use the CNA certification as a stepping-stone to become a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse. It’s a valuable tool she wishes she had while in high school.
“It boosts them up in line,” Millet said. “It’s a step ahead because you know how to do vital signs; you know how to give a bath; you know how to move patients from a wheelchair to a bed. That’s what we learn the first semester of nursing school. They already know that, and that’s what universities want. ”
According to Millet, East St. John’s CNA program requires a minimum 60 hours of clinical experience.
“We usually go about 70 just to allow more time if students miss some days,” Millet said. “The students enjoy it. We leave here at 11:05 and we leave the unit at 2. It gets them out of high school. They’re actually working in the environment they will be working in after.”
East St. John also offers certifications for first responders, pharmacy tech and OSHA 10 Healthcare.
