What type of homework does a college CNA class have?

pricklypear · Apr 25, 2005

My CNA class was not at a college... but I would think it would mostly be technical things that you would be expected to do as a CNA. I don't think you have to worry too much about things like research papers yet!

hikernurse · Apr 25, 2005

We did all of our work in class; I *think* you have to have so many hours before you can take the test and that way they could prove we'd taken them. It was very easy--I would think you could pass the test even without taking the class. It should be fun :).

I finished my modules pretty quickly and got to spend additional "class" time doing extra clinicals. That was a blast because it was in an urgent care clinic, not LTC, and I actually got more experience out of that than at the LTC.

austin heart, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2005

I did my CNA class through a college many years ago.......The only home work I ever remember having was reading the chapters that would be covered in class the next day. Something I never did, LOL!

galaxy781 · Apr 25, 2005

Hi, I'm a pre-nursing student who hopes to make it by the time I'm 30yrs old (I'm 25 now). I've found a lot of good information here at allnurses.com. It's helped me see the value in working as a CNA before clinicals. I currently work full-time and I am starting pre-reqs for an ADN, Chemistry this summer. I've got a couple gen.ed. classes out of the way from previous college work as well as a couple poor grades I need to get off my record.
This fall I plan to take the CNA class at my college while I work full-time. I also want to re-take a gen. ed. class.
I'm pretty good with certain types of school work and not so good with others. If I can get a good idea of the usual difficulty of the CNA class then I can better judge if I should try to take a second class.
So, I need to know what is typically the type of homework? And are written (research) papers a part of the course?
(I tried contacting the nursing department, no response yet.)

I can only speak for my CNA course...in ohio you only need 80 hours of classtime including your clinicals...most ppl here take it as a two week course and they are done...the class was not very challenging but a very good class! Its learing the basic skills (bed bath, proper handwashing,etc) we went to the skills lab after lecture everyday and practiced the skills...a lot of the information was common sense...so the studying wasnt bad at all...there were no research papers in my class...just a midterm and a final to make sure you were getting the jist of things...i wouldnt worry about it! GL

AKAKatydid · Apr 26, 2005

I didn't have any homework in mine either. I know that we had a book, and regular quizzes (tests), but we never turned in any assignments. The work was very simple, and I had no problem keeping up with the reading (Yes, it is common sense!) while working full-time.

I think the fact that we had a simple text made everything easier. We used "Mosby's Essentials for Nursing Assistants" and it had a lot of diagrams and pictures, and there were a lot of bulletized sidenotes... sometimes when I had a really long night at work, I would just review that, and do well. (I know I can be a SLACKER! ... but it's not rocket science... got an A!!!)

I think every program is different though. Mine was an 8hr/dy 5dys/wk for 6 weeks. Our skills labs were incorporated into class time. I know some people that did it as a 4-month program, and I think their curriculum was very different from ours. Hopefully you'll hear back from the school soon!

galaxy781 · Apr 26, 2005

I didn't have any homework in mine either. I know that we had a book, and regular quizzes (tests), but we never turned in any assignments. The work was very simple, and I had no problem keeping up with the reading (Yes, it is common sense!) while working full-time.
I think the fact that we had a simple text made everything easier. We used "Mosby's Essentials for Nursing Assistants" and it had a lot of diagrams and pictures, and there were a lot of bulletized sidenotes... sometimes when I had a really long night at work, I would just review that, and do well. (I know I can be a SLACKER! ... but it's not rocket science... got an A!!!)
I think every program is different though. Mine was an 8hr/dy 5dys/wk for 6 weeks. Our skills labs were incorporated into class time. I know some people that did it as a 4-month program, and I think their curriculum was very different from ours. Hopefully you'll hear back from the school soon!

yeah its completely crazy, depending on what state you are in depends on how many hours you need to get your CNA certificate. In ohio you only need 80 hours, some people opt to do it for two weeks from 8-4 or some do it spread over a quarter. I think in some states you need up to like 150 hours or something...guess I didnt realize how lucky we were here in ohio...all the CNA courses in Ohio are 80 hours...some are split up differently, my course was spread out through a quarter but still came out to 80 hours..I know someone in CA told me her CNA course was something like 2 months!

good luck all!

TWnursingstudent · Apr 26, 2005

I took my CNA class at the community college that I am now attending for my nursing work, the facility that I was being hired as a CNA paid for it, the class was 2 weeks and the first week was the basic book work type stuff, vital signs, bedmaking, bed bathing, transferring, that type of skill training, then the second week we went to an actual facility for 3 weeks and did our hands on training. The first day we paired up and had one resident to take care of for the day, the second day we each had one resident to take care of, by the third day our entire class had one entire hall that we were responsible for, with the staff help lol.

Check with your LTC facilities, some of them have their own in house training, others do not.

It sure gives you as a nurse a new respect for your aides, and you can also tell the nurses who were aides first, then became a nurse, they are more supportive of their aides.

lifestudent · Apr 28, 2005

Thanks for all the replies. I got some good information from all of you.

Update: I finally talked to the person in charge of the CNA program and she agreed with all of you. She said that the homework is mostly memorization and she thought taking a second class shouldn't be a problem.

With your reassurance and her information I'm going to sign up for that second class. :)

Thanks!

KnittingNurseStudent · Apr 28, 2005

Thank you! I was wondering if I should take a class online this summer as well as the cna program...I think I will!

Thanks for all the replies. I got some good information from all of you.
Update: I finally talked to the person in charge of the CNA program and she agreed with all of you. She said that the homework is mostly memorization and she thought taking a second class shouldn't be a problem.
With your reassurance and her information I'm going to sign up for that second class. :)
Thanks!