For the past five weeks, four students from Alliance High School have not only attended school all day, but they also spent four extra hours after school in training to be a certified nurses assistant (CNA). The class had nine students as a whole and the four students from Alliance high school were Lauren Block a senior, Taressa Benham a senior, Morgan Johnston a junior, and McKenna Romick a sophomore. The class was Monday through Thursday from 4pm to 8pm. It started in November 3 and ended with a written final to pass the class was on December 9. On top of the class final, they also had to get certified with the state taking a complete different written test and an oral test on December 11. The classes and testing were all held at WNCC the collage located in the Alliance Public Library. This is a college class and will give the girls college credit.

During class students would do two chapters a week taking a written test after every chapter. They also worked in a lab with mannequins doing procedures that they would need to do on the patients or residents depending what job they want. The class got the wonderful opportunity to go follow other nursing assistants at Highland Park’s long-term care facility located in Alliance. They went to Highland Park for two nights in December from four to eight getting hands on education. CNA’s can work in a hospital, long-term care facilities, assistant living and any other care facility. A CNA’s work of practice is helping with anything they can, such as helping dress, brushing teeth, helping transport, and many more but without giving any medications, changing oxygen, or shots.

Being an overtime student was exhausting and I am sure the other girls would agree but it was completely worth it! I asked Morgan Johnston what she would like to do now that she is a certified CAN. She responded, “ I would like to get a job at the hospital as a CNA and help anyway that I can.” As for myself, I would like to work at Highland Park this up coming summer. I am so excited to help the residents and start working in a field that I want to purse after high school.