Online Nursing Assistant Training Programs

Patients in a variety of medical facilities have daily interaction with nursing assistants. In most instances patients and assistants build a strong friendship due to the constant contact. Learning how to perform job duties can be done through online nursing assistant training programs.

Enrollment in an accredited online learning program will help students learn about the daily activities of the workplace which can consist of working with patients by serving meals, making beds, helping them eat, dressing them, and bathing them.

• Medical related activities will have an assistant taking a patient's vitals, which includes temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate.


• Online training will prepare students to handle job responsibilities as well as the stress of working with and monitoring patients.


• Nursing assistants work primarily in nursing homes, assisted living homes, and hospitals.

Training is highly recommended because more employers are requiring their employees to be certified as a nurse assistant prior to being hired.

Students can take online classes prior to entering a program to prepare them for the skills they will need to know. A first aid and CPR course can help them succeed in a program. Certificate programs vary a little from college to college but the general education requirements are pretty standard. Programs will range from six to twelve weeks and include coursework on medical terminology, pharmacology, acute care, home aid, and more. A state only recognizes students as certified after 75 hours of official training. Upon completion of coursework and clinical experience a student will have to take a certification exam in order to gain their certificate. Nursing assistant education requirements are different for some states. Students should check state requirements so they can enroll in the correct program.

Online nursing assistant courses teach student's foundational concepts and procedures in areas they will directly work in. A certified nursing assistant theory course explores issues that relate to the daily activities a working professional will complete in their day-to-day work duties. Students will learn about hygiene management, infection control, and data collection. Medical basics will be learned by taking campus based courses in order to gain experience in taking blood pressures and drawing a patient's blood. In an acute care course students address practical areas of their work. Topics include the social, psychological, and physical demands of a patient. Basic nursing tools like problem solving, interviewing, and decision-making will be implemented. Probably one of the most effective and useful courses a student completes is their clinical course. Graduates of a nursing assistant program will have learned to work directly with patients under the direction of a registered nurse. Settings for learning include hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and doctor's offices. These types of courses require an individual to recall the concepts and procedures learned in the online class and apply those skills to a real patient. Real work experience provides many students with the confidence they need to step into the profession.

Employment is expected to rise 18 percent over the next eight years. Gaining an online education in the field will pay off. Students should consider the growth rate and how that will positively affect their annual income when deciding if working through an accredited program in this area is for them. Accreditation comes from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools ( http://www.abhes.org/ ) and other agencies and is awarded to online nursing assistant schools and colleges that meet the criteria for a quality education.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.