Students in the Reid State Technical College (RSTC) certified nursing assistant (CNA) program have recently visited Atmore Nursing Center, to meet residents and gain exposure to the type of facility where they may one day work.

The visit was part of a unique program that is being administered through the Region 9 Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Council (SAWDC). SAWDC is overseeing a grant that has made funds available to train CNA students in Escambia, Conecuh and Monroe counties.

Partners in the program include RSTC, the Alabama Career Center in Brewton and Monroeville, and Atmore Nursing Center (ANC) and other healthcare employers.

“We’re excited to have the ability to participate in the training of service-side nursing assistants,” said ANC administrator Cindy Lee. “This is a new venture for us, and we’re excited that it already seems to be quite successful. We’re hoping that in the future there will be other grants to continue this program.”

RSTC instructor Kristen Averitt has been leading the eight-week course, which provides the training that students will need in order to pass their state certification test.

Lee said that the students visited ANC on Thursday, Aug. 21, where they met the staff and residents, participated in a class at the facility, and practiced skills on ANC’s clinical mannequin. She said the students would visit ANC at least one more time, before their graduation ceremony in mid-September.

The employer partners guarantee a job for all the students, upon their completion of the program. Partners include ANC, Westgate Village Nursing Home in Brewton, Englewood Healthcare Center, Monroe Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center and Evergreen Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Lee said that CNAs have a variety of responsibilities at ANC, and the facility employs about 40 of them.
“CNAs provide the daily care for our residents,” she said. “They assist with grooming and ambulation, and with meeting the basic needs of our residents.”

Lee noted that many CNAs eventually move on to get their LPN (licensed practical nurse) or RN (registered nurse) license.

“It’s a good first exposure to the field of health care,” she said. “There is always a need for CNAs and licensed nurses, especially due to the high turnover that is part of our industry.”