Nurse Aide (Technical Certificate)
Award: Technical Certificate
Program of Study: Nurse Aide
Program Code: 1602
About This Program . . .
This certificate is designed to provide the student with entry-level skills required for employment as a nurse’s aide in a long-term care facility, an acute care facility or a home health care agency. Special needs of the geriatric population are emphasized. Students who successfully complete this certificate qualify to take the State Certification Examination. Instruction includes basic nursing assistant procedures, skills, restorative services, general household activities, patient care, safety, and emergency care. Students gain an understanding of the responsibilities involved in working with patients of all ages, in both wellness and illness, issues of mental health, patient rights, and patient/family interactions. A minimum of 92 contact hours hours of training is required.
For more information on what you can do with this major, visit WCCC's Programs of Study page.
All CMU/WCCC technical certificate graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, communication fluency, and critical thinking. In addition to these campus‐wide student learning outcomes, graduates of this major will be able to:
- Examine the professional certified nursing assistant’s potential strength in various roles within the health care delivery system (Specialized Knowledge)
- Demonstrate skills outlined by the State board of Nursing for nursing assistants in regards to the five terminal competencies (Applied Learning)
- Discuss the characteristics that health care workers demonstrate that promote professionalism and explain the importance of each characteristic (Specialized Knowledge)
- Describe the ethical standards that govern the nursing profession in particular and the health care profession in general. (Specialized Knowledge)
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
To print or save an overview of this program's information, including the program description, learning outcomes, requirements, suggested course sequencing (if applicable), and advising and graduation information, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu and select "Print Options." This will give you the options to either "Send Page to Printer" or "Download PDF of This Page." The "Download PDF of This Page" option prepares a much more concise presentation of all program information. The PDF is also printable and may be preferable due to its brevity.
Institutional Certificate Requirements
The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU or WCCC Technical Certificates. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- Consists of 5-59 semester hours.
- Consists of 100-200 level courses.
- At least fifty percent of the credit hours must be taken at CMU/WCCC.
- 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU/WCCC coursework.
- A grade lower than “C” will not be counted toward meeting the requirements.
- A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
- Non-traditional credit, such as advanced placement, credit by examination, credit for prior learning, cooperative education and internships, cannot exceed twenty-five percent of the semester credit hours required for a technical certificate.
- Pre-collegiate courses (usually numbered below 100) cannot be used for graduation.
- Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Certificate Requirements.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and certificate requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
- See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
Program Specific Certificate Requirements
(5 semester hours, must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher in coursework.)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURA 101 | Nurse Aide Healthcare Skills | 4 |
| NURA 170 | Nurse Aide Clinical Experience | 1 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 5 | |
May be taken in Fall or Spring or Summer
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Semester Credit Hours | |
| NURA 101 | Nurse Aide Healthcare Skills | 4 |
| NURA 170 | Nurse Aide Clinical Experience | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 5 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 5 | |
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a certificate. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and discussing the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for her/his intended certificate.
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a certificate and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their certificate requirements (for one-semester certificates, complete in the first week of class):
- Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
- Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
- Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
- Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.
Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found at http://www.coloradomesa.edu/registrar/graduation.html.
If a student’s petition for graduation is denied, it will be her/his responsibility to consult the Registrar’s Office regarding next steps.