Comfort, Listen, Assist & Care
Provide basic care and play an integral role in the daily lives of patients.
Basic Nurse Assisting
Basic Nurse assisting
Certified (basic) nursing assistants (CNAs) are a nurse’s right-hand professional. CNAs provide comfort to patients in many ways. These professionals assist with daily living, such with dressing, bathing and eating. CNAs are exceptional communicators who advocate for patients and report concerns to nurses. You’ll be trained in basic medical procedures such as measuring vital signs like blood pressure and temperature.
In our basic nursing assisting program, you will:
- Learn and practice your skills in a lab setting that mimics your future working environment
- Undergo clinical experience to refine your skills with real patients
- Prepare to become a certified nursing assistant in the State of Illinois through our Illinois Department of Public Health approved program
- Earn recertification, if your employment as a CNA has lapsed more than 24 months
Degree Options
Program Details
- We'll prepare you for a career as a CNA.
- The National Career Clusters Framework created a tool to help you find a career that suits your interests and skills.
- Our basic nursing program is part of the Health Science career cluster.
- Students can expect plenty of hands-on and classroom experiences in our modern facilities.
- Clinical hours are held at local long-term care facilities, home health agencies and/or hospitals so you can gain experience with real patients.
- Students successfully completing the one-semester program must take and pass the Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Exam to become certified on the Illinois Department of Public Health's Health Care Worker Registry.
- Current CNAs who haven’t practiced for 24 months or longer are eligible for our recertification class.
- Along with applying to Kish, students seeking admission into the BNA/CNA program can reach out to the BNA Director, Ashley Foltz, at 815-825-9785 or afoltz@kish.edu.
- A short video with the program information is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAHSk6SRPFI&feature=youtu.be
- Our FAQs overview the program in more detail.