To meet a growing workforce need, Colorado Mountain College in Chaffee County is offering nurse aide training classes in partnership with Columbine Manor. The first class is scheduled to begin May 22.
Successful completion of the nine-week course will allow students to sit for the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program exam. Students who pass the NNAAP exam will be qualified to work as certified nurse aides, also known as CNAs. All classes and lab sessions will be held at CMC’s Chaffee County Academic Center in Buena Vista, while clinical rotations will be performed at Columbine Manor in Salida.
“CNAs are in demand in Chaffee County and job opportunities are rapidly increasing,” said Rachel Pokrandt, vice president of Colorado Mountain College Leadville and Chaffee County. “We are so excited to be able to offer this program to local residents who are looking for an entry into the field of health care.”
Veronica Dawson, nurse aide program coordinator and faculty at Colorado Mountain College, expressed gratitude for being able to partner with Columbine Manor. “Their support as a clinical site and their donation of critical materials were crucial to allowing us to move forward with the development of this program,” she said.
Classes will be held in eight- to nine-week sessions, once per semester, with up to 10 students in a class. To enroll, students must be at least 17 years old at the start of class and should expect to undergo a background check. For more information, please call CMC’s Chaffee County Academic Center at 719-395-8419.