CNA Training Classes Bakersfield, CA – Become a Certified Nurse Aide!

The need for qualified certified nursing assistants, CNA’s, has never been greater, not only in California, but across the nation. Becoming a CNA is an excellent way to get into the the field of medicine. CNAs can become live-in care givers, or highly specialized medical assistants in large hospitals, the choices are open and endless.

Licensing and Educational Requirements
In California, licensing and training is governed by the California Department of Public Health. Anyone interested in becoming a CNA must take an accredited CNA training program, approved by the state of California.

The individual must complete 150 hours minimum of training. This includes 100 hours of practical, or hands-on, training and 50 hours of classroom training. Many of these courses start every 8 weeks, depending on the school, and will last from 3 to 8 months.

California requires a criminal background check of anyone being licenses as a CNA. Then the last step is taking the state’s Nurses Aide Exam. The new CNA will then be registered on the California Nursing List registry.

Training locations in the Bakersfield area

• • There are many locations in the Bakersfield and Pasadena area that have CNA programs. Some of these courses start every 6-8 weeks, while some courses are started on a semester basis. The cost of these courses will vary, but generally, one can expect to pay anywhere from $400-$2900 for the course.

• Bakersfield Adult School-2 locations
• Bakersfield College Nurse Asst. Program
  1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93305
  Phone: (661)395-4281
• Kern High School Regional Occupation Program
• San Joaquin Valley College
  201 New Stine Road, Bakersfield, CA 93309
  Phone: (661) 834-0126
• Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield Healthcare Center
• Californian Care Center

CNA courses cover nursing skills as well as issues like patient rights, living wills and ethics. Students will learn basic emergency procedures, first aid and CPR, how to control infections, take temperatures, monitor blood pressures and the proper way to give medications. Long term and elder-care as well as medical assistance is included in the list of courses, as are anatomy and nursing basics, such as lifting the patient and changing a bed when the patient is bed-ridden.

Salary expectations in California
Salaries will vary, depending on where a CNA finds employment, but generally, the starting salary is $10 an hour. CNA’s can increase their earning potential by specializing in Hospice care and other fields. Employment opportunities are numerous, assisted living, private-duty, nursing homes, hospitals, physicians offices and clinics.