Several community members attended the grand opening of the Certified Nurse Aid classroom and lab, last Thursday evening at the Northeaster Junior College Yuma Campus.
Many of the NJC leaders also were in attendance, including Northeastern Yuma Campus Director Kortnee Dutton, NJC Executive Director Mattie Haney, Director of Marketing Jesse Quinlin, and NJC President Mike White.
The addition of the CNA program at the NJC Yuma Campus already has proven to be popular. The class is full for the first semester, and there is even a waiting list. There will be a CNA program each semester, and Quinlin said a summer session might even be added.
Classes begin January 27 and will be held every Monday for 14 weeks, ending on May 5. Students need to be only 16 to apply, and there are grants and financial aid available.
The program includes a classroom component, lab component to practice new nurse aide skills, and a clinical component at a long-term care facility providing care to residents.
After completion of the program, the students can take the Colorado State Board of Nursing written and skills exam to become a Certified Nurse Aide.
A CNA provides basic care to patients under the supervision of a Registered Nurse or a Licensed Practical Nurse. They assist with basic daily care tasks like dressing, bathing and checking patient vital signs.
The CNA classrooms at the NJC Yuma Campus are upstairs in what used to be clinical rooms when the building served as Yuma District Hospital and Clinics.
The rooms were in need of major upgrades to be able to host classes.
That is where the NJC Foundation and two generous donors stepped in. Susan Monahan and Mark Brucks donated $22,000 to renovate the classrooms. The work included flooring, paint, sinks, cabinets, two mini split units and more.
Instead of recognition in the rooms of the donation, Monahan and Brucks carefully chose two inspirational quotes for the students to pass each day.
One reads “They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made the feel.” The other reads “I find joy in the little victories, a comfortable patient, a thankful family, a life improved.”
BOCES also contributed toward the rooms. BOCES utilized a grant to pay for all the equipment, including mannequins, beds and more.
NJC Yuma Campus also offers many other classes and programs. Leaders said they hope to continue pursuing new opportunities to be an asset in the community.