The Basic Nurse (CNA) Assistant Program at Lincoln Land Community College is designed to teach and train men and women to help care for patients and to be effective members of the nursing team under the supervision of a registered professional or licensed practical nurse. Students will gain theory and clinical experience in local long-term care facilities and home-health agencies affiliated with LLCC. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a certificate of completion and be eligible to take the state Competency Exam which must be taken to complete the certification. After passing the Competency Exam, students will receive certification which allows them to work in nursing homes, extended care facilities, hospitals, and home health services anywhere in Illinois.
The CNA program meets the regulations of the Illinois Department of Public Health. This program is now a pre-requisite for LLCC's Licensed Practical Nurse and Associate Degree Nursing Programs.
Admission Requirements
- If you are a first-time LLCC student seeking admission to the CNA program, you must meet the general requirements for admission to the college.
- Have a minimum Accuplacer Reading Comprehension Score of 60 or above;
or, ACT English score of 22
or, SAT Verbal score of 480
or, RDG 098 grade-pass
To make arrangements to take the assessment test call LLCC’s Eastern Region Education Center at 217.287.7081 or 1.800.572.5448 for further information.
- Be 16 years of age or older.
- Physical examination – MANDATORY
Required prior to the fourth week of class: through your personal physician. A physical exam form for the CNA program can be obtained from the Eastern Region Education Center in Taylorville. Physical exam forms for LPN or ADN program are available by calling 786.2437. Copy of recent physical will be accepted if physical was within the past six months of beginning date of class and submitted on LLCC form.
- Tuberculosis skin tests within six months of start of class – MANDATORY
PPD (2-step) skin test prior to going to the clinical experience [4th week of class]
If past positive skin test, a chest x-ray is required. May be obtained at local health department.
- Uniform, white – required for clinical experience
White pants or skirt, white shoes, white shirt.
Watch with second hand.
Blue top – purchase at your local LLCC Education Center.
- Performance Skills
Twenty-one performance skills have been identified through the federal legislation that gives guidance to the Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation. Students MUST be able to perform all 21 of these performance skills in order to successfully complete the training program.
- Book requirement
Title: Mosby’s Textbook for Nursing Assistants, 6th Edition by Sorrentino; and accompanying workbook. Available at your local LLCC Education Center office.
- State competency written examination
At monthly scheduled times after successful completion of classroom and clinical portion of class. There is a $50 fee for the State of Illinois Competency Exam. This Exam MUST be taken in order to successfully complete the course and be placed on the Nurse Aid Registry.
- Non-fingerprint criminal background check
Non-fingerprint criminal background check ($15) is required by law for all nurse aide students. Some convictions may prevent a student from completing the course, or from becoming certified after they complete the course. If you think you may have a disqualifying conviction, call the CNA office at 786-2447 or your local LLCC Regional Education Center for more information prior to registering for CNA classes.
- Technical Abilities Required
In order to handle the job responsibilities and tasks assigned to students in the Basic Nursing Assistant Training Program, they must be able to:
- Perform a full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients and moving, lifting, or pushing heavy equipment. Students are required to lift a minimum of 50 pounds, unassisted.
- Bend, reach, pull, push, stoop, and walk repeatedly throughout an eight hour period.
- Demonstrate visual acuity to read small letters and numbers on gauges (with correction, if needed).
- Demonstrate auditory acuity to hear sounds of blood pressures and apical pulses (with correction, if needed).
- Demonstrate bilateral upper extremity fine motor shills, including manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination.
- Communicate in a rational and coherent manner both orally and in writing with individuals of all professions and social levels.
- Respond quickly and in an emotionally controlled manner in emergency situations.
- Adapt effectively to environments with high tension.
- Maintain composure when subjected to high stress levels.
Pregnant students need to have a signed release from their physician stating that they can lift a minimum of 50 pounds, unassisted in order to participate in the clinical portion of class.
Program Costs
Tuition & Fees - $354.00
Other Expenses
| Textbook and accompanying workbook |
Approximately $53.00 |
| Competency exam after completion |
$50.00 |
| Uniform/watch/physical/TB skin tests |
student responsibility |
Criminal background check fee
(due 8th day after beginning of each class) |
$15.00 |
| Ladies blue apron/Men's blue scrub |
Approximately $12.00 |
General Information
Course content
This course is 128 hours; the Illinois Department of Public Health requires 120 hours of training. This course includes theory, lab and clinical experience. This course meets the requirements and is approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Class Times
Hours of clinical may vary and may differ from class time. Please check with your community Education Center for clinical schedule if necessary. Availability of classes is subject to sufficient enrollment.
Attendance
The student can ONLY miss a maximum of four hours of class and four hours of clinical. Any absence exceeding this will require the student to drop from the class. Students MAY NOT miss the first day of class.
Apparel
Students may wear street clothes to class. A white uniform is required for clinicals.
Certification
After successful completion of the classroom and clinical portion of the class, students must take and pass the state approved competency evaluation ($50) before they can be placed on the Nurse Aide Registry for Employment. Those students will then receive certification, which allows them to work in nursing homes, hospitals and home-health care facilities anywhere in Illinois.
Curriculum for certificate
The program will consist of 128 hours of theory, lab and clinical experience. Classes in Taylorville typically meet two days a week for eight hours a day, for eight weeks. The program is offered in August, January, and June. CNA classes through the PACT program are offered beginning in January, ending in May, five days a week, two hours a day, for sixteen weeks. The program is also offered in Springfield and other regional education centers. Contact your enrollment center for current schedule information.
Theory: 84 hours
Clinical Practicum: 44 hours
For More Information
If you would like additional information regarding schedule or enrollment, contact the Eastern Region Education Center at 217.287.7081 or 1.800.572.5448. You may also call the LLCC Springfield CNA office- at 786.2447 or 1.800.727.4161, ext. 62447 for information. You can email David Andrews, Academic Advisor at david.andrews@llcc.edu.
Financial Aid
Tuition assistance may be available from one of the following programs:
WIA or Opportunities (Public Aid) – Call LLCC’s Job Training Office, 1.800.727.4161, ext. 62210.
Displaced Homemakers’ Program – Call 1.800.727.4161, ext. 62335.
TEAL – Call 1.800.666.8325 or 217.786.2349.
Tuition deferment plan is available to qualified candidates. Call the Eastern Region Education Center for details 1.800.572.5448 or 217.287.7081.
Assignments
Students wishing to pick up their textbooks for the CNA class may do so approximately one week before the start of class. Since you will be required to complete a large portion of the accompanying workbook, it is recommended that you obtain your books early and start on the workbook.
Following is the order in which workbook assignments are usually collected and graded. Begin working on the workbook in this order:
• Chapters 1-6, 8-12, 23, 37
• Chapters 7, 13, 14, 15, 22, 33
• Chapters 16, 17, 20, 28
• Chapters 18, 19, 21, 24, 26, 30
• Chapters 24, 29, 31, 35, 40, 41
Chapters that may be turned in for extra credit are: 25, 27, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 39.
It is not necessary to do the “Independent Learning Activities” at the end of any chapters. The back portion of the workbook, entitled “Procedures Checklist,” is for your use in practicing your manual skills. Students are advised to defer consideration of Extra Credit until toward the end of the term, as extra credit is not graded until the final time the workbooks are turned in.