Nurse assistants provide daily care to patients in the areas of performing vital signs, bathing, providing personal care, assisting patients in and out of bed, helping bedridden patients maintain their ability to move, and caring for the patient’s overall environment. Successful nurse assistants have a blend of physical stamina and compassionate communication skills. The Basic Nurse Assistant (BNA) Training Program prepares students to take the State Competency Written Evaluation for certification, which is necessary for employment as a certified nurse assistant (CNA) in various health care agencies.

Program Approval

The ECC Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program is approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Admission Procedures and Entrance Requirements

To be eligible for NUR 105, students must be at least 16 years of age.  F-1 International students are not eligible for enrollment in the basic nurse assistant program.  To apply for the program complete a Health Professions Application.  You will be contacted by email when a seat becomes available.  Prior to the start of class, students must submit the following: results of a fingerprint background check and drug test, completed personal medical history form signed by a licensed medical provider including lab results indicating immunity to specific infectious diseases and a negative tuberculosis test, proof of health insurance, and current American Heart Association BLS CPR for healthcare providers certification. 

Program Requirements

Students must complete the required course with a minimum grade of C. Students must provide their own uniforms, gait belts, and transportation to and from all clinical sites. Students must attend the first class day of the semester and the last class day of the semester for the BNA course. Failure to do so will result in automatic withdrawal and/or failure from the program.

Policies and Procedures

Students registering for the Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program must be screened for placement on the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Registry. Students must be listed on this registry in order to be eligible to complete required clinical training. Any student demonstrating a positive background check may be denied admission to any health professions program.

Prior to the first day of class, students must have the following documentation on file with the CastleBranch requirement tracking system: negative drug test results, completed medical form, proof of immunizations and antibody titer results, proof of health insurance coverage, and proof of American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers CPR certification. Any student demonstrating a positive drug test will be dismissed from the Health Professions Division.

The standards, policies, and procedures of the Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program are published in the BNA Program Handbook. 

Basic Nurse Assistant Program Outcomes

  • Describe the health care team and the role of the nurse assistant.
  • Identify the scope of practice for the nurse assistant, including ethical and legal responsibilities to the patient/resident.
  • Provide quality and safe nurse assistant care in performance of procedure skills for the patient/resident.
  • Apply knowledge and skills when caring for a patient/resident with acute, chronic, or terminal health care needs.
  • Demonstrate assisting with rehabilitation and restorative nursing care to the adult and older adult.

Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program - Basic Vocational Specialist

Course Title Credits
NUR 105Basic Nurse Assistant Trng Program7
Total Credit Hours7

Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program Course

All NUR courses numbered 100 and above may be applied to the major field and elective requirement for the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. NUR 105 Basic Nurse Assistant Trng Program may only be counted in the GPA for seven hours.

NUR 105 Basic Nurse Assistant Trng Program (7)(6,3)

The Basic Nurse Assistant course of Elgin Community College is designed to prepare qualified nurse assistants to provide patient care as members of a health care team in hospitals, extended care facilities, community agencies and home health care agencies. The nurse assistant course is a seven credit course. It meets the requirements and guidelines set by the state of Illinois Department of Public Health for the Basic Nurse Aide Training Program. Successful completion of the Basic Nurse Assistant Program at ECC involves completing the mandatory hours of theory and hours of clinical instruction and demonstrating manual skills competency. For certification one must pass the Illinois State Competency Written Examination. (1.2) Proficiency Credit Not Available Pass/No Credit Not Available



SPECIAL NOTE:Students enrolled in this program are required to have the following: 1) criminal background check, 2) drug test, 3) completed medical form (includes lab tests to prove immunity to common illnesses, TB test, Tdap, flu, and COVID-19 vaccination, 4) health insurance, 5) BLS healthcare provider CPR certification, 6) textbook, uniform, and gait belt, and 7) social security number or ITIN number in order to take the Illinois certification exam, which is required to work as a nurse assistant. The cost associated with these requirements is approximately $450 plus the cost for health insurance. Please refer to the college catalog or elgin.edu/nursing for more information. For more information, please refer to Nursing Information The last day to register for NUR 105 is 11 days before the start of the term. All students in the program must attend BNA orientation on the first day of class to learn strategies to be successful in the program.. In addition, students must attend the first class day of the semester and the last class day of the semester for the BNA course. Failure to do so will result in automatic withdrawal and/or failure from the program.

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In-District Tuition/Fees: $1040 (effective 2024/25 academic year)

In-district tuition rates are subject to change based on Board approval.

Prerequisite: Admission into the Basic Nurse Assistant Training program.

Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Spring and Summer