Certified Nursing Assistant
Overview
As a nursing assistant, graduates can work in-home care, assisted living and long-term care facilities, rehab centers, and acute care hospitals. MTC offers this pathway to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.
The Nursing Assistant certificate will provide a foundation in health care careers, communication, soft skills, computers, and anatomy and physiology. Students will develop basic nursing skills required of nursing assistants in skilled health care settings, such as the activity of daily living, vital signs, eating, elimination, and safety measures. Instructional methods will be varied including classroom, online/hybrid, simulation/virtual reality, and clinical rotations. Skills taught in this program are those listed as required for the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) Examination. Successful completion of this exam, along with listing on the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry is required to work as a Certified Nursing Aide in South Carolina. The Nursing Assistant Certificate can be combined with the Cardiac Care Certificate and Phlebotomy Certificate to earn stackable, short-term, entry-level certificates in the health care arena.
Employment opportunities in South Carolina include positions in places such as hospitals, skilled nursing home facilities, long-term care facilities, hospices, and home health care. Related careers include patient care technicians, personal care aides, and rehabilitation aides/assistants.
Students must receive a grade of “C” or better on all Nursing Assistant certificate courses. Students must pass a final comprehensive exit examination to graduate from the program. Students may not repeat Nursing Assistant certificate courses more than once, nor may they progress to the next semester until that course is passed. Students may repeat only two Nursing Assisting courses.
Students will rotate through extended care facilities, hospitals, and clinics in the MTC service area for practical experience in Nursing Assisting. Students will be required to comply with regulations required by off-campus clinical sites, which might include fingerprinting, background checks, and drug screenings.
In addition to the college’s placement test and the specific admissions requirements for the Health Sciences department, specific interview eligibility criteria for the Nursing Assistant Certificate program include:
- Attendance at a program Information Session (optional).
- Attendance at a program Orientation Session (mandatory).
- Submission of an Acknowledgement of Intent request.
- Acceptable Criminal Background Check and drug screening results.
- Satisfactory compliance with required medical physical and immunization requirements.
- Current certification in First-Aid and CPR (American Heart for the Health Care Professional).
How to Enroll
To pursue this degree, you must apply to MTC using our online application.
Questions?
Sample Program Plan and Costs
Class Delivery Methods
View current courses offered via our online course directory.
| On-Campus | Traditional. Classes meet on campus. |
|---|---|
| Virtual | 100% online. Meets with a live instructor and classmates on specific days, at specific times. Uses web conferencing software, like Zoom. |
| Hybrid | Some classes on campus. Some classes online or virtual. |
| Online | 100% online. Due dates for projects and assignments. Self-paced work on your time. |
Full Time
| Semester | Course ID | Course Title | Classroom | Online | Hybrid | Virtual | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 (12 Credit Hours) |
ENG-160 |
Technical Communications Technical Communications ID: ENG-160 Credit Hours: 3 This course is a study of various technical communications such as definitions, processes, instructions, descriptions, and technical reports. |
• | • | • | 3 | |
| AHS-180 |
Health Careers Preparation Health Careers Preparation ID: AHS-180 Credit Hours: 3 This course includes selected topics such as study skills, test-taking skills, critical thinking, problem solving, ethics, health careers test preparation and other topics to promote student success. |
• | • | • | 3 | ||
| AHS-102 |
Medical Terminology Medical Terminology ID: AHS-102 Credit Hours: 3 This course covers medical terms, including roots, prefixes, and suffixes, with emphasis on spelling, definition, and pronunciation. |
• | • | 3 | |||
| BIO-110 |
General Anatomy and Physiology General Anatomy and Physiology ID: BIO-110 Credit Hours: 3 This course is a general introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Emphasis is on the organ systems of the human and their interrelationships. |
• | • | 3 | |||
| Semester 2 (10 Credit Hours) |
AHS-117 |
The Care of Patients The Care of Patients ID: AHS-117 Credit Hours: 4 This course includes a study of concepts required to assist in nurse assisting. |
• | 4 | |||
| AHS-131 |
Computers in Healthcare Computers in Healthcare ID: AHS-131 Credit Hours: 3 This course is the study of the hardware and software used in various healthcare settings including information systems, computerized medical interfaces, telemedicine, networking, as well as other basic computer applications. |
• | • | • | 3 | ||
| AHS-205 |
Ethics and Law for Allied Health Profess Ethics and Law for Allied Health Profess ID: AHS-205 Credit Hours: 3 This course is an introduction to ethical, bioethical and legal concepts related to allied health professions. |
• | • | 3 | |||
| Total Credit Hours | 22 | ||||||
| Estimated Cost Financial Aid |
$4,136.00 Not including fees and equipment |
||||||
Part Time
| Semester | Course ID | Course Title | Classroom | Online | Hybrid | Virtual | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 (6 Credit Hours) |
ENG-160 |
Technical Communications Technical Communications ID: ENG-160 Credit Hours: 3 This course is a study of various technical communications such as definitions, processes, instructions, descriptions, and technical reports. |
• | • | • | 3 | |
| AHS-180 |
Health Careers Preparation Health Careers Preparation ID: AHS-180 Credit Hours: 3 This course includes selected topics such as study skills, test-taking skills, critical thinking, problem solving, ethics, health careers test preparation and other topics to promote student success. |
• | • | • | 3 | ||
| Semester 2 (6 Credit Hours) |
AHS-102 |
Medical Terminology Medical Terminology ID: AHS-102 Credit Hours: 3 This course covers medical terms, including roots, prefixes, and suffixes, with emphasis on spelling, definition, and pronunciation. |
• | • | 3 | ||
| BIO-110 |
General Anatomy and Physiology General Anatomy and Physiology ID: BIO-110 Credit Hours: 3 This course is a general introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Emphasis is on the organ systems of the human and their interrelationships. |
• | • | 3 | |||
| Semester 3 (7 Credit Hours) |
AHS-117 |
The Care of Patients The Care of Patients ID: AHS-117 Credit Hours: 4 This course includes a study of concepts required to assist in nurse assisting. |
• | 4 | |||
| AHS-131 |
Computers in Healthcare Computers in Healthcare ID: AHS-131 Credit Hours: 3 This course is the study of the hardware and software used in various healthcare settings including information systems, computerized medical interfaces, telemedicine, networking, as well as other basic computer applications. |
• | • | • | 3 | ||
| Semester 4 (3 Credit Hours) |
AHS-205 |
Ethics and Law for Allied Health Profess Ethics and Law for Allied Health Profess ID: AHS-205 Credit Hours: 3 This course is an introduction to ethical, bioethical and legal concepts related to allied health professions. |
• | • | 3 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 22 | ||||||
| Estimated Cost Financial Aid |
$4,136.00 Not including fees and equipment |
||||||
What’s next after I complete this program?
Enter the workforce
After graduates complete this program, opportunities for employment will be available immediately. There is a high demand for caring individuals who are driven to provide high-quality care. Employment will provide graduates with the opportunity to continue to develop and learn additional skills, network with current practitioners, and become a valuable asset to the healthcare team.
Gain additional credentials
Stand out from the rest by continuing this education path and pursuing other certifications. CNAs can also be cross-trained as phlebotomists and electrocardiogram technicians to become patient care technicians (PCTs).
Advance your career
Continue growth and development as a member of the nursing care team. Many nursing assistants/CNAs continue their education while perfecting their craft. It is very common for many to work their way to become licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and ultimately registered nurses (RNs) (CNA to LPN to RN).