In as little as six weeks, students at the Sentara School of Health Professions can now go to work as Certified Nursing Assistants. CNAs are vital front-line caregivers in many health care settings, including nursing facilities, assisted living centers and hospitals.
"We’re especially hopeful that this new program improves staffing in the Sentara Life Care division," says Shelly Cohen, director of the Sentara School of Health Professions. "Most of our graduates in nursing and the allied health professions go to work for Sentara facilities, and we hope our CNAs are no different." Sentara Life Care includes seven nursing centers and three assisted living centers.
The Sentara School of Health Professions offers a broad range of programs in nursing and technical fields, including Registered Nursing and Licensed Practical Nursing as well as the new CAN program. Allied fields include Care Partner, Surgical Technology, Cardiovascular Technology and Monitor-Surveillance Technology.
"This is a great way to move into the health care field as a first or second career," adds Shelley Cohen. "This is a satisfying, secure profession that will always be in demand no matter what the economy does."