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Online Career Colleges    » Health, Medical, and Nursing     » Nursing Assistant

Nursing Assistant Degree Programs

Online Nursing Assistant

Looking for online accredited career colleges and universities offering Nursing Assistant degrees. Each program from a Online Career College, a post-secondary for-profit institution, offers an education with an in-demand career field. As total higher education enrollment decreases, student enrollment in courses and degree programs at online colleges continues to rise. Today, millions of college students choose to take some or all of their courses online. A nursing assistant is also called an aide or attendant. In most states, you can complete training to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA) as long as you have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Online Nursing Assistant Degrees

Nursing assistant training for a fulfilling career

Nursing assistants provide supervised care to patients in a number of environments, such as physicians' offices, hospitals or nursing care facilities. A nursing assistant is also called an aide or attendant. In most states, you can complete training to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA) as long as you have a high school diploma or equivalent.

The CNA certification program prepares you to carry out basic nursing responsibilities such as taking vital signs and assisting with examinations. Clinical duties of a nursing assistant may include the following:

1. Giving medications or treatments
2. Changing dressings, slings or support bandages
3. Changing linens and cleaning patient rooms
4. Collecting specimens
5. Assisting patients with grooming and meals

Job outlook for nursing assistants

CNA programs are offered at vocational training schools and community colleges. Programs generally take only a few months to complete. Courses covered at nursing assistant schools and colleges may include the following:

1. CPR
2. Laboratory procedures
3. Anatomy and physiology
4. Infection control
5. Resident rights
6. Body mechanics
7. Nutrition

Nursing assistant schools offer both classroom study and practical training. The federal government requires those working in nursing care facilities to complete a minimum of 75 hours of certified training and a competency evaluation. Some nursing assistants may choose to build on their experience and go back to school for further training to become a licensed vocational or registered nurse.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for nursing aides was $25,140 in 2010. Employment is projected to grow 18 percent between 2008 and 2018, the BLS reports.

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