15 selected for nursing assistant program

The Health Professions Vocational Program prepares students to give skilled personal care to people with illness or disability. Out of 80 students who took Health Occupations the first year, 15 were selected to continue in the Nursing Assistant Program.

Acceptance is based on work ethic, attitude, and an expressed desire to help others in some way.

The Nursing Assistant course is a semester class held every other day for three hours at Mountain Home High School and with hands-on training at Elmore Medical Center.

Students spend the beginning of the semester learning about safety, comfort and technical skills.

The second half of the semester they receive practical experience at Elmore Medical Center. They get to see first hand how important the role of a CNA is in the continuum of care. The students are trained to provide assistance to others and learn skills that rely on technical training as well as kindness, sensitivity and maturity.

Elmore Medical Center provides a training opportunity that is not available at the high school. Students are allowed to spend time in a variety of departments, including the Long Term Care Unit, Acute Care, Lab and Radiology departments. The patients and residents offer the students and opportunity to practice skills with staff supervision.

The students were honored in a brief recognition celebration held at Elmore Medical Center Long Term Care Unit in May. Speakers included their instructor, Mrs. Liz Casso Lopez, Elmore County Commissioner, Connie Cruser and Gayle Vargas, LTCU Director of Nursing Services.

Eight of the 15 students have already taken their national exams and are Certified Nursing Assistants. The seven remaining students were scheduled to take the exam in June.

The students are: Allison Clark, Elizabeth Ramirez, Ana Araujo, Heather Stocke, Kylie Ray, Ashley Campbell, Back: Allysa Snyder, Janett Salas-Reyes, Modesty Labbe, Angie Kuczajda, Michael Stirewalt, Vicky Carnes and Caitlyn Smith.