PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle and Northern Light Continuing Care in Mars Hill are once again partnering with SAD 42 Adult Education to offer a program to train Certified Nursing Assistants.
The upcoming summer session, which begins June 23, will be particularly convenient for high school students who may want to work as a CNA part-time while in school.
Both the hospital and the long-term care facility continue to have a shortage of trained CNAs, and they implemented this program to help “grow our own” according to Odette Lee, RN, coordinator of the program.
The program allows participants to get paid for working full-time during training and be guaranteed a position after graduation. The seven-week program is streamlined and geared towards rapid completion.
CNAs provide intimate, hands-on healthcare to patients in medical settings, helping with bathing, dressing and the basic activities of life, working under the direction of a nurse.
“Being a CNA can be a rewarding career in itself, but it is also a great way to start down the path of becoming a nurse or other healthcare professional,” Lee says. “You are learning how to work as part of a team, building communications and life skills, and getting exposure to technology such as our computer charting system. Working in healthcare in general is an excellent career today and in the future.”
Participants have three options for how they want to take part in the program. For the first two options, the program is free and participants are paid as temporary employees while they are training. The difference between the two is whether they make a one year commitment working full-time or a two-year commitment working part-time at Continuing Care in Mars Hill. For the third option, participants can pay the tuition for the course and do not have any commitment to work for Northern Light Health after completion.
Space for this training is limited to 10 participants. To learn more, please contact Lee at olee@northernlight.org or 207-768-4655.
