Nursing Assistant Certificate

Academy of Health Professions

Lowell Campus

Program Description:

The Nursing Assistant Certificate program in the Academy of Health Professions prepares students for entry-level employment as a nursing assistant. The program combines classroom and laboratory instruction with long-term care experiences, and fulfills Massachusetts Department of Public Health requirements. Students who complete the program are eligible to take the Massachusetts state certification examination and work as a certified nursing assistant. The Nursing Assistant Certificate program includes both academic and career courses. Career exploration is an essential component. In addition, students obtain CPR and first aid certification, as well as strengthen college and academic reading skills.

Career and Transfer Outlook:

Graduates of the Nursing Assistant Certificate program are qualified for entry-level employment as nursing assistants or home-health aides. Students may find career opportunities in long-term care facilities, hospitals and clinics, or in individual residential/patient homes. Upon satisfactory completion of this certificate, students will be able to move up the career ladder by taking additional college-level courses and meeting requirements for other certificates or associate degrees in a health career.

Gainful Employment Disclosure Information:

In accordance with Federal regulations, Middlesex Community College discloses information about student costs, tuitions, fees and employment statistics to various governing bodies to ensure certification and oversight.

See: Gainful Employment Information

Program Outcomes:

Graduates of the Nursing Assistant Certificate program are prepared to:

Perform entry-level technical skills of bedside care, including safety and infection control, selected therapeutic procedures, selected restorative procedures, personal care skills;
Exhibit desirable patterns of organization and execution of work habits while performing as a nursing assistant and member of a health team;
Communicate clearly and effectively to patients, family and staff;
Sit for, and pass, the state certification exam.

Required Courses

Total Credits: 19

Program Specifics:

All classes and labs are held on the Lowell Campus at MCC’s Health, Science & Technology Center, located on Middle Street.
Courses are offered in a variety of accelerated formats including days or evenings and weekends. Please contact an admissions representative for detailed class times.
Students are responsible for the purchase of textbooks and scrubs; white sneakers will serve as part of the professional attire during clinical rotations.
Transportation to and from clinical sites is NOT provided.
In order for a student to be eligible to participate in an academic, community or clinical program that involves potential unsupervised contact with children, the disabled, the elderly, or other vulnerable populations, the student may be required to undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and/or a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check.

Clinical Standards:

Students are required to attend all classes and pass clinical labs with 100-percent competency; students must attend all off-site clinical rotations in order to complete the program and be eligible to sit for the nursing assistant certificate examination.

Standard/Technical Skills Notice:

To view the list of standard and specific skills required to perform duties in the Academy of Health Professions, visit the Middlesex Community College website (www.middlesex.mass.edu) or the Student Information Centers. These skills are not conditions for admission to MCC programs, but do indicate abilities and characteristics necessary for the successful completion of college health programs, and to perform the duties of the career upon graduation.

Admission Information

Eligible for ENG 088, or ENG 089, or ENG 092, or above. Eligibility may be demonstrated through the college placement test or previous college coursework.

Requirements After Admission:

Students accepted to Health Programs must be in compliance with the current immunization requirements specified by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for Health Care Personnel (HCP) and in accordance with state law, MGL, Chapter 76, Section 15C, and its regulations at 105 CMR 220.700 in order to participate in an externship placement or clinical experience.
Students must submit the Student Health Record form, provided by Middlesex Community College, to the Student Information Center. Required documentation of health status includes a completed physical examination, a two-step Mantoux (TB/PPD) skin test or blood test (T-Spot or Quantiferon Gold) for tuberculosis, a color deficiency test, proof of immunization against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B, Varicella, Meningitis, and one lifetime dose of TDAP (Tetanus/Diphtheria/Acellular Pertussis - after 2006). Most programs also require seasonal flu vaccine.
Students must achieve a grade of ”C” (73%) or better in each of the Academy of Health Professions (AHP) courses as well as Medical Terminology (for Nursing Assistant and Medical Reception) or Basic Anatomy & Physiology (for Medical Office Administration and Phlebotomy) to progress in the program.
Students enrolled in the Academy of Health Professions program must demonstrate a satisfactory level of performance in the clinical courses in order to progress in the program.