College Offers Certified Nurse Aide Program

Addressing a local, regional, and national healthcare need, Tompkins Cortland Community College has added a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) program to its offerings. The intensive three-week program prepares students for a career in healthcare, complete with classroom and lab training, as well as clinical experiences at Cayuga Medical Center or Guthrie Cortland Regional Medical Center. The classes will be led by faculty from the College’s prestigious nursing program, Associate Professor Barbara Moose and Professor Milagros Cartagena-Cook. The program is set to begin January 4, 2021, with registration available at information sessions scheduled for October 24 and November 14.

Tompkins Cortland’s CNA program has been approved by the New York State Education Department to prepare students for the Nurse Assistant Certification. With a total of 125 hours of training, students will be instructed on topics including basic nursing skills, infection control procedures, safety and emergency procedures, and mental health and social service needs.

Enrollment in the CNA program costs $2,099 in tuition and fees, which includes course textbook and all written materials, a set of scrubs, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, and the state exam fee. To enroll in the program, interested individuals must first attend one of two information sessions on campus. The sessions will be offered on the main campus in Dryden on Oct. 24 and Nov. 14, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Interested people can register online for an information session or learn more about the program by emailing biz@tompkinscortland.edu.