Watertown High School has offered a CNA (Certified Nurses Aid) course for over 20 years as a great way for young adults to learn nurse’s aid and life skills, and become certified at the end of their course. This semester’s CNA students are approaching the start of their clinical rotations. For orientation, the students traveled to Glendale in Naugatuck on Friday, March 22nd, together with CNA students from Naugatuck. One WHS CNA student, Jason Hanis, explains that the purpose of this orientation is to simulate a first work day. Along with other nurse’s assistants, you get to get to know the region, your surroundings, and the people you will be working with.
Students enrolled in the CNA rotation go into further depth about some crucial information regarding the course and what to anticipate during the second half of the year. Gianna Desena, a CNA student, discloses that Complete Care at Glendale, in Naugatuck, is the location of their clinical practice. In order to get ready for their clinical work, they attend class every day learning how to take vital signs, check blood pressure, provide bed baths, assist individuals, and do other standard nursing aid care. The classroom they are in also helps benefit their learning. They have mock hospital beds with dummies they get to practice on for certain activities, which help them prepare for real-world issues that may occur. Once their clinical work comes to an end, the students must pass the state certification exam that includes both a written section and a hands-on competency skills section. Once passed, they are officially able to work as a CNA.
Students wishing to enroll in CNA must first visit their Guidance Counselors and complete an application. To enroll in this course, you are not required to seek a career in healthcare. This course is offered as an opportunity for high school students to explore their general interests in the healthcare field. The CNA students are eager and ready to start their clinical work for the second semester of the 2024 school year!
