USU Blanding establishes new CNA program

*Audio clip is of Teryn Lyman, the health professions coordinator and advisor. 

The Utah State University Blanding campus has established a fast-paced, industry-based Certified Nursing Assistant program.  

The program is targeted at people who are already hired and working in healthcare but who have not received official training or certification.  

The program is six weeks long, and participants meet two to three times a week, along with one weekend for clinicals. 

During the pandemic, there was an increase in the need for nursing assistants. This demand led to people getting hired without training or certification. In Blanding, most were hired to work in local care centers.   

Others found themselves taking on healthcare roles with family members in the home. 

“What happened during the pandemic was, especially down here on the Navajo Nation, people were starting to care for their family members,” said Teryn Lyman, the health professions coordinator and advisor. “Not professionally, not as a job or anything. It’s just that they take care of their elders.” 

But shortages in health care workers are not unique to the pandemic — the Navajo Nation and rural areas were already facing them. 

Mindy Gurley, an instructor in the program, said the program will help with current need in the Navajo Nation. 

“This will allow those working in that area to provide much needed care,” Gurley said. “Several of our students are already working on the Navajo Reservation and will be certified soon.”  

The program can help people take previous experience and knowledge from assisting family members and turn it into a certification and a job.  

Since the program is so rapid, participants’ previous experience in the healthcare industry is a benefit. 

“It’s very fast paced,” Lyman said. “They have to learn a lot of information quickly, but where they have already been working, hopefully it’s a little bit easier for them.” 

The program exists to make sure participants receive the proper training and education to pass the certification exam.  

“There’s already a lot of people doing this work,” Lyman said. “They know how to generally take care of a loved one or an elder, but there are things that you would need to know — detailed things like respirations and heart rate.”  

The information taught in the program is the same as what is taught in the 16-week CNA programs at the Blanding, Moab and Price campuses. 

The condensed format allows students to get certified and quickly get back to work or start working. Once they graduate from the program, they take the state test and have the opportunity to receive their certification. 

Gurley said CNAs have a vital role in the healthcare industry and can provide needed care where there is a shortage. 

“They are hands-on with patients and at times go to their homes or work in long-term care centers and assisted living facilities,” Gurley said.  

Lyman said that funding is available for this program through the USU Custom Fit program. 

“USU pays 50% and whoever is sponsoring them or whoever they are working for will pay the other 50%,” Lyman said. “They don’t have to pay for this program at all.”  

The program has finished training its first cohort and will start the next group on Oct. 10. 

-Carter.Ottley@usu.edu

Featured photo courtesy of Utah State Today