Qualified individuals may apply to the program from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Admission criteria:

• Submit a completed application
• Complete a pre-admission test with a score of at least 75%
• Provide legal proof of identity (i.e., driver license, passport, etc.)
• Be at least 17 years of age
• Pay a non-refundable registration fee of $___________
• Complete a pre-admissions interview with the program coordinator or administrator

Hours of Operation

Class Type / Office	Days	Hours
Day Classes	Monday – Friday	8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Evening Classes	Monday – Friday	5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Weekend Classes	Saturday	9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Administrative Offices	Monday – Friday	8:00 am – 7:00 pm

Verification of PA Residency

• Complete the Verification of PA Residency

Criminal History Record Information and FBI

• Prior to the first day of class:
• Applicants who have resided in PA for more than 2 full years must submit a Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Record information (CHRI) report in compliance with Act 14
• For applicants who have not resided in PA for more than 2 full years prior to the date of application, applicant must submit a PA CHRI and an FBI Report before the first day of class

Attestation of Compliance with Act 14

• Sign the Attestation of Compliance with Act 14 stating that you have not been convicted of any prohibitive offenses

Advisement on Bulletin, 99-11-05: Exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal health care program

• Advisement on Bulletin, 99-11-05: Exclusion from Participation in Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal health care program is required. While your CHRI may be acceptable for Nurse Aide training, you should be aware that Pennsylvania maintains a database by Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General that identifies individuals or entities that have been excluded nationwide from participating in any federal health care program. Health care facilities are required to develop policies and procedures for screening all employees to determine if they have been excluded from participation in federal health care programs. If you are on this exclusion list, it is possible that you will not be eligible for employment in a health care agency. To see if you are on the list, please go to the following website: http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/exclusions.asp

Physical examination/Health condition

• A Physical exam which includes evidence that the applicant is free of communicable disease in a communicable state is required
• Documentation of a negative 2-step Mantoux or negative QuantiFERON TB Gold test. A negative chest x-ray must be submitted if a student’s test results are positive.
• The chest x-ray may not be older than five years.

Attendance

• All students must complete the entire amount of approved program hours. This includes classroom, laboratory, and clinical time.
• In compliance with Regulation Section §483.152 of OBRA and Section 3 of Act 14, a student must complete a minimum of 16 hours in instruction in the five content areas as listed below before any resident contact. Therefore, if you are tardy or absent on a day when the following content is taught, you may be asked to re-enroll in a future class. The administration will determine if you will be permitted to attend a future class.
• The five content areas are as follows
  1. Communication and interpersonal skills
  2. Infection control
  3. Safety/emergency procedures, including abdominal thrust
  4. Promotion of resident’s independence
  5. Respecting resident’s rights
• Attendance will be documented on a daily basis and reflect the number of classroom/lab/clinical hours, class for class, lab for lab, and clinical for clinical time.
• Any class or clinical time that is missed MUST be made up on the designated make up day on the class schedule. The student must compete all the approved program hours, class for missed class, lab for lab, and clinical for clinical time.
• Attendance is mandatory. No absence will be permitted unless an extenuating circumstance, such as a death in the family or court subpoena, will be allowed. If a student will be absent or tardy, the student must notify the instructor or call the school if the instructor cannot be reached.
• Attendance is validated by the use of a clock in the classroom. Class is from 8 am to 4 pm. You should be in your seat and ready to begin class by 8 am. You will be considered tardy if you are late returning to class after a scheduled break or lunch period.
• The first offense of tardiness will receive a verbal warning. The second offense will receive a written warning. The third offense could result in termination from the program.
• More than 1 unexcused class or clinical absence will result in dismissal from the program
• All make up time must be completed before completion of the program. A missed class day must be made up before the start of clinical. A missed clinical must be made up before end of the program.
• Any excused absence related to a potential contagious disease will require a physician’s statement permitting the student to return to class, i.e. pink eye.
• Absence from class without the instructor’s authorization will result in immediate termination.

Level of Achievement

Upon successful completion of the program students will be given a copy of their final grades, performance checklist and a certificate of completion.

• To successfully complete the program, the student must fulfill the following requirements:

  Theory: Maintain an 80% pass rate as a cumulative average. Students will be required to take 5 quizzes and 1 final exam. The student must receive a score of 80% on all quizzes and on the final exam.

  • The student will have one opportunity to re-test on a failed quiz and one opportunity to re-test on a failed final exam.
  • If a student is absent on the day of a quiz, they will be required to take the quiz the day they return to class.
  • All tests will be closed-book and no electronic devices, dictionaries, or other materials will be permitted during testing.

  Skills lab: Satisfactorily demonstrate all of the required skills while missing no
  More than 2 non-critical steps.

• Each procedure must be satisfactorily demonstrated before it is performed on a resident
• Each procedure will be evaluated as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The instructor will sign each satisfactorily performed procedure on the checklist
• Missing more than 2 non-critical steps will equate to an Unsatisfactory level of achievement
• Missing a critical step will result in a failure of the procedure
• Students will be given two opportunities to achieve a satisfactory rating on each procedure
• The instructor will provide additional lab time for students to practice

Clinical: Satisfactorily demonstrate the performance objectives and professional conduct in the clinical setting. A satisfactory rating will be given when procedures are performed consistently as instructed in the classroom and lab with few to occasional reminders or with minor infractions.

• The student is required to demonstrate good communication skills
• Practice excellent infection control procedures, including consistent use of standard precautions, proper use of PPE
• Be alert to the safety of the resident, ensuring bed and wheelchair locks, side rails as ordered, assistance with transferring/ambulation as needed
• Promote resident independence by offering choice, and respect resident rights by being courteous, kind, and trustworthy.
• Unsatisfactory performance is defined as:
• Frequent or major infractions in which actual harm or the potential for actual harm, or immediate jeopardy occurs.
• Frequent cueing
• Unsafe or incorrect demonstration
• Violation of the resident’s rights
• A minor infraction is defined as no actual harm with the potential for minimal harm

The instructor will maintain anecdotal notes to support progress, incidents and a satisfactory level of achievement.

A final clinical grade will be Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U).

If a student demonstrates unsatisfactory progress in any component of the nurse aide training program, the instructor may choose to provide counseling, remediation, issue a written warning, or dismiss him/her from the program.

If the clinical site staff observes a student performing or behaving unsatisfactorily, the “clinical site” has the right to refuse the student to return to the clinical site.

Standards of Conduct

• Academic honesty is expected of a nurse aide student. Dishonesty or cheating will not be tolerated.
• All students MUST wear an identification tag at all times. The tag will clearly identify them as a “student” until they satisfactorily complete the State competency examination.
• Professional and safe behavior is expected of all nurse aide students
• It is imperative to demonstrate care that is legally sound and to be held to high, ethical standards to ensure abuse-free communication and care delivery
• Violation of these standards of conduct will result in disciplinary action, which may include verbal counseling, written warning or dismissal from the program
• Students must adhere to the dress code policy:
  • On class days, students may wear appropriate “street” clothes (which does not include, inappropriately short or tight-fitting clothes, shorts, cut-offs, or crop tops)
  • On clinical days, blue scrubs are to be worn with white, rubber-sole nursing shoes or sneakers.
  • No excessive jewelry (such as dangling bracelets or long chains and necklaces). A wrist watch with a second hand is recommended
  • Post earrings may be worn in the ear but no other piercings are allowed (no dangling earrings or large hoops, no nose rings, tongue piercing, etc.).
  • Hair should be neatly groomed and securely fastened off the face and shoulders. Men should have facial hair neatly trimmed. Fingernails should be short and neatly trimmed, no excessively long or artificial nails permitted.
  • ID badges must be visible and worn everyday both in classroom and in clinical
• Leaving the clinical area without permission or performing procedures without the instructor present could result in immediate dismissal.
• The use of cell phones during class and clinical sessions is prohibited
• Possession of alcohol or deadly weapon (i.e., gun, knife) is prohibited.
• Noncompliance with established facility rules and regulations (e.g., parking, smoking, food in the classroom, use of facility telephone) will result in disciplinary action.
• Disruptive behavior (i.e. profane language, insubordination, lack of respect of classmates, or staff, sleeping or talking in class) will result in disciplinary action.
• Empathy, tact, willingness to learn, self-motivation, discretion, acceptance of criticism, enthusiasm, competence, patience, dependability, and responsibility are necessary for success in health care roles.
• Disciplinary procedures include a verbal warning by the instructor, if behavior continues, a written warning will be given. If problematic behavior still continues the student could be dismissed from the program.

Student Grievance Policy

This procedure has been developed to allow the student to express a grievance, complaint or dissatisfaction. The time frame for a student grievance action must be within the length of the NATCEP. The following are the steps of the student grievance policy.

Step one

• Student submits the grievance/compliant in written or oral manner to the primary instructor.
• The primary instructor reviews and responds to the grievance within three days.
• The primary instructor documents, in writing, the grievance, the review and the resolution.
• Primary instructor meets the student to share the resolution to the grievance. A copy of this documentation should be kept on file.
  • Note: The student is entitled to private and confidential counseling, however, another instructor or staff member may be asked to witness the counseling.
• If the student and instructor are unable to resolve the issue, or if the grievance is against the instructor, the grievance should be brought to the attention of the director or nursing/coordinator within 48 hours.

Step two

If the student and instructor are unable to resolve the grievance, a meeting between the director of nursing/coordinator and student will take place within three days of the receipt of the complaint. The student should place the grievance in writing if it has not been done.

The director of nursing/coordinator will review the documentation submitted by the Primary Instructor and student and conduct an investigation as needed.

The director of nursing/coordinator documents the review process and the resolution of the grievance.

A meeting is scheduled with the director of nursing/coordinator, primary instructor and student to disclose the resolution.

If the decision rendered by the director of nursing/coordinator is not brought to a satisfactory conclusion, the student may appeal to the administrator or grievance committee within 48 hours.

Step three

All documentation is submitted to the administrator or grievance committee for their review and consideration

Notification of the administrator’s or grievance committee’s decision will be given in writing to the involved parties within 48 hours of the hearing.

The decision of the administrator or grievance committee will be final.

Tuition/Refund Policy

Self-Sponsored

Students are responsible for tuition payments. The course must be paid in full before training begins. Uniforms and textbooks are additional costs and must be purchased prior to the start of class

If you personally incurred the tuition cost of the program and successfully complete the nurse aide program you will be issued a receipt. By law, only one original receipt will be given to the graduate student.

The fee for the competency exam is separate from the tuition. Pearson Vue will issue a receipt for the student who pays for the State Competency Examination.

In order to receive a full refund, the student must notify the program coordinator at least 48 hours prior to the beginning of the course of his/her withdrawal.

Fifty percent refund will be issued if a cancellation notice is made before the start of the second day of the program. No refund is available after the second day.

Utilization of Student Policy

Nurse Aide students will not be utilized for any services or functions that they have not been supervised or determined as competent by the instructor. Learning opportunities will be sought by program instructors to guide student learning.

• a. Students will be supervised in the performance of resident care tasks, which have been taught in the class and/or lab, for which the student has demonstrated competent performance.
• b. Students may not replace staff or serve as a staff member