Students in McHenry Community High School’s newly created certified nursing assistant (CNA) training program recently practiced taking blood pressure readings with school staff to prepare for the clinical shadowing part of the semester-long curriculum.
The free blood pressure screening event was held March 18 in the new CNA lab at McHenry High School Freshman Campus.
The required 40 hours of clinical experience involves shadowing CNAs working at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital and The Courtyard at McHenry. The class splits into two groups and rotates between the two facilities.
Taking vital signs, helping with feeding, escorting patients to tests are among the around 20 skills students learn through the CNA program before starting the clinical job shadowing. The entire semester prepares students to take the competency exam to earn certification in Illinois as a nursing assistant. School Nurse Nicole Class, who teaches the program, said six students from the fall semester have already passed the exam.
