Nursing Assistant Training Program

Technology Center of DuPage

Nursing Assistant Training Program

What is NATP?

The Nursing Assistant Program is a program structured to prepare the high school junior or senior student for employment as a Certified Nurse Assistant. The curriculum includes all standards and procedures contained in the Illinois Department of Public Health Certified Nurse Aide Instruction Model.

Students will be taught the skills and knowledge needed to provide quality and effective patient care. The program involves classroom, laboratory and clinical instruction. The instructors of the program are experienced Registered Nurses with multiple years of nursing experience. Students will also earn CPR certification through the American Heart Association.

The Technology Center of DuPage Nursing Assistant Training Program is affiliated with the College of DuPage. Students who meet the admission requirements for college credit will have the opportunity to earn college credits with successful completion of the program. There are specific qualifications from the college that students must meet to earn the allotted college credits. These qualifications involve strict grades and attendance policies.

At the completion of the course, students who have met the requirements of the program and Illinois Department of Public Health will have the opportunity to take the state of Illinois Nursing Assistant Certification Exam.

The program offers an excellent introduction pathway to the nursing profession. Many colleges recommend or require certification as a nursing assistant prior to admission to their nursing programs.

Students may also choose to continue their education in preparation for any of a number of careers in the health care field i.e.;  Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist,  Respiratory Therapist, Ultrasound Technician, Sports Medicine and many more health career options.

What will my classes be like?

Students enrolled in the Nursing Assistant Training Program will attend classes at the Technology Center of DuPage as part of their high school daily schedule. The classes at TCD will include theory and laboratory/practicum lessons involved in the program.

In addition to the classes at TCD, students will attend local nursing homes with an assigned TCD clinical instructor to complete 40 hours of clinical experience. Students will need to provide their own transportation to and from the clinical sites. The clinical experience is offered on weekends only outside the TCD classroom hours.

In the classroom, students will learn the basics of nursing care along with the introduction to the systems of the human body, and the nature of disease and common health problems in the human body. Students will learn to identify and report patient observations to the nurse. Students will learn how to respond to a variety of patient needs and conditions. Students will master key medical terms and communication skills required in a health care setting.

In the laboratory setting, students will be introduced to the skills needed to perform basic nursing care. Some of these skills include taking blood pressures, calculating intake and output, making hospital beds, applying personal protective equipment, handwashing, and measuring height and weight.  Students will then practice those skills on each other with the supervision of the instructors. The lab setting allows students a hands on approach to learning skills prior to attending the clinical portion of the course.

In the clinical setting, students apply the skills and knowledge they acquire at TCD in a real patient setting. Students will attend clinical with an assigned TCD Clinical Instructor. Students will care for residents of local area nursing homes. Illinois Department of Public Health has 21 required skills for students to meet certification.  In the clinical setting, students apply their skills and work to receive an instructor approval of competency in each skill.