CNA lab provides students with greater opportunities

Local high school students enrolled in CNA dual credit courses will benefit from new lab and classroom additions at Shawnee Community College’s Anna Extension Center.

The CNA dual credit course, provided through the Five County Regional Vocational System, found a new home inside the college’s extension center this spring semester. 

The addition will benefit dual credit students completing the CNA program while still attending high school. 

“This opportunity allows the students to (gain) hands-on learning and experience within the lab setting to better prepare each student for the clinical setting,” said Jamie Hickam, program coordinator and CNA instructor at  the Five County Regional Vocational System. 

“By having access to multimedia I can show different videos related to the content we are covering, then move to the lab for the hands-on experience before ever reaching the clinical site,” Hickam said.

The program currently has 12 students enrolled from Anna-Jonesboro, Cobden and Shawnee high schools in Union County.

The maximum number of students is 15 for the program, which complements the five students to one bed ratio.

The project was made possible through a collaboration involving Shawnee Community College and Five County Regional Vocational System. 

Appreciation also was voiced to Union County Hospital in Anna. Shawnee Community College used Perkins Grant funds to support the CNA lab and classroom project.