CNA Schools in Michigan

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: February, 5 2010

Find the right school for you

Degree:

Subject:

Program:

Those who live and work in Michigan have the Great Lakes, snowy winters and great opportunities in the field of health care. Most of the jobs in Michigan are divided between the service industry and manufacturing. However, other industries, such as the wholesale and retail trade (19 percent) and the finance, insurance and real estate industry (31 percent), employ many people in the state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For many years, the economy in Michigan depended solely on manufacturing, or more specifically, automobile manufacturing. The state has since diversified and created more jobs in other industries, such as the service industry. Certified Nursing Assistants, among other types of health care professionals, will have numerous opportunities to find employment, get training and more in Michigan-based establishments.

Education/Degrees/Coursework for Michigan CNAs

Training to become a Certified Nurse's Aide (CNA) or nursing assistant in Michigan may be gained through an employer-sponsored program lasting three to four weeks or through adult education programs of up to six months for high school students as well as adults. Michigan offers 27 training programs in 26 cities. High school nurse aide programs are designed for high school students only while nurse aide programs offered at nursing homes, colleges, and health agencies are tailored for the adult learner.

Several community colleges offer a Certificate of Achievement in Nursing Care Skills for aspiring CNAs interested in providing assistance to registered nurses in hospitals and healthcare centers. One 11-week CNA training program covers the basics of nursing skills and includes 90 hours of theory, 128 hours of lab practice and 52 hours of actual practice in a clinical environment. Courses work may cover physical assessment, pharmacology for nurses, pain management, diabetes management, dementia care and diagnostic tests.

Topics of study can also include the following: patient care ethics and legalities, medical vocabulary, anatomy and physiology, infection control techniques, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) practices, range of motion exercises, patient vital signs, nutrition basics and patient hygiene.

Through either online or campus based programs, aspiring C.N.A.s in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor and Lansing, Michigan may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the William Beaumont Hospital, Traverse City State Hospital, Children's Hospital of Michigan and Henry Ford Hospital.