Project Heartbeat is pleased to offer CNA specific courses with an approved NAC CE provider number for groups of 8 or more at our Oakland or Sacramento campuses or more conveniently at your location. Continuing Education for CNAs ensures that each student will be provided the latest up to date content relevant to their profession. 48 CE credits must be completed by each CNA every 2 years. 24 of the 48 hours must be obtained through a CDPH approved online computer training program. The remaining 24 hours can be completed only through NAC (Nurse Assistant Certification) approved CDPH Providers.
Review the class options below and contact us to schedule your course.
Course Summary
CNA Continuing Education Courses (NAC Approved CE #1187)
This course is designed to provide CNAs and HHNs a basic understanding of cardiac functions and disease processes.
Course Curriculum
Basic Cardiology
- Basic Cardiac Function Overview
- Cardiac Disease
- Blood flow
- The Cardiac Cycle
Student Learning Objectives:
- Explain how the heart works
- Describe the signs and symptoms of heart failure and heart attack
- Explain the causes of heart disease
- Describe ways to prevent heart disease and increase heart health
- Understand various cardiac diseases and abnormalities
The purpose of End-of-Life Care for CNAs is to present CNAs with information about care of dying patients that can be applied in any practice setting.
Course Curriculum
- Palliative Care
- Relief of Suffering
- Aspects of Care
- Bill of Rights
- Caring For the Caregivers
- Stress Signals
- Activities to Maintain Mental Health
- Care for the Dying Patient
- Pain Management
- Addressing Concerns
- Signs and Management of Approaching Death
- Signs of Death
Student Learning Objectives
- Explain what end-of-life care is
- Define suffering as it relates to dying
- Identify rights of a dying person
- List the responsibilities of a CNA in an end-of-life situation
- Describe methods for reducing the stress surrounding death
- List ways for managing pain
- Identify signs of approaching death
Heartsaver CPR AED is a video-based, instructor-led course that teaches adult and child CPR and AED use, infant CPR, and how to relieve choking in adults, children, and infants. This course teaches skills with the AHA’s research-proven practice-while-watching technique, which allows instructors to observe the students, provide feedback, and guide the students’ learning of skills.
This course is for anyone with limited or no medical training who needs a course completion card in CPR and AED use to meet job, regulatory, or other requirements.
Features
- Video-based course ensures consistency
- Instructor-led, hands-on class format reinforces skills proficiency
- Course is updated with the new science from the 2020 AHA Guidelines Update for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
Course Curriculum
- Adult CPR and AED use
- Opioid-associated life-threatening emergencies
- Child CPR and AED use
- Infant CPR
- Adult, child, and infant choking
- Optional modules in child CPR and AED use and infant CPR, including child and infant choking
- Optional exam
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing this course, students should be able to
- Describe how high-quality CPR improves survival
- Explain the concepts of the Chain of Survival
- Recognize when someone needs CPR
- Perform high-quality CPR for an adult
- Describe how to perform CPR with help from others
- Give effective breaths using mouth-to-mouth or a mask for all age groups
- Demonstrate how to use an AED on an adult
- Perform high-quality CPR for a child*
- Demonstrate how to use an AED on a child*
- Perform high-quality CPR for an infant*
- Describe when and how to help a choking adult or child
- Demonstrate how to help a choking infant*
*Child and infant modules are optional.
CNAs in long-term care facilities will learn detailed guidelines in for the care of residents with specific body-site infections, as well as principles and practices for preventing the spread of infectious organisms to other residents and staff. Will also learn measures to prevent and control the development or spread of antibiotic resistant organisms. Infection control practices are effective when they are understood and carried out by the staff. These practices must be monitored for residents known to be infected with certain organisms and for residents who are unknowingly infected and/or are asymptomatic carriers of the organisms.
Course Curriculum
- Routine Infection Control Surveillance in Long Term Care
- Definitions of Body Site Infections in Long Term Care Facilities
- Frequent Indicators of Infection in the Elderly
- Symptoms of Worsening Condition
- Body Substance Precautions System
- Diseases Transmitted by Airborne Route
- Collection and Transport of Laboratory Specimens
- Immunization Recommendations for Residents of Long Term Care Facilities
- Employee Immunization Recommendations
- Transfer of Residents Between Facilities
- Infectious Disease Outbreaks
- Influenza Outbreak Control for Long Term Care Facilities
- Tuberculosis Control
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Summarize the concepts of infection prevention and control.
- Identify the economic and social impact of healthcare-associated infections on individuals, their designated support persons, and the community.
- Describe the chain of infection as it applies to infection prevention and control.
- Describe workplace practices to protect the patient from healthcare-associated infections.
- Discuss workplace practices designed to minimize the risk of healthcare workers’ occupational exposures to infectious diseases.
- Explain the difference between Standard Precautions and transmission-based precautions.
- Discuss types of personal protective equipment, work practices, and engineering controls that protect against healthcare-associated infections.
- Identify healthcare-associated situations requiring enhanced infection control precautions.
CNA’s will learn basic neurology, brain functions and neurological disorders that they may see with their patients. The course is designed to help the CNA’s understand neurologically impaired patients’ deficits, understand how to safely care for these patients, and provide valuable accommodations to lessen the burden of disability in their interactions with patients.
Course Curriculum
- Basic Neurology: brain anatomy, brain function, lobes of the brain, deficits with injury
- Reportable Neuro Symptoms
- Seizures and safety precautions
- Stroke patients and safety precautions
- Alzheimer’s and safety precautions
- Cognitive Rest and Brain Injuries
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Understand basic anatomy of the brain.
- Understand how the brain functions.
- Describe what each part of the brain does.
- Explain symptoms of seizures, Alzheimer’s, stroke and brain injured patients.
- Describe safety precautions and ADL assistance for patients with neurological disorders.
- Describe ways to help patients have cognitive rest.
CNAs in long-term care, sub-acute facilities, and hospital settings will received detailed information on the neurological system. This will include an overview of the functions of neurological system and how disorders of the neurological system affect their patients. Most neurological disorders are chronic and therefore affect patients for long periods. Patients with neurological disorders frequently need assistance from CNAs, therefore it is essential CNAs understand common disease progressions for various neurological diseases in addition to understanding appropriate care for these patients. Additionally, the disease state for patients with neurological diseases can make it difficult for these patients to state their wishes or voice their complaints. CNAs are at the forefront of patient care and should know ways that they can care for patients even when they cannot voice their own needs. Nurses will explore recommended guidelines for caring for patients with neurological disorders in nursing homes and other settings.
Course Curriculum
- Basic anatomy of the neurological System
- Physiology of the neurological system
- Aging and the Brain
- Neuropathy: symptoms and causes
- Alzheimer’s vs. Dementia: similarities and differences
- The roles of CNAs in ensuring safety for Dementia patients
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) vs. Multiple Sclerosis
- CNA roles in caring for ALS and MS patients
- Stroke
- Pain and neurological disorders
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Summarize the difference between Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Understand the normal changes of the brain with aging
- Discuss the CNAs role in caring for patients with neurological disorders
- Know the signs of pain in a patient with a neurological disorder
- Verbalize the cause of neuropathy
- State risk factors for developing a neurological disorder
This course is intended for CNA’s to better understand the proper nutrition and hydration required for adults and the importance of healthy eating. This course will discuss the food pyramid recommendations for servings, portions and appropriate nutrition required in a day for an adult. Nutrition considerations will be addressed for patients who are ill. This course will also discuss the required amounts of hydration needed, signs that someone may need more hydration and situations in which more hydration may be required. CNA’s will need to be able to be aware of the appropriate nutrition and hydration not only for patients, but for their own personal knowledge to be able to live with the best health possible to continue a successful employment.
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Understand the nutrition required for an average adult and benefits of taking in good nutrition.
- Understand the hydration recommendations for an adult and importance.
- Understand the food pyramid recommendations for portions, food groups, and calories.
- Understand potential issues that can occur when someone does not get proper nutrition and what nutrition considerations an adult should take for illness.
CNAs in long-term care, sub-acute facilities, and hospital settings will learn detailed information on the renal system, reasons the renal system stops working, and current guidelines for caring for patients with renal issues. Kidney disease is extremely common in the elderly population, and even more common in the diabetic population. With the prevalence of diabetes increasing, CNAs will more frequently see patients with renal diseases and should be knowledgeable on proper care of these patients. Patients with severe renal issues need frequent CNA assistance, which is why teaching proper care of these patients is indicated. Knowing current guidelines will give CNAs the confidence to care for their patients, which results in better outcomes for patients with renal issues.
Course Curriculum
- Basic anatomy of the renal system
- Physiology/function of the kidneys and renal system
- Acute vs. Chronic kidney disease
- Prevalence of kidney disease in the United States
- Signs and symptoms of renal impairment
- Risk factors for kidney disease
- Diabetes and kidney disease
- The stages of chronic kidney disease
- Preventing kidney disease
- Understanding dialysis and why patients need it
- CNA roles for the patient on dialysis
- CNA roles and guidelines for caring for the patient with renal issues (catheter care guidelines)
- UTI Risk Factors
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Define the stages of chronic kidney disease
- Identify the anatomical parts of the renal system
- Discuss the purpose of the kidneys in the body
- Understand the risk factors associated with renal disease
- Discuss ways to decrease the chance for getting chronic kidney disease
- State ways that CNAs can support patients with kidney disease
- List the current guidelines for proper catheter care
- Summarize the link between chronic kidney disease and UTIs
- List ways that chronic kidney disease can affect a patient’s psychological state
This course is intended for CNA’s to help better their understanding of different wound and skin issues that can happen in the adult and older adult population. This course will also touch on the basic functions of the skin. The course is designed to touch on frequently occurring skin issues and illnesses, ways to prevent these concerns from happening, and different interventions that CNA’s can perform. Additionally, this course will highlight what potential infection control issues can reside with certain skin issues. This course will also educate and reinforce appropriate hand hygiene techniques and PPE usage.
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate appropriate hand hygiene using the WHO methodology.
- Understand basic skin functions.
- Understand normal physiological skin deterioration and potential wounds or skin care issues for older adults.
- Describe interventions to prevent skin breakdown and aid with patients with skin issues.
- Demonstrate and discuss what PPE is and what PPE is required for certain skin and wound issues.
CNA’s in a long term care facility or a sub-acute facility will learn the importance and value of sleep in patients of the older adult population and what common sleep disturbances can affect this population. Sleep disturbances can vary and be a safety risk for those not informed and aware. Sleep has invaluable benefits for the body and the more it can be valued and enhanced for our patients, the better quality of life they can achieve. Along with sleep deprivation, chronic fatigue can affect individuals and leave them at risk for loneliness and isolation. Identifying patients with a sleep disorder and/or chronic fatigue syndrome will allow a higher level of care and a greater understanding of what these patients suffer from.
Course Outline
- Review CDC Statistics
- Pathophysiology of appropriate sleep
- Recommended sleep intervals for various age groups
- Review of Sleep Disturbances
- Recommendations for proper sleep
- Review Pathophysiology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Discuss and identify whether you are at risk for sleep disorders due to sleepiness.
- Discuss normal sleep for all ages.
- Discuss and identify who is at risk for sleep deprivation.
- Discuss why sleep is important and the benefits it provides to the body.
- Discuss what is happening in the body during sleep.
- Discuss sleep disturbances that can occur and understand the differences.
- Discuss chronic fatigue and understand what a person is experiencing.
CNA’s in a long term or sub-acute care facility will learn detailed information on how stress affects the body, how to properly care for themselves in the work and non-work setting, as well as how to manage their time in a more effective and objective way that will aid in their job performance and task achievement. Employees can be easily overwhelmed in the healthcare setting with the heavier workload of patients and lack of self-care, which negatively impacts facilities with high burnout rates. If employees are taught and empowered with stress and time management techniques, employees are able to perform better in the workplace and increase their value to worth to their employers better serving the patients.
Course Curriculum
- Discuss the need for stress management for healthcare workers
- Review CDC Statistics
- Understanding pathophysiology of stress
- How to respond and cope with stress
- Activities for stress relief
- Understanding the need for prioritizing and time management
- Methods for successful time management
- Activities and Case Scenarios
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Understand what stress is, how it is an issue in society and how stress affects the body.
- Understand and identify how stress affects healthcare workers.
- Learn about the body through the stress response and identify ways stress affects their personal body’s response.
- Discuss and define coping and the factors that influence how they
- Discuss and practice different techniques for coping.
- Discuss prioritization in life and in healthcare.
- Identify ways to prioritize and organize tasks on a shift
- Discuss what makes a patient a higher or lower priority. Practice case scenarios for prioritization.
CNAs in long-term care, sub-acute facilities, and hospital settings will learn detailed information on the importance of team building in the healthcare environment and how teamwork positively impacts employees. They will also learn detailed information on the definition of emotional intelligence and how to successfully use it in their daily work. CNAs will learn various team building activities, understand the importance of teamwork in the healthcare setting, and learn hands-on skills for practicing team building. Teamwork can increase job satisfaction, decrease errors, and positively impact patient outcomes. It has been found that emotional intelligence is positively correlated with job satisfaction, decreases the chance of burnout, allows for better communication, and is a skill that can be learned and improved upon.
Course Curriculum
- Defining Team Building
- What components make up the best team
- Defining Emotional Intelligence (EI)
- CNA roles in teamwork and team building
- Examples of team building activities in healthcare
- Practicing team building
- The role of EI in healthcare and EI case study
- The correlation between EI and burnout in healthcare
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Create a team building activity in their own healthcare setting
- Discuss ways in which teamwork improves outcomes for patients
- List ways that CNAs can empower team building in their setting
- Summarize the benefits of team building and teamwork
- Define emotional intelligence in terms of the CNA and healthcare profession
- Summarize the benefits of emotional intelligence in the workplace
- List three ways that a healthcare professional can increase or practice their emotional intelligence
- Discuss the correlation between emotional intelligence and burnout in healthcare
This course is designed to provide CNAs an introduction to the disease of diabetes, its causes, treatments, and effects.
Course Curriculum
- What is Diabetes?
- What are the Scope and Impact of Diabetes?
- Why is Diabetes on the Rise?
- Understanding Blood Glucose Levels
- Pre-Diabetes or Impaired Fasting Glucose
- What are the Types of Diabetes?
- Who Gets Diabetes?
- How is Diabetes Diagnosed?
- The A1C Test
- Goal of Diabetes Management
- Managing Diabetes
- Treating Diabetes
- Complications of Diabetes
Learning Objectives
After successful completion of this course, student will be able to:
- Define diabetes and its three main types.
- Outline who is more likely to develop diabetes.
- Recognize the risk factors for diabetes.
- Explain how diabetes is diagnosed.
- Discuss the management of diabetes.
- Identify key complications of diabetes.
CNAs in long-term care, sub-acute facilities, and hospital settings will learn detailed information on the mechanism of pain in the human body along with current pain management guidelines. CNAs must frequently interact with and care for patients experiencing acute and chronic pain in all healthcare settings. Understanding how pain is created in the body and what actions a CNA can take to reduce pain will positively impact their patients. Because pain and pain relief techniques are subjective, providing care for patients with acute and/or chronic pain can be a challenging task for a CNA. Understanding pain, how acute pain varies from chronic pain, various disease states that contribute to pain, and understanding the roles a CNA can play in pain management can empower CNAs to take better care of their patients and have more confidence in the care of their patients.
Course Curriculum
- Physiology of pain and pain receptors
- Defining Acute vs. Chronic pain
- Causes of Pain
- Most common disease states that cause pain in LTC/sub-acute facilities
- Factors that influence pain
- Doing a pain interview
- Common treatments for pain
- Non-pharmacologic pain interventions and comfort measures
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Have a general understanding of how pain works in the body and factors that can affect pain
- Understand what diseases most commonly cause chronic pain in long-term care facilities
- Summarize the difference between acute pain and chronic pain, and the various ways to care for each
- Understand the most common treatments for pain, either with medications or without medications
- List the long-term effects of pain on patients
- Discuss non-pharmacologic pain interventions that can be used for most patients
- Know what comfort measures a CNA can take to decrease their patients’ pain
This course is intended to reinforce the appropriate measurements of vital signs in adults and older adult populations. Vital signs are key pieces of information that can indicate different illnesses, disease processes and health states of individuals. Vital signs, when taken appropriately, tell us about the heart, lungs, brain, and many other functioning or problematic systems. CNA’s are key in obtaining these vital signs. This course will help CNA’s measure vital signs accurately and understand why it is important to communicate abnormal findings with nursing staff along with what abnormal vital signs can indicate.
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
- Know where vital signs come from in the brain.
- Understand what a normal heart rate is.
- Understand what an abnormal heart rate findings can indicate and when it is abnormal.
- Understand what a normal respiratory rate.
- Understand what an abnormal respiratory rate findings can indicate and when it is abnormal.
- Understand what a normal temperature.
- Understand what an abnormal temperature finding can indicate and when it is abnormal.
- Understand what a normal blood pressure is.
- Understand what an abnormal blood pressure finding can indicate and when it is abnormal.
- Measure heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature appropriately.
