Become a CNA Through MGA Academy
As a parent of a child with special medical needs, you understand that their daily care is more than a full-time job. While you may have a team of in-home nurses or caregivers offering supplemental support to your family, chances are great that you are providing the majority of care yourself. From bathing and feeding to dressing and toileting, parents are on the front lines of tending to children with chronic medical conditions.
Would it surprise you to learn that your unique parenting experience could evolve into a rewarding career? In the state of Colorado, parents who receive training to become certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are permitted to be employed as relative caregivers.
If you’re among the Colorado families who qualify for this opportunity, why not earn an income from MGA Homecare while caring for your child?
Beyond the benefit of added income, CNA certification will teach you invaluable skills to help you become an even greater caregiver to your child. The basic medical education obtained through CNA certification will empower you to feel more confident in day-to-day decision making on behalf of your family.
As with all of MGA Homecare’s CNAs, parents who earn this certification can be comforted to know they will be led by a team of registered nurses (RNs), who are on call 24/7 to answer questions and consult as needed. This relationship is designed to offer our CNAs ample support while ensuring the best possible patient care.
What does a CNA do?
As the job title suggests, MGA Homecare’s CNAs play an assistive role in patient care and are supervised by our team of experienced RNs.
The individual needs of each patient determine a CNA’s specific in-home tasks. CNAs assist patients with day-to-day needs, allowing them to remain in their home environment and have a better quality of life. Primary responsibilities may include checking their patients’ pulse, temperature, and respiration; assisting with dietary needs; assisting patients in prescribed range-of-motion exercises; and helping patients move in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs, and cars.
CNAs often build strong relationships with patients by spending a great deal of time together. For this reason, CNAs are regularly encouraged to share their valuable knowledge with their patients’ clinical teams, which can influence important medical decisions.
MGA Academy
In 2016, MGA Homecare launched MGA Academy in Colorado Springs. While the Academy is open to anyone seeking first aid, CPR or CNA certification, the program was designed with our patients’ families in mind. It offers a state-approved, accelerated CNA curriculum tailored to parents seeking certification to care for their own children.
Since opening, MGA Academy’s growing CNA program has launched hundreds of graduates into healthcare careers, with a 93 percent pass rate on Colorado state certification exams. The program maintains a low student-to-instructor ratio (about 10:1), allowing for a personalized approach to instruction and mentorship. These are just a few reasons it has been designated as a top-ranked CNA program in Colorado.
MGA Academy’s comprehensive curriculum includes both classroom and laboratory instruction, covering basic nursing skills, personal care skills, psychological and mental health needs, care of the cognitively impaired, basic restorative services, and promotion of client rights.
Day or evening certification programs are scheduled throughout the year and can be completed in about four weeks, followed by the state exam. The first three weeks consist of classroom instruction and simulation training in a state-of-the-art lab. The final week offers hands-on experience during clinical rotations at a state-approved medical facility.
Growing demand for CNAs
As modern medicine advances and allows for in-home child care, and the Baby Boomer generation sees greater longevity, the home healthcare industry continues to grow. Due to a cultural movement away from the institutionalization of medically-vulnerable children and seniors advancing in years, there is an ever-increasing shortage of home healthcare workers – CNAs in particular.
Some industry experts consider this to be a looming crisis, but MGA Homecare sees it as a fantastic opportunity for anyone who has ever considered entering the healthcare industry.
While becoming a CNA to be a family caregiver in your own home may be your goal, consider that it might also be a step on the path to a fulfilling healthcare career. In fact, many CNAs decide to earn nursing degrees after gaining knowledge and experience in the field. The skills that come from certification and employment as a CNA are an excellent foundation for nursing or any career in healthcare.
To learn more about CNA certification through MGA Academy, visit www.MGAAcademy.com or call 719-418-7813.