About the Initial 75-hour CNA Class

The 75-hour nurse aide course has been revised to meet the training requirements of The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) for aides working in nursing facilities and skilled nursing facilities. Emphasis in this course will be on students achieving basic level knowledge. Students will also demonstrate skills in the clinical setting, demonstrating the ability to provide safe and effective resident care.

The course includes lecture, discussion, videos, handouts, demonstrations, laboratory experiences, role playing, textbook assignments, and other appropriate activities to assist students in mastering competencies. The course is broken into 3 segments: 30 hours of lecture, 15 hours of lab and 30 hours of supervised clinical experiences. Clinical setting will be in a nursing facility. Students will be notified of clinical sites on the first day of class. During the experience, students will be assigned to provide care to one or more residents.

Students will be given quizzes and unit exams throughout the course. For successful completion of the course, students must complete the skills' checklist satisfactorily, receive a satisfactory clinical evaluation, and receive an acceptable grade on the course final examination to pass the course. Upon successful completion of the course, students will receive a certification of completion and will be eligible to take the required to be written and practical competency examination required by the State of Iowa for certification.