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Promise Nyong had two graduations to look forward to—his high school’s, and his certified nurse aide program (CNA) with Southern Careers Institute’s San Antonio South campus. The five-week long program is designed to give students the hands-on-training they need in basic nursing, safety, infection control, body mechanics as well as health and social service needs. Graduates of the CNA program are eligible for their CPR and CNA certifications and qualified for careers in nursing homes, extended care facilities, in home health and hospitals.
Had Promise attempted to join the workforce as a caregiver without getting trained as a certified nurse aide, he would be making about $11.57 per hour according to the BLS median pay for home health aides and personal care aides. This is about $2.15 less than he could expect to earn as a Certified Nurses Aide.
But it’s not just about the CNA Salary…
Rhonda Bravo, another recent graduate of the CNA program at Southern Careers Institute, definitely has a heart for the elderly and disabled. She “fell in love with caregiving,” after treating two patients with Down Syndrome while working at an assisted living home when she was 18 years old. Yet, even with the experience, she still found trouble finding a job in the home care industry after she retired from military service. “Everybody wants you to have your CNA.” she told SCI. For her the convenience and the affordability made her choice to attend school at SCI a simple one. It paid off, as she was recently hired with a CNA salary with her top choice of companies, Texas Blue Skies.
“You’ll get great training,” Promise responds enthusiastically, when asked what one could expect from the certified nurse aide program with Southern Careers Institute. “In 5 weeks, SCI helps with your clinical, they help you with the job process, your applications and resume.” And although the job outlook for nursing assistants and orderlies is growing at 9% which is faster than average, many employers want to ensure that new hires have what it takes to be successful in the role. “We require either 1 year of experience as a caregiver or your nurse aide certification,” says Nicole Vielma, Human Resources Coordinator for Griswold Home Care, a nationwide home care service provider headquartered in San Antonio who recently hired Promise as one of their care providers. She emphasizes that people working in the home care service industry must have a passion for helping others.
If you have a heart for helping the elderly and disadvantaged like Promise and Rhonda, then CNA might be the right career path for you. As a CNA, you will develop close relationships with your residents and patients due to the direct care that you’ll provide. This could be a very emotionally rewarding career and a great first step into the medical field. The aging baby boomer population is booming at rates that could fuel a 75% increase in Americans aged 65-and-older requiring nursing home care to 2.3 million in 2030, according to the Population Reference Bureau.
As for Promise, let’s check in and see how he is doing at his first job since his double graduation this summer. “He’s had a couple cases,” says Nicole from Griswold’s HR department, “and the ones he has picked up are very happy.”
If you are looking for a caring career with a big future, look no further than Southern Careers Institute’s Nurse Aide program, which recently launched in the Rio Grande Valley and Corpus Christi. Learn more about the CNA Program Here or you can Apply Now to take the first step toward your new career.
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