Nursing Assistant
Program Description
- 03/25
- 2:00pm-3:00pm
- https://azwestern.zoom.us/j/84988254727
- Meeting ID: 849 8825 4727
- 04/08
- 1:30pm-2:30pm
- https://azwestern.zoom.us/j/86504791116
- Meeting ID: 865 0479 1116
- 04/22
- 2:00pm-3:00pm
- https://azwestern.zoom.us/j/89873977951
- Meeting ID: 898 7397 7951
- 05/13
- 2:00pm-3:00pm
- https://azwestern.zoom.us/j/85039887714
- Meeting ID: 850 3988 7714
- 05/27
- 2:00pm-3:00pm
- https://azwestern.zoom.us/j/89883261343
- Meeting ID: 898 8326 1343
The Nursing Assistant program prepares the student to take the state examination to become a certified or licensed nursing assistant (CNA, LNA), whose main role is to work under the supervision of nurses to provide high-quality care to patients. The skills learned as a Nursing Assistant can prepare the student for a long-term career in the nursing field.
The faculty and staff include the Director of Allied Health, an RN Program Supervisor, Clinical Facilitators, a Lab Coordinator, and a full-time Administrative Assistant. The program employs local practicing nurses educated at the MSN and BSN levels as part-time clinical faculty. Students completing our program are eligible for licensing through the Arizona State Board of Nursing as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
The opportunities available in the field of nursing practice have reached an unprecedented level of excitement and diversity. Graduates can look forward to a wide array of career paths and professional options that cater to their individual interests and aspirations. Furthermore, our program actively cultivates academic partnerships that enhance these prospects, enabling graduates to explore numerous avenues for advancing their education and pursuing advanced degrees in Nursing.
Graduates of the Nursing Assistant program will:
- Demonstrate knowledge in the role of the nursing assistant.
- Demonstrate safe patient care.
- Demonstrate ability to meet state certification standards.
Approval and Accreditation
The Program is approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing
1740 W. Adams Street, Suite 2000
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-771-7800
www.azbn.gov
Due Date(s)
Nursing Assistant Program
Application Cycles
Summer 2025 (apply below)
Currently Closed
Fall 2025
Application opens 4/7/25 at 12:01am and closes 5/22/25 at 4:30pm
Spring 2026
Currently closed until September 16, 2025
Information Session(s)
View Important Nursing Assistant Announcement(s) above learn more.
Contact
nursing.assistant@azwestern.edu
(928) 344-7552
LR 209 (map)
(must be admitted to AWC prior to applying)
Program Documents
If you're looking for Information Sessions, please click on Important Nursing Assistant Announcement(s) at the top of this page to view all available sessions.
| File Name | Downloads |
|---|---|
| Nursing Assistant Application Instruction Sheet | Download |
| Arizona DPS Fingerprint Clearance Card Directions | Download |
| Nursing Assistant Student Guide | Download |
| Nursing Assistant Curriculum | Download |
| Nursing Assistant Program Cost | Download |
| Health Evaluation/Drun Screen Consent and Release Form | Download |
| Tuberculosis (TB) Form | Download |
| Varicella Susceptibility Awareness Form | Download |
| COVID Declination Form | Download |
| Hepatitis B Declination Form | Download |
| Influenza Declination Form | Download |
| Student Information Release Form | Download |
Check the above for any necessary program documents.
Program Costs Estimate
Course Length: Fall/Spring – 8 & 16 weeks, Summer– 8 weeks
Application Requirements: Please click the link for the Nursing Assistant application instructions.
- Tuition: $485.00 (Resident status - $97/credit)
- Lab Fee: $400.00 (Including the state certification test fee)
- Uniform: $40 Wine-colored scrubs + $8.50 program patch to be purchased at the Mother & Daughters Embroidery
- Name tag: Allied Health Name Tag $10
- Closed-toed, non-slip shoes: $50
- Text Book & Work Book: $51
- Health & Safety Requirements:
- CPR Card: $75
- Fingerprint Clearance Card: $73
- Tuberculosis Screening: $15 - $30
- Drug Test: $40
- MMR Vaccine or Positive Titer: $79
- Varicella Vaccine or Positive Titer: $137
- Hepatitis B Vaccine or Positive Titer:$56
- Equipment:
- Gait Belt: $8 - $20
- Watch-indicating seconds: $20
- Blood Pressure Cuff & Stethoscope: $25 - $50
The costs provided are estimates and are subject to change.
* Please note: Admission requirements for all programs include a criminal background check and drug test.
Check the above to view program costs estimate. All fees are subject to change.
Degree(s) / Certificates(s)
| Title | Local Bachelor's |
|---|---|
| Nursing Assistant - CERT Occupational Certificate | - |
Career Outlook
Successful completion of this program can open doors to various employment opportunities, many of which require further higher education at the university level. Below are examples of related occupations and their annual mean wages in Arizona, based on career and wage data from Pipeline AZ, which utilizes government sources for its reports and forecasts.
Description
Monitor the health status of an individual with disabilities or illness, and address their health-related needs, such as changing bandages, dressing wounds, or administering medication. Work is performed under the direction of offsite or intermittent onsite licensed nursing staff. Provide assistance with routine healthcare tasks or activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, toileting, or ambulation. May also help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry depending on the patient's abilities.
Duties/Tasks
- Maintain records of patient care, condition, progress, or problems to report and discuss observations with supervisor or case manager.
- Provide patients with help moving in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs, or automobiles and with dressing and grooming.
- Bathe patients.
- Care for patients by changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, cleaning, or assisting with their personal care.
- Entertain, converse with, or read aloud to patients to keep them mentally healthy and alert.
- Plan, purchase, prepare, or serve meals to patients or other family members, according to prescribed diets.
- Check patients' pulse, temperature, and respiration.
- Provide patients and families with emotional support and instruction in areas such as caring for infants, preparing healthy meals, living independently, or adapting to disability or illness.
- Administer prescribed oral medications, under the written direction of physician or as directed by home care nurse or aide, and ensure patients take their medicine.
- Care for children who are disabled or who have sick or disabled parents.
Typical Education Level
High School Diploma
Description
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Duties/Tasks
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
- Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.
- Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
- Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.
- Position or hold patients in position for surgical preparation.
Salary Information (AZ)
$34,610
$28,900
$36,090
$37,980
$16.64
$13.89
$17.00
$18.26
Typical Education Level
High School Diploma
Description
Provide personalized assistance to individuals with disabilities or illness who require help with personal care and activities of daily living support (e.g., feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and ambulation). May also provide help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry. Work is performed in various settings depending on the needs of the care recipient and may include locations such as their home, place of work, out in the community, or at a daytime nonresidential facility.
Duties/Tasks
- Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
- Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
- Perform healthcare-related tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and medication, under the direction of registered nurses or physiotherapists.
- Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client's needs and plan for continuing services.
- Care for individuals or families during periods of incapacitation, family disruption, or convalescence, providing companionship, personal care, or help in adjusting to new lifestyles.
- Perform housekeeping duties, such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes or dishes, or running errands.
- Instruct or advise clients on issues, such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene, nutrition, or infant care.
- Plan, shop for, or prepare nutritious meals or assist families in planning, shopping for, or preparing nutritious meals.
- Transport clients to locations outside the home, such as to physicians' offices or on outings, using a motor vehicle.
- Provide clients with communication assistance, typing their correspondence or obtaining information for them.
Typical Education Level
High School Diploma
Classroom/Lab Tour
Here’s our state-of-the-art nursing assistant classroom and lab equipped with all the components to prepare you for a long-term career in the nursing field. Our connecting classroom/skills lab allows students to practice taking vital signs, transferring patients, and changing bedding/linens to meet patient needs better. Classroom and lab space used by Certified Nursing Assistant Program and the Nursing Program