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San Luis Obispo Campus, Building 2000, 546-3924, Fax: 546-3988
Office Hours: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday, evening appointments by reservation
Johannah Varland, Supervisor, jvarland@cuesta.edu
Mitra Hilton, Program Coordinator, mhilton@cuesta.edu
What is Health Career Plus?
A collaboration between Cuesta College's Office of Employment Training and the major health care employers in San Luis Obispo County.Health Career Plus offers free training as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), and a new career ladder opportunity as an Acute Care Nurse Assistant with guaranteed employment upon completion of training and State certification.
Students will attend classes at Cuesta College and clinical sites, for a total of 150 hours.
Costs for tuition, books, uniforms, and supplies are paid for by the sponsoring partners. The sponsored student agrees to work for the partner for one year after hire.
Who are our partners?
- Arroyo Grande Hospital
Compass Health, Inc.
French Hospital Medical Center
Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center
Twin Cities Community Hospital
As part of a team, under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, CNA's provide care for patients in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.
Duties include monitoring vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiration), assisting patients with grooming, checking dressings, monitoring fluid intake & output, giving bed-baths, assisting with treatments, observing patients condition for signs of distress, etc.
With additional training CNA's can perform more complex tasks such as observing patient's EKG monitors.
Hospitals and skilled nursing facilities provide patient care twenty-fours a day, seven days a week. The work day is divided into three shifts: days (7AM-3PM), PMs (3PM-11PM), and nights (11PM-7AM).
Are there eligibility requirements for Health Career Plus?
You must be 18 years of age. If you are male 18 to 25 years old, you must be registered under the selective service act.
All applicants for Health Career Plus must pass a fingerprint background check. State law denies CNA certification for certain penal code convictions.
You must pass a physical examination that certifies your ability to perform the functions of a CNA. You must also pass a drug screen prior to employment.
What are the goals of Health Career Plus?
- To provide new or expanded opportunities for members of the San Luis Obispo County community in the field of health care.
- To respond to the increased community needs for quality health care professionals.
- To address the health care industry's existing lack of qualified patient care workers.
People who truly care about others and enjoy helping them recover from illness or injury.
Those with an interest in nursing and related areas of the health care field looking for an entry point into a medical profession.
