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Nursing

Folsom Lake College’s Nurse Assistant course is an 8-week long course that provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to prepare to become a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA). Students successfully completing the course become eligible to take the State of California Nurse Assistant Certification exam.

The course is designed for students who are:

Interested in the direct patient care experience
Seeking employment as an entry level provider
Interested in exploring the healthcare environment as a career option

Certificates Offered

Certified Nurse Assistant Certificate

Division Dean John Skellenger
Department Chair Jason Pedro
Phone (916) 608-6927
Email skellej@flc.losrios.edu

Certificate of Achievement

Certified Nurse Assistant Certificate

The Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certificate program provides instruction in the holistic care and health needs of people over 65 years of age, who live in long-term care facilities. Students who successfully complete the program receive a certificate of program completion and become eligible to take the California state exam to become a Certified Nurse Assistant.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2026

Certificate Requirements

Course Code	Course Title	Units
AH 311	Medical Language for Health-Care Providers	3
NURSE 100	Nurse Assistant	7
Total Units:		10

Enrollment Eligibility

To be eligible for enrollment in the program, the student must meet the following criteria:

Upon admission into the Certified Nursing Assistant Program, and before the first class, students must have completed the following: (1) Proof of physical exam no older than three months. (2) Proof of negative tuberculin (TB) skin test no older than three months. (3) If TB skin test result is positive, proof of inactive TB chest x-ray no older than three months. (4) Spring semester students must submit proof of having a current season influenza vaccine. Fall semester students must submit proof of current season influenza vaccine when the vaccine becomes available. (5) Course candidate must submit the Nurse Assistant initial application (CDPH 283B) that will include disclosure of prior or current criminal convictions. There is no automatic denial to take the course however, the California Department of Public Health can determine that the candidate is not eligible to be in the clinical setting or to take the state certification based on the criminal offense. The program reserves the right to make changes in the enrollment criteria, academic requirements, grading standards, and other processes without notice at any time.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

identify and discuss state and federal law relative to the role and responsibilities of the Certified Nurse Assistant with regards to professionalism, ethics and confidentiality.
demonstrate medical asepsis for infection control and identify ways to prevent the spread of infection.
demonstrate emergency procedures and discuss the responsibilities of the Certified Nurse Assistant during unusual occurrences.
demonstrate routine patient care skills and procedures.

Career Information

Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA) have a wide variety of work opportunities. The most common work placement is in long-term care facilities. Additionally, CNA work may be found in acute care settings, assisted care facilities, and rehabilitation care centers.

Nursing (NURSE) Courses

NURSE 100 Nurse Assistant

Units:7
Hours:81 hours LEC; 135 hours LAB
Prerequisite:None.
Corequisite:AH 311
Enrollment Limitation:Enrollment Limitations: Students enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant Program are required to meet the onboarding requirements of their clinical facilities and California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Instructions for how to meet these requirements will be provided to students by the instructor during the mandatory in-person orientation prior to the first day of class. Orientation date and time will be sent via email. These items include but are not limited to: (1) Proof of physical exam no older than three months. (2) Proof of negative 2-step tuberculin (TB) skin test no older than three months or QuantiFERON (Gold) blood test. (3) If the TB skin test result is positive, proof of inactive TB chest x-rays no older than three months. (4) Spring semester students must submit proof of having a current season influenza vaccine. Fall semester students must submit proof of the current season influenza vaccine when the vaccine becomes available. (5) Before the first day of class, students must submit the Nurse Assistant initial application (CDPH 283B) that will include disclosure of prior or current criminal convictions. While the college has no automatic denial for students with a criminal background wishing to enroll in the course, students should be advised that the California Department of Public Health will ultimately determine if a student is eligible to be in a clinical setting and receive state certification based on their criminal background.
Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course leads to the certified nurse assistant (CNA) certification exam. It emphasizes the gerontological nursing assistant’s role and responsibilities as a healthcare team member. It also covers principles of asepsis, infection control, resident care skills, nutrition, body mechanics, and emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the resident. Students will be responsible for costs associated with obtaining a clinical uniform, clinical name tag, their portion of the college's malpractice insurance, and any fees required for state certification.

NURSE 299 Experimental Offering in Nursing

Units:0.5 - 4
Prerequisite:None.
Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This is the experimental courses description.

NURSE 499 Experimental Offering in Nursing

Units:0.5 - 4
Prerequisite:None.
Catalog Date:August 1, 2026