ATC, Phoebe hold info session for potential Certified Nurse Aides

ALBANY — Albany Technical College and Phoebe Health System are building on their partnership to train and employ more Certified Nurse Aides. A second informational session for the CNA employee enrollment opportunity will be held Thursday evening at the Albany Tech Logistics Education Center Auditorium.

The information session will begin at 6 p.m. Starting at 5 p.m., candidates will be able to drop by an adjacent computer lab to begin the application and financial aid process.

Albany Tech and Phoebe created the collaboration earlier this year to encourage students to enroll in Albany Tech’s CNA program with the goal of being offered employment through Phoebe if they complete the program and pass the certification exam.

“This has been a great partnership so far, and we look forward to expanding it,” said Melanie Finlayson, a Phoebe student services specialist. “We believe this will be a long-standing relationship that will benefit Phoebe, Albany Tech and Southwest Georgians interested in working in the health care field.”

Students must be at least 17 years of age to qualify, and scholarships and financial assistance are available.

“We are dedicated to training compassionate individuals to provide basic care and assist patients with their daily activities that they may not be able to do on their own,” said Matt Dennis, dean of the Healthcare Technology division at Albany Technical College. “This partnership is helping meet the demand for these individuals, especially to the aging population in Dougherty County.”

The CNA program at Albany Tech is designed to prepare students with rigorous classroom training and practice, as well as the clinical experiences to perform a full range of patient care duties or services under nursing or medical direction. This includes taking vital signs, obtaining lab specimens, assisting with duties of daily living, observing and charting patient information, and reporting appropriate information to supervisors.

“There is a shortage of Nurse Aides in the Southwest Georgia region, and this would help fulfill the need for both long-term and acute care,” said Katrenia Shivers, nurse aide coordinator/practical nursing instructor at Albany Tech.

Seven candidates who attended the first informational session in April are currently enrolled in the program and will begin clinical rotations at Phoebe soon.

“The candidates we identified during our April session are strong students, and we hope to enroll even more following our second event,” Finlayson said.

Upon completion of the program in August, the original seven students will be eligible to sit for the National Nurse Aide Assessment program, which determines competency to become enrolled in the State Nurse Aide Registry.

“Phoebe is committed to providing the best possible work environment for our nurses and other providers. This partnership with Albany Technical College is a vital part of our strategy,” said Evelyn Olenick, senior vice president and Chief Nursing Officer at Phoebe. “The role of the CNA is invaluable to the work of the nurse at the bedside, and we look forward to training and employing more Southwest Georgians as CNAs.”