About This Program
Our 8-week CNA program teaches the core clinical skills required to provide direct patient care in nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living facilities. Students complete both classroom theory and hands-on skills lab sessions, then fulfill mandatory clinical rotation hours at a partnered Rhode Island nursing facility before sitting for the RIDOH state certification exam. Daytime and evening cohorts are available, and tuition is 100% covered by workforce development grants for eligible Rhode Island residents.
What You'll Learn
- Patient ADL assistance: bathing, dressing, grooming, oral hygiene, toileting, and perineal care techniques
- Vital sign measurement: manual and electronic blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, oral/axillary/tympanic temperature, and pulse oximetry (SpO2)
- Positioning, turning, and pressure injury prevention: repositioning schedules, skin assessment, and protective device application
- Infection control: hand hygiene protocols, PPE selection and donning/doffing, and contact, droplet, and airborne isolation precautions
- Nutrition and hydration: feeding assistance techniques, fluid intake and output documentation, and dysphagia/aspiration awareness
- Patient rights and dignity: HIPAA compliance, privacy protection, cultural sensitivity, and mandatory abuse/neglect recognition and reporting
- Catheter care, peri-care, and incontinence management: indwelling catheter maintenance, specimen collection, and skin integrity protection
- Range of motion exercises, ambulation assistance, and safe transfer techniques using gait belts and mechanical lifts (Hoyer)
Program Outcomes
- Credential: Rhode Island State CNA License — issued by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) upon passing the state competency exam
- Eligible employers: skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, assisted living facilities, home care agencies, hospice programs, and memory care units
- Estimated RI starting wage: $17–$22/hr, with advancement potential after earning the PCT Triple Certification
- Pathway to the Patient Care Technician (PCT) Triple Certification — CNA + Phlebotomy + EKG — for significantly higher starting wages and hospital ER/ICU eligibility
- RIEC provides job placement support, resume review, and employer introductions at no cost until you are placed
Other Allied Health Track Programs
Patient Care Technician — Triple Certification
CNA + Phlebotomy + EKG in one program. The gold standard for ER and ICU hiring.
Phlebotomy Technician
A focused 4–6 week course on blood draw techniques and lab processing.
EKG Technician
Specialized cardiac monitoring training — a targeted 4-week credential.