Nurse Aide

Nurse Aides are the first line of direct care to many patients. Providing for the personal care of bathing, dressing, feeding, assisting with moving and positioning of patients, nurse aides are in high demand in hospitals, long-term care facilities and home care agencies.

This is a great way for those with the heart to serve others gain income and experience working in a medical or direct care facility. For those considering entering the nursing field as a career, working as a nurse aide will help to develop good bedside care and begin introduction to the field of nursing.

Northeastern offers the nurses aide program in both extended and accelerated format. For specific dates on the offered courses please contact the Northeastern nursing program.

Care Forward Colorado

Labs & Classrooms

The Nurse Aide Program will provide teaching in basic skills such as bathing, dressing, feeding and assisting with moving and positioning patients or residents. Will prepare and allow students to take the Certified Nurses Aide test to become a CNA in Colorado.

Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of nursing assistants and orderlies is projected to grow 5 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 220,200 openings for nursing assistants and orderlies are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Demand for nursing assistants may be constrained by the fact that many nursing homes rely on government funding. Cuts to programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, may affect patients’ ability to pay for nursing home care. In addition, patient preferences and shifts in federal and state funding are increasing the demand for home and community-based long-term care, which should lead to increased opportunities for nursing assistants working in home health and community rehabilitation services.

Salary

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median annual wage for nursing assistants was $30,310 in May 2021. The median annual wage for orderlies was $29,990 in May 2021.

Program Requirements / Classes

Nurse Aide Certificate of Achievement (NACT)	CERT

Degree Descriptions

Associate of Arts Degree (A.A.) and Associate of Science Degree (A.S.)

The AA and the AS degrees are traditional 2-year degrees specifically designed to transfer to 4-year institutions for the purpose of completing a BA or a BS. They are often referred to as university parallel degrees. The general education requirements are what actually permit the degrees to be called Associates or Arts or Science. The difference between the AS and AA is minimal, with the AA permitting math courses and a science course that are not recognized under the AS degree. Read Colorado's Guaranteed Transfer Policy here.

Associate of General Studies (A.G.S.)

The AGS degree is, at times, articulated to transfer to certain 4-year institutions and programs. There is more room for flexibility in this degree. Generally, if a student decides to transfer to a 4-year school to pursue a BA or BS after earning the AGS, they may be short some of the general education requirements.

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)

The Associate of Applied Science degree is rarely pursued by a student who intends to transfer to a 4-year school. It is primarily a degree that prepares a student to go directly into the workforce. It is typically a specific technical career that the student who seeks the AAS is seeking. Again, the general education requirements are less rigid with the AAS degree.

Certificate Programs

Certificates are 1-year technical programs that require no general education courses. Auto Tech, Agri-business, and Cosmetology are Certificate programs. English, math, science, etc. are not required to complete a certificate, although some students choose to take preparatory classes that might help them succeed in the program.