Lights On funds CNA course

Lights On funded a six-week CNA course for junior and senior students this summer.

Instructor Beverly Koerwitz RN MSN said a CNA course is required by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing before practicing as nurse aides in any healthcare setting.

Koerwitz said all seven students — five seniors and two juniors — passed the course.

“They have 120 days to go take their state board licensure certification exam,” she said. “They can take that wherever they choose. There are testing stations all over the state of Wyoming. They have to take a written exam and a skills performance. After they get their certification, they can go to work wherever they want to at any healthcare center — a hospital, a nursing home or a rehab facility.”

Koerwitz said she taught the class at Hot Springs County High School and did 19 hours of clinical at Thermopolis Rehab and Care Center.

“They learned everything from proper hand washing to bed making to brushing teeth, washing dentures, giving baths and shaving,” she said.

The class did three shifts plus some interviews and some extra time at Thermopolis Rehab and Care Center.

“We did an evening shift so they could see putting them to bed and getting them ready for the night,” she said. “Then we did a midmorning shift where they could see the baths and give them lunch. Then we did a really early morning where they could see getting them up out of bed, feeding them breakfast and helping them with showers, baths and daily care.”

Koerwitz said teaching the course was fun.

“These were good kids,” she said. “They all participated. They tried. They did well on their exams. They did all the skills tests well. They learned all kinds of skills. It was a fun group of students. They gave up their summer to come do this because they all want to be healthcare professionals, whether it’s a physician, dentistry or nursing. It’s a really good start.”

The students did personal care on a manikin and they also practiced on each other, Koerwitz said.

“For their final skills performance, we had some community people come in and they put on stockings, washed their face, brushed their teeth and helped ambulate them,” she said.

Koerwitz said she wishes the students luck on their state exam, and thanks Lights On for providing this program and supporting it.