Ten graduates, testing at the Scotland Neck off-campus site, all passed the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program examination.

According to the national program website, the exam “consists of two components; a written or oral portion and a skills-demonstration portion… Each candidate must successfully complete both components of the exam before a state can add their name to the state nurse aide registry. The state registry is used to assure employers that the potential hire has met the federal and state requirements for employment.”

In June 2013, the College’s program pass rate was around 40 percent. By July 2014, the pass rate increased to 70 percent. The current pass rate is 80 percent with the last class passing at 100 percent.

Passing the NNAAP exam is usually the final step in the licensure process. These results have not gone unnoticed. HCC, along with a few other community colleges, was invited to attend the Eastern Region Nurse Aide Training Summit in Goldsboro on September 18.

HCC CNA Coordinator Sheila Aycock and CNAI Instructor Sue Ramsey attended for HCC. Both will attend a subsequent meeting in early October.

Increasing NNAAP passing rates for skills evaluation, both at the state and local levels is an important initiative that the Center for Aide Regulation and Education Branch of the Division of Health Service Regulation is currently undertaking.

The summit’s purpose was to determine what makes a successful nurse aide training program in regards to maintaining and increasing NNAAP skills evaluation pass rates and to identify best practices that each program can share and implement.

Aycock commented, “The summit incorporated the differences and likenesses of each facility. We all learned new ways of teaching and were able to share ideas with each other. We all compared the different techniques of our teaching methods in order for our students to achieve a higher passing rate.”

“The students play a huge role in the pass rates as well. We have great students who want to make a change in their lives and they work really hard. They deserve the praise,” added Aycock.

HCC CNAI instructors are helping students achieve success the following ways:

• Instructors put in extra time and effort for those students who really want to succeed and need a little extra help.

• Instructors genuinely care about the students and want to see them do well.

• Instructors are the students’ biggest cheerleaders and encourage them to continue on after the CNAI Program.

• Instructors also weed out students who are showing no interest to learn — grades and class participation are keys to students learning what they need to know.

The CNAI program prepares individuals to work under the supervision of licensed nursing professionals in performing nursing care and services to patients in a hospital, nursing facility or home care agency.

For more information about HCC’s nurse aide program, call Aycock at 252-536-7291.