Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Eff Term	Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	12/05/2023
Top Code	123030 - Certified Nurse Assistant (CTE)
Units	0 Total Units (Lecture Units 0)
Hours	60 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 60)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Total Student Learning Hours	60
Course Credit Status	Noncredit (N)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	Yes; Repeat Limit 99
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	P/NP/SP Non-Credit (D)

Course Description

This noncredit course prepares students to work as entry-level healthcare workers for patients in various healthcare settings. Aspects of basic nursing care such as biometric data review, infection control, patient transfers, recognition of abuse, patient rights, and appropriate emergency responses will be taught. This course is the theory portion of the Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) program that qualifies the student to take the Competency Evaluation Examination issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Students are required to obtain a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and an American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Card. NOT DEGREE APPLICABLE. Not Transferable.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Describe the concepts of patient rights.
2. Explain how to provide basic nursing care to meet patient needs.
3. Identify interpersonal techniques used in healthcare.

Course Objectives

• 1. Identify the roles and responsibilities as a CNA.
• 2. Describe professional communication skills.
• 3. Define the role of a CNA in the prevention and management of catastrophic events.
• 4. Evaluate use of body mechanics.
• 5. Discuss standard precaution and infection control while caring for patients.
• 6. Examine normal and abnormal biometric data.
• 7. Discuss basic nursing care, including bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, and the use of assistive devices.
• 8. Categorize normal and abnormal vital signs.
• 9. Select safe feeding techniques depending on patient situation.
• 10. Explain the role of the CNA as a mandated reporter.
• 11. Document patient care in medical health records.

---

Lecture Content

1. Introduction Roles and responsibilities of a CNA Title 22, division 5, California Code of Regulations, overview
   1. Requirements for nurse assistant certification
   2. Professionalism Ethics and confidentiality
2. Patients' rights
   1. Title 22 Health and safety code Code of Federal Regulations
   2. Preventing, recognizing, and reporting residents' right violations Interpersonal skills
3. Communications Defense mechanisms
   1. Sociocultural factors
   2. Attitudes toward illness and health care
   3. Family interaction
4. Prevention and management of catastrophe and unusual occurrences
   1. Emergency General safety rules
   2. Fire and disaster plans
   3. Roles and procedures for CNA
5. Patient safety
   1. Body mechanics
   2. Basic rules of body mechanics
   3. Transfer techniques
   4. Ambulation
      1. Proper use of body mechanics and positioning techniques
6. Medical and surgical asepsis
   1. Micro-organisms
   2. Universal precautions (standard precautions)
   3. Basic principles of asepsis
7. Weights and measures
   1. The metric system
      1. Weight, length, and liquid volume
8. Military time
9. Patient care skill
   1. Bathing and medicinal baths
   2. Dressing
   3. Oral hygiene
   4. Hair care, hair shampoo, medicinal shampoo, nail care, and shaving
   5. Prosthetic devices
   6. Skin care including prevention of decubitus ulcers
   7. Elimination needs
   8. Bowel and bladder retraining
   9. Weighing and measuring the patient
   10. Patient care procedures
   11. Collection of specimens, including stool, urine, and sputum
10. Care of patients with tubing to include but not be limited to urinary, gastric, oxygen and intravenous.
    1. This care does not include inserting, suctioning, or changing the tubes.
    2. Intake and output
11. Bedmaking Cleansing enemas and laxative suppositories
12. Admission, transfer and discharge
13. Bandages and nonsterile dry dressings, including the application of nonlegend topical ointments to intact skin surfaces
14. Vital signs
    1. Purpose of vital signs
    2. Factors affecting vital signs
    3. Normal ranges
    4. Methods of measurement
    5. Temperature, pulse, respiration
    6. Blood pressure
    7. Abnormalities
    8. Recording
15. Nutrition
    1. Proper nutrition
    2. Feeding techniques
    3. Diet therapy
16. Emergency procedures
    1. Signs and symptoms of distress
    2. Immediate and temporary intervention
    3. Emergency codes
17. Long-term care patient
    1. Skill nursing facilities/inpatient care facilities (SNF/ICF)
18. Special needs of persons with developmental and mental disorders including intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy,
19. Parkinson's disease, and mental illness
20. Special needs of persons with
    1. Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
21. Introduction to anatomy and physiology
22. Physical and behavioral needs and changes
23. Community resources available Psychological, social, and recreational needs
24. Common diseases and disorders including signs and symptoms
25. Non-SNF/ICF
26. Special needs of persons with developmental and mental disorders including intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and mental illness Introduction to anatomy and physiology
27. Physical and behavioral needs and changes
28. Community resources available
29. Psychological, social, and recreational needs
30. Common diseases and disorders including signs and symptoms
31. Rehabilitative nursing
    1. Promoting patients' potential
    2. Devices and equipment
    3. Activities of daily living
32. Family interactions
33. Complication of inactivity
34. Ambulation
    1. Range of motion
35. Observation and charting
    1. Observation of patients and reporting responsibility
    2. Patient care plan
    3. Patient care documentation Legal issues of charting
    4. Medical terminology and abbreviations
36. Death and dying
    1. Stages of grief
    2. Emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and family
    3. Rights of the dying patient
    4. Signs of approaching death
    5. Monitoring of the patient
    6. Post mortem care
37. Patient abuse
    1. Preventing, recognizing and reporting instances of resident abuse

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
• DE Online Lecture (02X)
• Enhanced NC Lect (NC1)
• Live Online Enhanced NC Lect (NC9)
• Online Enhanced NC Lect (NC5)

Reading Assignments

Handouts provided by instructor

Writing Assignments

Complete fill-in portions of handouts provided by the instructor

Out-of-class Assignments

Reading of provided handouts and watching of videos

Methods of Student Evaluation

• Midterm Exam
• Final Exam
• Short Quizzes
• Projects (Individual/Group)
• Oral Presentations

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Analyze abnormal findings during patient interactions, organize patient care according to physiological needs, and examine nutritional intake.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Active learning scenarios, interactive discussions involving interpretation of patient data.

Eligible Disciplines

Nursing science/clinical practice: Any bachelor's degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Sorrentino, A.S., Remmert, L. Mosby's textbook for nursing assistants, 10 ed. Elsevier, 2021