Nursing
Through a partnership with Arapahoe Community College (ACC) and University of Colorado (CU), DCSD students will be able to complete their Certified Nurse Aide Certificate. This program will prepare the student for employment as a nurse aide in hospital, home-care, skilled care and hospice facilities. The entry level skills of a nurse aide are an excellent introduction to a broad range of health professions. Basic nursing skills, including activities of daily living, use of assistive devices and recognition of the emotional, social, cultural and individual rights of patients are all competencies that will be covered in the coursework.
Successful completion of the Nurse Aide Certificate course at ACC qualifies the student to take the State Certification Examination, also known as the NNAAP exam, to become a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA).
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Due to the high demand for this pathway, applications for SY 25-26 are now closed.
Note: Year 2 Student Applications will be send directly to students by Instructors.
Pathway Requirements
Students will need to be able to do clinicals on an occasional evening or weekend and provide their own transportation.
Some clinical facilities require a student to be 18-years-old but not all. If you turn 18 later in the year, please consider
requesting a spring cohort so you have greater options for clinical placements.
- Students must supply their own uniform, complete with scrubs, shoes, and a watch. There are also professional
requirements such as hair and nail grooming specifications and limited tattoos and jewelry. More information is
provided at orientation. - Complete the ACC application for acceptance to college.
- Complete a Criminal Background Check through ACC/Castle Branch. Please note: Criminal background checks require
a fee and the applicant's social security number. Should the background check reveal any disqualifying factors or a
positive drug screen, the student will be required to drop the program. - BLS Certification Card must be from an American Heart Association Training Center.
- My Clinical Exchange is a metro wide requirement for all healthcare programs. The database provides facilities with
the necessary documents to achieve Regulatory Compliance. Cost is $39.50. - Obtain the required vaccinations - (this is required by healthcare facilities, not by DCSD or ACC)
2 MMR Vaccines/positive titer • 2 Varicella Vaccines/positive titer • 3 Hepatitis B Vaccines/positive titer/ waiver •
Tdap vaccine (within the last 10 years) • Provide documentation of seasonal Influenza vaccine • Provide
documentation of COVID-19 Vaccine(s): 2 Moderna, 2 Pfizer, or one J&J COVID vaccine • Documentation of a
- negative Tuberculosis Test completed within the year of program completion.
Please see the full list of requirements and checklist at http://www.arapahoe.edu/departments-and-programs/a-z-
programs/nurse-aide on the Nurse Aide Page.
Pre-req: no academic requirements, but students MUST attend a CNA orientation meeting AND submit all required
vaccinations, background check, and paperwork. CNA students will need to provide some of their own equipment such as
stethoscopes and scrubs. Students must be able to perform physical skills and keep up with rigorous reading & online
work.
Meet Your Instructors
Required Learning Sequence
Students must register for all 3 courses concurrently — Fall or Spring Semester.
ACC - NUA 1001 Nurse Aide Health Care Skills
AND
ACC-NUA 1070 Nurse Aide Clinical Experience
AND
ACC-NUA 1071 Advanced Nurse Aide Clinical
Credit Opportunities
Postsecondary Partners
