Yes, an LPN can open a CNA school but they have to be licensed RNs like all other CAN instructors. They will have to either obtain an associate degree or, most often, a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
What is a LPN?
A licensed practical nurse (LPN), more commonly known as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), is educated and trained to always offer basic medical care under the supervision of a physician and a registered nurse (RN). Even though the requirements tend to vary from state to state, all states mandate that certified nurse assistants (CAN) obtain instruction from RNs.
LPNs who intend to become CNA instructors will have to become RNs prior to finishing a CNA instructor course. CNAs are tasked with taking patients’ vitals and recording stats that will include weight, blood pressure, and temperature.
They might as well offer companionship and support while also serving as liaisons between their patients and other healthcare professionals. Coupled with being RNs, CNA instructors are expected to be certificated, and this will have to be obtained via a “Train the Trainer” course. These are offered in classroom settings throughout the U.S. and online.
Steps to Open a CNA School as a LPN
To open a CNA school in the United States, LPNs are expected to meet certain requirements and also go through some necessary steps. Those steps include;
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Meet the necessary requirements
Just as was noted above, anyone looking to open a CNA will have to be a licensed RN. They will have to either obtain an associate degree or, a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The requirements will differ from one place to another, so it is necessary to obtain all the required information and meet all legal criteria. Therefore, reach out to an academic advisor at an accredited school for more information.
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Obtain start-up funds for a school.
It can cost a few thousand dollars to start a viable CNA school in the United States. Owing to that, it is necessary you first analyze your budget and consider if you have the capabilities to carry on.
If you don’t, remember that you can source funding in the form of grants from state governments, particularly if there is a shortage of nurse aide training programs or the state provides funding for the retraining of laid-off workers. You can as well consider obtaining start-up funds from private foundations and individual donors.
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Purchase or lease a facility
You will need a well-placed facility to house your CNA school administration office coupled with the classrooms and lab areas for CNA classes. Note that you can choose to Lease the space or purchase it although it will more or less depend on your budget and funding of the school.
When it comes to clinical, CNA schools are known to collaborate with long-term care facilities or hospitals to carry out clinical on-site with actual patients.
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Employ staff for the school
This is another important phase of opening a CNA school. However, before you can do this, it is pertinent you first ensure you possess a valid license with the state as a registered nurse and you have experience working in a long-term care facility.
If it is required by their state, these instructors will have to go through a well-arranged training course on how to teach a nurse aide class.
Most often, the requirements to become an instructor are the same for the director or coordinator of the school. This person can serve as an instructor in an emergency situation, but their primary duty will be to coordinate and take care of the everyday activities and administrative tasks of a nurse aide school.
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Put together a valid school’s curriculum
You have to understand that every state has mandates for curriculum for a nurse aide school. In most states, this will encompass the tasks and skills a school will have to impact on its students to ensure that they are properly fitted with the information and training they need to scale through the state licensing exam.
It is the duty of the school to develop a curriculum that features every phase of the tasks and expertise necessitated by the state.
When putting together the curriculum, you will have to assign teaching hours to each topic or unit. When compiled together, the hours are expected to conform with the minimum number of contact hours for a CNA class required by the state.
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Establish procedures and policies
Every nurse aide school will need to put up policies and procedures to ensure that the school can be properly managed and be adequately prepared for any problems and situations. Keep in mind that a good part of these policies and procedures may have already been created by the state and are necessary for schools to become accredited.
Schools are also given rooms to inculcate policies and procedures they find necessary, such as emergency and safety procedures, school cancellations, or storage of student records.
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Get Accredited
You will have to get accredited by the state and local government before your school can start accepting students. To obtain this accreditation, the school needs to fill out an application outlining the necessary information about the school and verifying that it has fulfilled all accreditation requirements. Coupled with the application, schools will have to inculcate documents that show proof of meeting the requirements.
In most states, this will have to be resumes and transcripts from instructors and the director or coordinator of the school, a copy of the curriculum, the agreement for clinical at an off-site medical facility, or even a copy of the policies and procedures put together by the school.
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Market the nurse aide school
Once you have obtained the requisite authorization and accreditation from the state, it is necessary you focus on advertising the institution and offering classes. The right promotion strategies will ensure that the right crowd knows that you exist as well as where your classes take place.
Advertising to specific populations, like high school seniors or the unemployed, will give rise to higher enrollment as certain people in these populations find jobs with little or no training.
Conclusion
Just as it was noted above, an LPN can open a CAN school but they will have to be licensed RNs. However, there are numerous considerations you need to make when looking to open a CNA training program. It can seem daunting in the beginning, so it is recommended that you break down the work into smaller tasks.