Health Sciences

The Nurse Assistant (NA) is an important member of the health-care team who assists the nurse with the care of patients in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals. Experience is gained during this program at a skilled nursing facility. This requires an additional short course in acute care and/or training in the acute hospital where the nursing assistant is hired.

The Home Health Aide (HHA) cares for elderly, convalescent, or handicapped persons in the patient's home. Both the Nurse Assistant and the Home Health Aide work under the supervision of a Licensed Vocational Nurse, Registered Nurse, or an M.D.

The Nurse Assistant /Home Health Aide Certificate consists of 288 hours of lecture, skills lab, and clinical practice. The program is offered spring, summer, and fall for 10 weeks, 4 to 5 days a week. Clinic hours are held in a skilled nursing facility. The course is limited to 10-30 students. Upon successful completion of the course with a “C” grade or better, the student will receive a Certificate of Completion from Santa Rosa Junior College.

The NA/HHA Program carries 11 academic units. A 11 unit course mandates at least 11 hours per week of study time.

If a student needs 12 units to qualify for financial aid, online or self-paced classes may be needed, as the NA/HHA course hours prevent any regularly scheduled courses from being taken concurrently.