CNAonline.com, powered by Academic Platforms, teams up with the American Health Care Association and Bethel University to develop turnkey model for facilities to address aging care workforce shortage

CNAonline.com, powered by Academic Platforms, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, has teamed up with the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and Bethel University to develop a turnkey model to address aging care clinical staffing issues, starting with certified nursing assistants (CNAs). By the year 2030, it’s estimated we will have a shortage of paid caregivers of 3.5 million.

The CNAOnline.com model includes an approved online course that fully incorporates AHCA’s recognized How to Be a Nurse Assistant curriculum, written by Jeanne Boschert RN, BS, MCC, and vice president of clinical education for Academic Platforms. The course resides on a robust learning management system platform that can be accessed 24/7 from a multitude of digital devices. In addition, a network of certified instructors for both the didactic and clinical skills elements, an online resources portal for instructors, and an administrative management portal for registration and student progress analytics is provided.

Through the relationship with Bethel University, candidates can receive college credit for the CNA course to build a clinical career ladder. Bethel currently also offers an RN to BSN program online. “Our nursing school has been consistently recognized for its quality.  By joining with these partners, we can now offer healthcare workers across the nation, specialized learning opportunities like CNA curriculum, utilizing online technology to develop career pathways,” said Walter Butler, president of Bethel University.

Serial technology entrepreneurs and co-founders, Jeff Amrein and John Reinhart, recognized the multiple challenges all aging care providers are facing and identified a tremendous opportunity to create a new model to recruit, develop and retain clinical staff using technology. Their model solution is aimed at overcoming three key levels of challenges:

• Aging care facilities are short staffed with multiple open CNA positions.

• At the same time, many people are underemployed in this country and would like the opportunity to work in the healthcare field, yet these potential candidates may not have the resources or the time to enroll in traditional in person training classes.

• Because all CNA pre-licensure certification training requires a mandated hands-on, in person clinical skills component, there is a requirement for physical lab space to conduct this portion of the course.

According to John Reinhart, CNAonline.com’s model addresses all three challenges and matches eligible CNA candidates with facilities seeking to train and hire quality staff. Aging care organizations can sponsor the online CNA courses, offer tuition scholarships, and register their facility as the qualified clinical lab space for the hands-on skills training. “We see our approach as a collaborative way to bring together aging care facilities and CNA candidates who would like to embark on a promising career path in the healthcare field, yet don’t have the time or money to pursue the traditional community college or in person class route,” said Reinhart. “CNAonline.com provides candidates maximum flexibility to learn when it accommodates their life schedules as well as the ability to experience hands on skills training in their future work environments. The facilities who partner with us to provide the space for the skills training are also benefiting because they are able to engage CNA candidates with their own instructors, utilizing their own facility’s equipment, and introducing their culture,” he added.

CNAonline.com’s course is available online 24/7 and can be accessed via smartphone, tablets or personal computers. Clinical skills training is offered in person as hands-on learning. CNAonline.com uses the nationally-acclaimed book, How to be a Nurse Assistant. The book is entirely accessible as an e-book that includes quizzes, skills videos, group discussions, gamification of medical terminology and tests. With its recent version 7 release, all content in the e-book has been translated into a full audio format where candidates can listen to the materials while referencing highlighted presentations of the key elements.

“We are very pleased to offer this solution to our provider members through our state affiliates,” said Jon-Patrick Ewing, senior marketing director for AHCA. “By incorporating our quality curriculum and delivering our CNA certification course online through the model and technologies developed by our partner Academic Platforms, we are fully poised to welcome a new generation of caregivers,” he said, adding, “We believe this has the potential to provide our members the ability to offer standardized, engaging, and quality training as well as becoming the fundamental entry course to offering a full clinical career ladder for candidates interested in joining the aging care profession.”

About CNAonline.com

CNAonline.com, powered by Academic Platforms, provides technology solutions that empower healthcare providers to recruit, develop and retain qualified clinical staff. We do this through a blended online course with 24/7 access to classes from smartphones, tablets or personal computers as well as in person, hands-on skills training. Classes are taught by nursing instructors, provide standardized, consistent training, use local preceptors or we can certify staff to teach the in person clinicals. CNAonline.com’s integrated CNA curriculum has been developed for aging care providers by the nation’s largest association of long-term and post-acute care providers, the American Health Care Association (AHCA).

About AHCA

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent more than 13,000 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day.

About Bethel University

Headquartered in McKenzie, Tennessee, Bethel University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the state of Tennessee. In 2017, the school, which is affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, will celebrate 175 years of service.

For more information, please contact: John Reinhart, President, Academic Platforms, 1415 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40204, 502-221-7765, john.reinhart@academicplatforms.com or Linda Long at linda.long@academicplatforms.com or visit cnaonline.com.