CNAs comprise the backbone of quality care in long-term care. The roles filled by CNAs at facilities and communities are integral to society. However, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) frequently have a difficult time finding the adequate staff to fill those vital positions and provide the high-quality care required by the people who need it most.

Challenges Facing Skilled Nursing Facilities

Skilled nursing facilities face challenges in both sourcing and training CNAs. When intensive training courses are offered, facility classrooms simply do not fill up like they once did. Of those who do sign up for CNA training, many do not complete the training. Class numbers from start to finish have very little to do with a lack of desire on the part of the students. Everything boils down to time. Many prospective CNAs already have other jobs or family responsibilities. Making time for classes and commuting would be risking their existing jobs or neglecting other obligations. To make things easier, some vendors hold condensed training courses at skilled nursing facilities to reduce the time students need to devote to the work. The downside of condensed courses is that many students suffer from burnout part-way through the classes, and do not have adequate time to review the source material. Skilled nursing facilities need to find a way to train CNAs to create the workforce needed to fill vacancies and bolster existing rosters.

Finding a Balance for SNFs and CNA Students

Allowing CNA students to take online courses combined with in-person clinical skills training could easily balance the equation for SNFs. Online courses can provide training to more people than most physical classrooms can hold. Since the source material is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This allows students to learn without having to neglect existing responsibilities or schedule time off from work. Online teaching doesn’t do away with lab work or hands-on experience. Facilities work with the online course providers and students to schedule days for hands-on training as well.

CNAonline offers the most comprehensive hybrid course for CNA students. We work with nursing facilities to arrange lab days and more, plus we work with facilities to help them find students. To learn more about how CNAonline can help your facility, contact us today.