Become a Nursing Assistant Certified (NAC)

Looking for fast track into a healthcare career? You can move from training to certification to work in about three months by completing our Nursing Assistant Certified (NAC) program.

The Nursing Assistant Certified (NAC) course – NURS 100 – is offered every Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarter. There are no prerequisites for the course and anyone 18 years of age or older may register.  

Course Description

Prepares students to become nursing assistants in convalescent centers, hospitals, home, and community settings. Covers the nursing assistant’s role and responsibilities on the health care team. Meets Washington State and federal requirements for nursing assistant education.

Nursing Assistant (NAC)

This one-term course prepares individual students technical skills to provide direct hands-on care for clients under the supervision of a licensed professional nurse. This course will combine classroom/lab experience in which theory based concepts are presented via lecture/discussion, videotapes, and lab practice of skills, along with time in the clinical setting working with clients.

Examples of technical skills students will learn are:

  • Ambulation and transfers
  • Bed-making
    Personal care grooming and hygiene (e.g. toileting, dressing/undressing, pericare, bathing, oral care, and feeding)
  • Measuring intake and output 
  • Transporting clients 
  • Taking vital signs (e.g. temperature, pulse, respirations, height, and weight) 
  • Meeting client’s needs that they cannot do for themselves

As a Nursing Assistant, your job will be to assist clients with activities of daily living and assist clients to their highest level of functioning. Maintaining resident’s rights and patient confidentiality are covered under the client’s Bill of Rights and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of which you will learn about in this course.

Text book readings and independent practicing of technical skills are required. Tests/quizzes will evaluate comprehension of reading materials, medical terminology, handouts, content of videotapes and lecture/discussion. The clinical portion of this course will take place at a long-term care facility within SPSCC’s community partnerships.

Upon successful completion of the NURS100 course, students will be eligible to apply for the Washington State competency testing (within one calendar year of taking the course). Students who pass this State competency written and skills test will then be certified to work as a Nursing Assistant in Washington State.  You can learn more at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In addition to tuition and fees, students will be responsible for paying for textbooks, eqiupment, CPR certification, and required immunizations.

NAC is a limited-entry course. Only the first 20 applicants will be accepted into the course for the following quarter. All students:

  • Must be at least 18 years of age
  • High school students may apply with written authorization from their high school counselor (proof must be provided)
  • CPR certification through the American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support Providers course
  • Reading and writing competencies measured by placement test(s) or previous college coursework (unofficial transcript)
  • Current Immunizations
  • MMR (proof of 2 vaccinations)
  • Tdap (proof of 1 within the last 10 years)
  • Hepatitis B (proof of at least the 1st dose)
  • Varicella
  • Seasonal flu
  • Covid
  • TB - either PPD/TST skin tests (2 separate tests) OR one blood test (QuantiFERON or T-spot)