Certificate of Completion
Certified nurse aides (CNA), often the principal caregivers in nursing homes, work under the supervision of registered and licensed practical nurses. They take and record temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure; help residents in and out of bed; assist with bathing, dressing, feeding and toileting of residents. CNAs work primarily in nursing homes, but some work in hospitals or for temporary nursing service agencies.
CNA instructor in the "Virtual Spotlight"
This month, we would like to shine WATC’s Virtual College Spotlight on Instructor JoZana Smith. This semester JoZana is teaching Home Health Aide as a fully online course.
JoZana’s online course is very well-developed and organized. She makes great use of Soft Chalk in her presentation of information and also uses Soft Chalk’s interactive features to keep her students engaged in the learning process. Her information is presented clearly and completely while at the same time incorporating her sense of humor with use of whimsical icons interspersed throughout the documents.
Her total course is colorful and engaging. The information and learning activities are appropriate to her subject matter and very well suited to her students’ learning styles. Since the students don’t have a book for the course, JoZana makes great use of PowerPoint presentations to act as a substitute for information that students normally would receive by reading a text.
JoZana uses case studies to encourage critical thinking skills which will be needed by the students who complete her course and go out into the field. These case studies are incorporated throughout the course. They help to apply the information which is the focus of the unit.
To encourage communication and make it easier for her students, each unit has a link at the end titled “Ask JoZana.” When students click on this link, they are taken directly to the discussion board for them to quickly post their questions that are answered either by JoZana or other students in the course. This, therefore, encourages student participation and creates a positive class climate of being a help to each other.
Hats off to JoZana Smith for her hard work in designing this outstanding course in Home Health Aide which is engaging, well-organized, full of information, and user friendly for all student populations.
LeArta Watkins, M.Ed.
Senior Learning Officer, Distance Learning and
Social and Behavioral Sciences and Humanities
