Madison College and Health Care Partners Develop Cutting-Edge Response to COVID-19

Madison College and local health care providers have developed a unique two-course option for a Principles of Nurse Aide Communication and Safety course, followed by a Fundamentals of Nurse Aide Training course. This custom package is unique in Wisconsin, fully online, asynchronous, and utilizes open access, open-sourced resources to keep costs affordable. Each course completion results in a digital badge micro-credential certifying students’ learning.

COVID-19 has amplified the critical need for nursing assistants. This innovative program allows industry partners to hire new employees or cross-train incumbent workers to become nursing assistants who, after the successful completion of digital badges 1 and 2 are eligible to sit for the Nurse Aide Registry Exam to become CNAs. This is particularly helpful for industry partners to attract a new market of employees—many of whom are displaced workers due to the pandemic. Madison College served over 60 participants in the fall 2020 semester and has filled two cohorts for spring 2021.

Innovators

• Marie Dusio, Faculty, Nursing
• Lisa Marie Greenwood, Associate Dean, Nursing
• Michelle Hamilton, Faculty, Nursing
• Dawn Johnson, Faculty, Nursing
• Loise Kirore, Faculty, Nursing
• Shana LaFore, Business Development and Solutions Representative
• Dennis Wessel, Director, Continuing Education/Business and Industry Services
• Bryan Woodhouse, Associate Vice President, Business and Applied Arts