Barton Community College will offer a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) refresher course 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 11-12 in the Adult Healthcare Lab, T-119. The deadline to sign up is March 8.

This 15 contact-hour course is approved by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) for a Kansas CNA who has gone inactive and wishes to reactive their credential. It is a state requirement to pass a refresher course to reactivate CNA credentials.

It is recommended that individuals who are interested in reactivating their CNA certificate wait no longer than 10 years since they were last an active CNA.

“The KDADS curriculum guidelines change throughout the years and only a brief overview of content is delivered in the class,” said Sara Hoff, Nursing Remediation and Adult Healthcare Programs Coordinator.

The class is held the week of spring break. It can assist those students who are wanting to renew their CNA credentials without the struggle of fitting another class into a busy daily semester schedule. This course can also help those who are needing to reactivate their CNA credentials who have applied for Barton’s nursing program.

After the class has been completed and passed, students will not have to take a state CNA exam.

“The successfully completed checklist is sent to KDADS and the student is updated on the registry for another two years,” Hoff said. “To keep an active certificate, you must work as a CNA for eight hours every two years as well as complete continuing education through your place of employment or your credential will go inactive again.”