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Health Careers Training
Iowa Valley Continuing Education offers training for entry positions in intermediate care facilities and home health agencies. Classes such as nurse aide and medication aide, as well as nurse aide state competency testing, are offered.
 Question related to these programs may be referred to Beth Weuve, Assistant Dean, Auxiliary Health Careers at Iowa Valley Continuing Education at 641-752-4645, ext 5616, or email her at Beth.Weuve@iavalley.edu.
Auxiliary Health Careers
If you’d like to work with elderly or chronically ill people, prepare for a job in a nursing facility. Learn basic nursing care in the classroom, then get practical experience in a clinical setting.
Schedule of Current Courses
Nurse Aide Phase I This course involves 75 hours of training: 30 hours classroom instruction, 15 hours lab training, and 30 hours clinical in an intermediate care setting. This class prepares you to take the required state competency tests to be able to work as a CNA in Iowa. Click on the “Schedule of Current Courses” link above for current offerings; several locations, in addition to day and evening classes are available.
Nurse Aide Phase II This course involves 40 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of clinical in the hospital setting. This is for the person with a current 60 or 75 hour nurse aide certificate who wants to increase their knowledge of basic nursing care and become qualified to work in the hospital. This is the last 80 hours of the 155 hour certificate. Classes are offered throughout the year.
Medication Aide This 40 to 50 hour class involves classroom instruction, lab practice and 10 hours of clinical practice. It prepares a certified nurses aide to administer non-injectable medications in long term care facilities. You must be sponsored by your employer after a minimum of 6 months experience. Offered twice yearly at Marshalltown.
Rehabilitation Aide This 40 –50 hour course presents to the nurse aide, basic rehabilitation techniques to be used in a long term care facility and includes some time working with therapists. Offered to nurse aides during the summer at Marshalltown.
Competency Testing
To be eligible to work as a certified nurse aide in the state of Iowa, a person must be registered on the Iowa Nurse Aide Registry. To be placed on the registry, one must pass both a written and skills test offered at community colleges such as IVCE.
- Download Competency Test Application Form
- Directions for taking the State Written Competency Test Description of written competency test
- The written test consists of 100 multiple choice test questions. There is only one best answer. It is recommended that you answer all questions since there is no penalty for wrong answers. You will be given two hours to complete the test.
- If you desire to have the test read by use of a tape recording, please contact Beth at IVCE to make arrangements.
- No language dictionaries or interpreters are allowed during testing.
- The statewide fee for the written test is $45.
- 70% or above is considered a passing score. A person may take each test up to three times before needing further training, but must pay fees each time a test is taken over.
Written test results
You will receive the results of the written test in the mail in 2-3 weeks from the community college coordinator. It is your responsibility to keep track of your test score results. Please make sure that your address is correct on the application. The Program in Health Occupations at Iowa City will process your score to the Nurse Aide Registry at the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals located in Des Moines. Questions regarding your status on the Registry should be directed to them at 1-866-876-1997.
Description of the skills competency test
- The skills test is designed as a realistic nurse aide assignment. There will be seven skills evaluated in each competency test. Everyone will be asked to demonstrate handwashing and communication/ residents rights are always included. Proper transfer techniques is a topic often included in the test. The other skills are chosen from the nurse aide skills checklist.
- Prior to beginning the skills test, you will be given a testing situation. You will be oriented to the resident unit. If you have any questions ask them at this time before testing begins. Inform the testing evaluator if you need the scenario read to you.
- You will have 45 minutes to complete the examination from the time you introduce yourself to the resident. The evaluator will inform you when the time is up and the examination will be stopped. You will receive all the points you have earned up until that time; no additional points will be given once you have stopped.
- The statewide fee for the skills test is $75.
Directions for taking the nurse aide skills competency testing
- Please bring your admission card and photo ID to the testing site.
- You will have an assigned time for testing. Please arrive 15 minutes early and wait outside of the testing area until you are called in.
- It is recommended that you dress cleanly and neatly. You may wear your uniform. Be sure and wear a watch with a second hand.
FOLLOWING IS AN EXAMPLE OF A TYPE OF SKILLS SCENARIO
You have been assigned to provide care for Mr. Jones today, After checking with the nursing supervisor, you learn you must give him a bed bath, assist with oral hygiene, transfer him to a wheel chair, take his TPR, total his I and O and record.
During this skills test you will be evaluated on
1. Handwashing
2. Giving oral hygiene
3. Communication skills with Mr. Jones
4. Transferring to a wheel chair
5. Taking and recording TPR
6. Intake and Output
Skills test results
70% or above is considered a passing score.
It is your responsibility to keep track of your test score results.
Your skills score will be calculated after your test, and you will leave with a copy of your score.
IVCE will submit your score to the Iowa City Testing Center for processing to the Nurse Aide Registry.
Nurse & Medication Aide Challenge Readiness Testing
Nurse Aide Challenge Readiness Testing
Are you trained as a nurses aide but have not worked in the last two years or more?
Unsure if you are ready for the state written test?
Wondering if you should take the CNA course over again?
Datasheet for Challenge Test Readiness
IVCE offers a one time written test out to answers just those questions. Take a 50 question multiple choice test to see where you are. The test will be graded and reviewed with you.
Fee is $10. See Data sheet for Challenge readiness. Please fax application and payment to 641-752-1692 , or send to Beth Weuve, IVCE, 3702 South Center Street, Marshalltown IA, 50158
Medication Aide Challenge testing
IVCE offers medication aide challenge testing to out-of-state medication aides transferring to Iowa and is available to some nursing students as well. First you must be current on the Iowa Nurse Aide State Registry, then testing which (will include written) and possibly skills can be scheduled. The fees for medication aide testing varies based on training.
All Challenge Readiness testing is by appointment only. For scheduling, call Beth Weuve at 641-752-4645 or 1-800-284-4823, ext 5616.
On-Line Health Career Certificate Programs
Prepare yourself for employment in some of today’s hottest careers with these on-line comprehensive, affordable, and self-contained online Career Certificate programs!
- Medical Coding and Billing - This Medical Coding and Billing Career Certificate Program is a 586 contact hour on-line course that will prepare you for a career in medical coding and billing. Upon completion of this program you will be able to show future employers that you are well-trained in billing, medical codes, creating paper records, generating billing statements, researching and auditing claims, and more. This Career Certificate program can provide you with the experience you need to find new opportunities in a fast growing field.
- Medical Coding and Billing Accelerated - This Medical Coding and Billing Career Certificate Accelerated Program is a 421 contact hour on-line course designed for those who are already working in health care and want to upgrade their skills. Upon completion of this program you will be able to show future employers that you are well-trained in billing, medical codes, creating paper records, generating billing statements, researching and auditing claims, and more.
- Medical Transcriptionist - This is a 450 contact hour on-line career certificate program that will prepare you for the medical transcriptionist occupation. This Medical Transcriptionist Career Certificate will attest to the fact that you have mastered medical terminology and know how to produce a wide variety of medical reports and documents, including discharge summaries: history and physical examination reports; operative, consultation and autopsy reports; diagnostic imaging studies; progress notes; referral letters; and more.
- Medical Transcriptionist Accelerated - This is a 285 contact hour on-line concentrated program for those who are already working in health care and want to upgrade their skills in the area of medical transcription. This Medical Transcriptionist Career Certificate will attest to the fact that you have mastered medical terminology and know how to produce a wide variety of medical reports and documents, including discharge summaries: history and physical examination reports; operative, consultation and autopsy reports; diagnostic imaging studies; progress notes; referral letters; and more.
For additional information and course content go to http://www.ed2go.com/iavalley and click on the career certificate programs or call Iowa Valley Continuing Education at 641-752-4645 or 1-800-284-4823 and ask for Cheryl Little at extension 5623. You can also reach Cheryl at Cheryl.Little@iavalley.edu.
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