Thomas, WV – A small group of fifty family, friends and well-wishers gathered at Cortland Acres to witness the pinning ceremony of the third Certified Nursing Assistant class graduating this year. Marking the completion of yet another successful CNA class, each student received a certificate and a Florence Nightingale “Lady of the Lamp” pin from someone they chose for the honor. They will take the West Virginia State Certification Exam in a few weeks to become Certified Nursing Assistants.
Collectively, the students describe the class and pinning ceremony as an invaluable experience where they bonded as a group. Samantha Nelson explained, “We became family during the class. There was a lot of positive reinforcement of the skills we were practicing”. Laken Inglese described the pinning ceremony as “recognition for our efforts and the support of family and friends that made graduation possible”. Finally, Jill Tenney stated, “The pinning ceremony and the words of encouragement we received last night acknowledge the importance we play in the overall care of residents. It definitely validates our efforts and the role we will play daily in the lives of others.”
The students took advantage of Cortland Acres’ vast campus for classroom lecture and instruction as well as hands-on training with residents. In order to make future courses more accessible, the classroom lecture portion of the training will eventually be replaced with an online component that participants can do on their own time rather than in a traditional classroom setting. Supervised, hands-on skill training will continue to take place at Cortland Acres, allowing students to interact directly with residents and receive instant feedback from trainers, as it remains an invaluable portion of the training process.
The next CNA class is scheduled to start sometime in October. Anyone interested in enrolling, please contact Lois Nelson or Kathy Supak at Cortland Acres at (304) 463-4181.
Cortland Acres is a non-profit corporation offering state-of-the-art nursing care and skilled rehabilitation on a spacious 35-acre campus is the heart of scenic Tucker County, West Virginia. The Cortland campus includes a 94-bed long-term care facility, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and therapy options, as well as a variety of independent living opportunities. For more information call304-463-4181 or visit www.cortlandacres.org.
