It has become a trend for savvy students to attend advanced college classes while still in high school. This is very common among students who achieve high markings in class and are eligible candidates for Post Secondary Enrollment Options or PSEO funding by their high schools. Since the boom of the healthcare business, a lot of high school students under the PSEO program aspire to invest their knowledge and time in medical courses.

One of which is in the field of nursing, in particular as a certified nurse assistant, where a promising and profitable future job awaits in the future. A certified nurse assistant (CNA) can land in a wide array of work opportunities like in hospitals, health centers, hospice and assisted living centers. That is why it is of great importance to understand the step-by-step procedure on how to acquire a CNA certification through PSEO.

PSEO is a program offered and funded by a state to qualified high school and home school juniors and seniors. This program gives them an opportunity to enroll and attend courses that are classified under the college level standards. One benefit of this is that the tuition and book fees are covered by the PSEO program. Admission requirement for this program requires seniors and juniors to be included in the upper-one-third and one-half of the class rankings, respectively. In addition, sophomores are also allowed to apply for PSEO funding given they already have eight grade MCAs.

Planning is crucial if one is indeed eagerly decided to attend a CNA course under the PSEO. One thing, the student’s decision to participate is the most significant factor. Beforehand, it must be supported by an approval made by the student’s parents and with due consultation done by the high school counselor. The high school counselor will be the one to evaluate the student if he/she is indeed eligible for the program and assess if it will be of any help in the student’s future endeavors. If one qualifies, an application for admission to the state registry must be accomplished. It is also important to plan with the high school counselor about the class schedules if one successfully gets into a certified nurse aide course.

Initially, the student enrolls for the CNA course in the preferred vocational school or community college. Certain laws require students to pass a background check and drug testing before enrollment. Upon entry, it is important to complete the entire CNA course. One advantage of the PSEO is that the earned credits of schooling can be used to fulfill the requirements for high school graduation and eventually pursue a college degree later on. A number of schools offer CNA programs that run for a few weeks or months at the most. Some courses add extra curricula to the normal 75 clock hours which are useful credits after graduation. After completion of the program, an exam is given in order to receive certification. Some states require license for nursing assistants before employment.

A high school student who is granted a break to study under this program is considered highly fortunate. PSEO funding is a great chance for a high school student to study extensively and get a hold of a CNA certificate without the worry of spending for college fees. Another thing is that it might open doors to a further medical degree in college or even leads to a fulfilling nursing career someday.