As Houston continues to hold its prominent position in the medical world, many new career opportunities are becoming available. The San Jacinto College Continuing and Professional Development division offers a number of health occupation training programs to enable students to enter the medical workforce with quality certification training to start their medical careers.
Programs like the certified nurse aide (CNA) are offered nearly free as job training through the Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG) for students who qualify for financial assistance. Through the TPEG/CNA program, students not only receive the standard CNA training for working with residents in long-term care facilities plus 40 hours of clinicals, but also receive job readiness training prior to beginning their nursing training. The job readiness portion of the program offers resume preparation, choosing references, and interview skills. Many students begin their job search before taking the State of Texas Certified Nurse Aide Certification Exam.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Texas is ranked third in the U.S. with 86,940 certified nursing assistants. In Texas, an average annual salary for a CNA can be upwards from over $23,000.
Nineteen-year-old Kelly Robinson sees the CNA program as an opportunity to quickly enter the nursing field to experience the area she would like to eventually specialize in. “Since this class is only 10 weeks long, I’m hoping to start working in a hospital right away,” said Robinson. “The medical field has so many different options so I see this as a great way to get a feel for medical industry. Eventually I’d like to become a registered nurse (RN) then maybe go on to become a doctor, but I’m taking things one step at a time.”
Some students like Gloria Jones, a former EKG and cardiology catheter lab technician of 20 years, already have prior medical experience. However, after becoming unemployed, she needed to get certified for a different medical area that had the most job openings. “This is a whole new field for me,” said the 58-year-old. “I’m excited to get back to working in the medical field again. CNAs are always in demand, and once I start working in a hospital, I’ll be able to advance into other areas with continued training. In January I plan to come back and start the surgical technologist program. I know the heart from front to back. Cardiology is what I love and what I know. As I’m working as a CNA, I can still take classes and get my license to get back into the cardiology catheter lab which is where I really want to be.”
For 31-year-old Kelli Harden, the CNA program has given her the direction she needed. As a former childcare provider at a women’s rehabilitation facility, Harden found the motivation to start a new chapter in her life from the women she was helping. “Working at the rehab facility inspired me to start working on my career goals,” said the mother of two. “At first I started working with the children who were exposed to substance abuse, then later moved on to work with the women themselves. They actually helped me see my full potential when they told me what a difference I made in getting their lives back on track.” At just one year old, Harden’s son had problems with one of his legs. After seeing how the nurses interacted with him, she decided she wanted to pursue a career in nursing, starting as a CNA then earning her RN to eventually work as a pediatric nurse. “I know it will all take time, but I know now that I’m capable of doing it, and I’m definitely looking forward to starting out as a CNA,” said Harden.
Along with the TPEG program, community organizations like Builders Without Borders of Texas, often recommend students to the College’s Continuing and Professional Development division’s training programs. Builders Without Borders of Texas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing housing, education, and medical services to people experiencing hardships. Kim Reed, president of Builders Without Borders of Texas, believes a college education makes sense when helping people obtain the skills necessary to earn a living. Reed has helped many Houstonians get back on their feet and complete programs at San Jacinto College to gain employment. “We’ve sent several students through San Jacinto College,” said Reed. “The CNA course is a great entry-level course, and the College is very inviting and open to what they need in education. We helped one woman earn her CNA certificate who is now earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of Houston.”
Judith Yonley, CNA instructor and a registered nurse, said CNA graduates often move on to work for rehabilitation centers and hospices, or train to become medical imaging technicians, nurses, and doctors. “I see a lot of students grow in this course and decide to further pursue careers in health care,” said Yonley. “It’s rewarding. When someone finds himself or herself needing help, they lose a little self-confidence. They get some of that confidence back when they’re able to touch another person’s life through health care.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Texas is ranked third in the U.S. with 86,940 certified nursing assistants. In Texas, an average annual salary for a CNA can be upwards from over $23,000. San Jacinto College’s Continuing and Professional Development division has over 15 healthcare occupation training programs available in the areas of emergency health, emergency medical technician (EMT), certified professional coder, medical office professional, medical imaging, EKG technician, certified medication aides, and phlebotomy technician. For students that qualify, some programs can be offered tuition-free through the Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG). For more information on these health occupations programs visit sanjac.edu/health-occupations.
Andrea Vasquez