Chinese Mutual Aid Association

Nineteen students completed the Certified Nurse Assistant training program and received certificates of completion at CMAA on Saturday, December 13^th. After the presentation, proud students and their family members celebrated with a feast!

CNA students have every reason to be proud, as there are many hurdles they must overcome to become CNAs. Students must have legal work status in the United States, be physically able to do the nursing assistant work, speak English well enough to handle the training program. Furthermore, they must be able to spend 5-8 hours a day, 4 days a week for 5 weeks earning their qualifications in order to gain CNA training and experience. 

Once they successfully complete the course, these students must take and pass the Illinois Nurse Assistant Certification Examination before they can be legally certified as CNAs. They must then apply for and be hired in CNA positions in Illinois. Fortunately, this part of the health care field continues to grow. This makes the CNA program have three-fold benefits: students obtain useful training, their family members enjoy the benefits of health insurance and better wages, and the health care industry benefits by receiving new nurse assistants. Many of these nurse assistants know at least one more language in addition to English and often understand the immigrant experience. This supply to meet the demand of an increasing number of health care recipients from other countries than the United States ensures a good fit, and the immigrant or refugee perspective allows them to become even more effective health care providers.

We are very grateful to Michael Reese Health Trust and Ravenswood Healthcare Foundation for their support of this important program. If you are interested in being part of this program, please contact James Ocloo at JamesO@chinesemutualaid.org.