Hello Nurse! Free CNA Education Program Extended to 2023

Late last year, Gov. Walz announced a plan to help solve the Certified Nursing Assistant shortage facing Minnesota: $3.5M free CNA training. The program was a smash. Well, as much as school without a John Belushi-type can be. But there’s STILL a shortage, so the program has been extended. 

Here’s Five Fast Facts about Minnesota’s Free Nursing Assistant Training Program:

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1. 😷EHR - The program provides Minnesotans with training, books, uniforms and the cost of their certification exams.
2. 🏥ICU - Walz has allocated an additional $2.4M from the state’s COVID-19 Management Appropriation Fund. Last year’s round came from the American Rescue Plan.
3. 🧑‍⚕️WNL - The first round recruited and trained 1,370 CNAs. The original goal was to land 1,000 trainees. That’s a big win. In fact, it’s so big that Walz wants to make it permanent. 
4. 💊DNR - CNAs rank as the sixth job that’s highest in demand in the state. Low wages, long hours, and difficult conditions brought on by the pandemic are largely to blame.
5. 📅 CBR - The program will now run through Feb. 2023. Available courses, enrollment information and other details can be found on the state’s Office of Higher Education site.

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🔥Bottom line: If you have someone in long-term care (or know someone who is), then you know how important a CNA can be to their needs and their recovery. The pandemic also tore the industry to ruins, so anything that helps fill needed and important jobs is always a good thing.

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What do you think of the program?

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