Applewood Partners with Brookdale Community College for New CNA Clinical Training Program

Applewood continues its commitment to community partnerships.

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) continue to be one of the highest-demand roles in healthcare. CNAs play an essential role in daily patient care. They are responsible for assisting with mobility, daily hygiene, dressing, assisting with eating and monitoring patient wellness.

Brookdale Community College (BCC) in Lincroft offers a CNA certification program approved by the NJ Department of Health. The curriculum requires each student to complete several hours of clinical training under the guidance of course instructors.

Beginning this year, Applewood’s Skilled Nursing department became a clinical training site for eight BCC students training and observing our nursing and clinical support staff. With supervision, students will gain hands-on experience interacting with Applewood’s residents in the health care unit. The BCC partnership is managed by Anna Zonis, RN, Director of Nursing at Applewood. Students training at Applewood are under the direction of BCC instructor Rachel Dubinsky.

“Students training and working in our department follow a specific training curriculum,” notes Anna. “Their hands-on clinical experience and guidance from our professional clinical staff enable them to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom.”

Students are learning to support senior residents with daily living activities, interacting, and observing a high-quality managed care environment. “This is an ideal experience for future CNAs to work with older patients and assess if this is a population with whom they would like to work in the future.”

Future career opportunities for CNAs at Applewood

As an added benefit, some graduates may eventually secure full-time and part-time CNA positions at Applewood after graduation. “During their clinical training, we have the opportunity to observe talented students and discuss career opportunities,” Anna explains. “In turn, they can experience the role before accepting a position. This opportunity is a win-win for both of us.”

Applewood currently has 17 terrific full-time and part-time jobs available in Dining Services, Operations and Clinical Services, including CNA positions: Visit Careers to learn more about a career working with the CentraState Healthcare System family: https://applewood.com/careers/