Published: May 12, 2008 05:18 am      

College Express students to graduate

DANVILLE — Officials at Danville Area Community College announce graduation ceremonies for 40 students in the College Express Health Occupations program. The ceremony will be at 4 p.m. Thursday in Vermilion Hall Room 306 on the DACC campus.

Students in this graduating class entered the program in August 2007. The graduates are juniors and seniors from Danville, Catlin, Jamaica, Oakwood, Bismarck-Henning, Milford, Armstrong and Georgetown Ridge Farm high schools.

They have successfully completed 99 hours of class/theory and 40 hours of clinical as required by the Illinois Department of Public Health while attending high school full time. The students were required to maintain a “C” grade average or better in their class work, pass their clinical experience and pass their final exam with a grade of “C” or better.

Program graduates are eligible to take the state CNA exam, which will be offered on the DACC campus in June. In passing this exam, graduates become certified nurse assistants and are placed on the state registry for healthcare workers.

Certified nurse assistants work primarily in healthcare facilities including hospitals, clinics, long-term care centers or in home care. Local and national shortages in healthcare workers make these graduates highly employable.

In Vermilion County, entry level positions in this field pay about $20,000 per year. Experienced practitioners can make nearly $30,000 per year.

Most of the health occupations students see the CNA certification as a stepping stone into another medical career. Many of the graduates want to continue their nursing education or pursue a related health career such as physical therapy.

College Express CNA instructors at DACC are Joyce DeBoer, RN, and Shelby May, RN. Anyone wishing additional information about the College Express Health Occupation program at DACC should call the VVEDS office at 443-8782 or 443-8596 or their high school guidance counselor.