The Nurse Assistant Training Program (NATP) is offered during the Spring and Fall semesters for 18 weeks and the Summer semester for 9 weeks in Merced and Los Banos.

The course provides clinical instruction and practice of basic nursing skills required of nursing assistants employed in skilled nursing facilities and extended care facilities. The course emphasizes care of the older adult client which includes assistance with the activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, exercise, movement, eating, eliminating safety measures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and rehabilitation techniques). Students will practice skills in lab, then be assigned to assist clients in a skilled nursing facility.

This training meets the California Department of Public Health requirements for eligibility to take the Nurse Assistant certification examination.

Upon successful completion of the NATP, the student must pass the Certification Exam in order to become a Certified Nurse Assistant. The exam has been developed to meet the evaluation requirements of the federal and state Nurse Assistant competency evaluation legislation. The test is offered throughout the state. The test consists of two parts: written and skills exam.