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Two nurse aide students practice during class at Aims Community College.

Nurse Aide Certificate

Explore a Career in Healthcare with the Aims Nurse Aide Certificate Program

Are you interested in a healthcare career but not quite sure where to start? The nurse aide certificate program at Aims is a great way to learn an in-demand healthcare role in just four weeks.

Nurse aides help nurses deliver quality and compassionate patient care in a hospital, home healthcare or long-term care setting. With lectures, labs and a 30-hour clinical rotation, the nurse aide certificate program prepares you to take the NNAAP Nurse Aide Certification exam administered by the Colorado Board of Nursing. Passing this exam qualifies you to work as a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) in a variety of healthcare settings. 

“Our instructors in the Nurse Aide program have a passion for quality and caring and giving to someone else. It really warms our heart to be able to pass that onto students and teach that to future generations of healthcare people.” --Shelly Powell, Aims nurse aide instructor and department chair

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a CNA in Colorado earns an average of $27,370 per year. The Aims nurse aide certificate program also offers an excellent opportunity to prepare for other healthcare careers, including nursing, radiologic technology, clinical medical assisting and surgical technology.

To accommodate students with varied schedules, day and evening program options are available, along with a hybrid online and lab option. 

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Nurse Aide Students work in a classroom at the Aims Community College Greeley Campus.

Study Essential Skills and Become a Nurse Aide with a Nurse Aide Certificate at Aims

The 5-to-6-week nurse aide certificate program includes a combination of classroom learning, labs and a 30-hour clinical rotation working with actual patients. For the classroom teaching portion, choose between an online option or a traditional classroom setting. To accommodate students with different schedules, day and evening programs are available.

Learn skills including:

  • Providing personal care assistance, including bathing, grooming and dressing
  • Taking vital signs including blood pressure, pulse, and height and weight
  • Helping patients with eating and drinking needs
  • Using assistive devices and other equipment
  • Informing nurses of any expressed patient needs and changes in condition

Earn a Nurse Aide Certificate at Aims and Launch Your Healthcare Career

Aims Degree Video - Allied Health - Nurse Aide Certificate

Shelly Powell, department chair of the Aims nurse aide certificate program, describes how the nurse aide curriculum and training are a great way to explore a career in healthcare.

Start Your Healthcare Career as a Nurse Aide

The Aims nurse aide certificate program gives you the training and skills you need to prepare for the NNAAP exam for certification through the Colorado Board of Nursing and start a career in healthcare. 

Potential job opportunities for nurse aides include:

  • Long-term rehabilitation centers
  • Nursing homes
  • Home healthcare
  • Assisted living facilities
  • Hospitals

Sign up now to attend Nurse Aide/CNA Orientation. View dates.

Aims Nurse Aide Certificate Program Faculty and Staff

The Aims nurse aide faculty will bring their direct experience in healthcare to life for you in the classroom and lab. Receive hands-on learning experience and guided practice as you learn new nurse aide skills. 

  • Portrait of Shelly Powell

    Shelly Powell

    Professor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Headshot of Kendra Merriott

    Kendra Merriott

    Program Coordinator II, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Portrait of Heather Brown

    Heather Brown

    Professor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Kerry Noble headshot

    Kerry Noble

    Professor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Jodi Miller

    Jodi Miller

    Part-Time: Assistant Instructor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Katherine Teague

    Katherine Teague

    Professor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Laree Sanchez

    Laree Sanchez

    Part-Time: Assistant Instructor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Headshot of Laurie Casey

    Laurie Casey

    Instructional Lab Coordinator I, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Sylvia Abbott

    Sylvia Brown

    Part-Time: Assistant Instructor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Portrait of Jacqueline McGuire

    Jacqueline McGuire

    Part-Time: Assistant Instructor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Charity Woedl headshot

    Charity Woedl

    Instructor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Dan Hohenstein headshot

    Dan Hohenstein

    Part-Time: Assistant Instructor, Nurse Aide, Med Prep
  • Samantha Lowe Headshot

    Samantha Lowe

    Part-Time: Faculty, Nurse Aide, Med Prep