Nurse Aide program moves to Durham Tech’s Main Campus

Students enrolled in Nurse Aide classes will have a change in scenery this fall.

Previously housed at the Duke Street North campus location, the Nurse Aide program moved to Main Campus to be closer to other health care programs, and to make way for the new Cosmetology space at Duke Street North.

Pam Krakow, Director of the Nurse Aide program at Durham Tech, said it’s a welcomed change.

“It’s exciting to be right in the center of Main Campus,” Krakow said. “Now the students can mix and mingle, and learn about all of the other programs we offer because we’re so close to the Health and Wellness department.”

An additional facet to the new location is the testing center, which helps prepare students for the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program – the required state exam to become a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA). Krakow also wants to make this space a regional testing site.

“Our goal is to have students test in their own environment, make them more comfortable, and ultimately improve pass rates,” Krakow said.

The new space will also help meet demand for CNAs in the Triangle.

“We can’t get nurse aides out fast enough. I’m constantly getting calls from home care agencies in need of more nurse aides,” Krakow said. “We graduated 70 students this summer, but that’s just a drop in the bucket. The new testing lab and additional instructors we just hired will help with growth.”

Wanda Waiters, Clinical Coordinator and Instructor, said she is also excited about Main Campus and that she is passionate about student success in the program.

“We make sure everyone that comes in the program is inspired within the framework of being a nurse,” Waiters said. “We want everyone to feel as though they have achieved, and they can do it with a passion. We show students that caring is both important and necessary.”

The first class in the new space will take place August 15.

For more information, contact Pam Krakow at 919-536-7200 ext. 4303 or krakowp@durhamtech.edu
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