Care that changes lives.

Start your path in healthcare by building the skills and confidence needed to provide compassionate patient care as a Basic Nursing Assistant.
Moraine Valley’s Basic Nursing Assistant Program combines classroom instruction with hands-on clinical training to prepare students for real-world healthcare settings. Students learn essential patient care skills, safety procedures, communication techniques and daily living support while gaining experience working directly with patients under the guidance of experienced healthcare professionals.
Whether you’re ready to begin working in healthcare or plan to continue your education, this program provides a strong foundation for your future. Many students use the Basic Nursing Assistant Program as a first step toward careers in nursing and other in-demand healthcare professions, building valuable experience before advancing to additional education and training.
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Make A Difference In Patient Care as a Basic Nursing Assistant
With a Basic Nursing Assistant certificate, you can begin a career providing direct patient care in a variety of healthcare settings.
The Basic Nursing Assistant program allows you to work closely with nurses and healthcare teams to support patients with daily care needs, monitor comfort and safety, and help maintain a positive care environment.
Moraine Valley鈥檚 Basic Nursing Assistant Program prepares students for the Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Exam through classroom instruction, hands-on lab training and supervised clinical experience. Students learn the patient care skills required by the Illinois Department of Public Health while gaining real-world experience in a healthcare setting.
Students can complete the Basic Nursing Assistant Certificate Program in one semester.
This six-credit-hour program combines classroom instruction, hands-on lab training and supervised clinical experience to prepare students for entry-level roles in healthcare. Training includes patient care techniques, safety procedures, communication skills and the 21 manual patient care skills required by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
To complete the BNA Program, students must successfully complete and demonstrate:
21 manual performance skills mandated by the Illinois Department of Public Health
64 hours of classroom lecture including Alzheimer鈥檚 instruction
40 hours of lab demonstration of skills
Four hours of Emergency Care Education
40 hours of clinical rotations at a health care facility
Not only that, but students have to attend all lecture/lab/clinical sessions as well as attain a grade of “C” or better in the BNAT Program.
Students who successfully complete this program are eligible to take the written State of Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Exam. After passing this exam, students may seek employment at long-term care facilities, hospitals and home-health agencies.
Additionally, students must:
Be 17 years of age before starting the program
Possess a valid, U.S. Social Security number or ITIN
Submit to Live Scan electronic fingerprinting and a criminal background check
Be a currently registered student at Moraine Valley
Complete the Reading Placement Test
Students must qualify for the RDG-089 level OR have achieved a score of 19 or above on the reading portion of the ACT or 480 or above on the SAT. Students may also be excused from taking the Reading Placement Test because of previous college-level academic work. If the reading placement test does not score high enough for RDG-089, the student will need to take and pass the reading remedial classes with a 鈥淐鈥 grade or better before registering for the BNAT course.
Submit to and pass an Illinois State Police Electronic Fingerprint Criminal Background Check with photography
The Illinois Department of Public Health mandates that all students taking this course submit to electronic fingerprinting and photography at least one week before the class begins. This is done on Compliance Orientation Days. Failure to comply or a 鈥渇elony hit鈥 will make the student ineligible to take the BNA course. Fingerprinting sessions will be initiated during the first class session. The fee is $32.50, subject to change.
Complete a Medical History and Physical
The following will be needed during the course: Medical History and Physical Exam, COVID Vaccination, an American Heart Association BLS CPR certification Ecard required, QuantiFERON Gold (one visit), proof of TdaP (tetanus, diphtheria, & pertussis) vaccination in the last 10 years, documentation of immunity (titers) to Varicella (Chicken Pox), Rubeola (Measles), Rubella, Mumps and Hepatitis B. Results of blood drawn titers verifying immunity to these diseases must be provided. Booster vaccines must be received if not immune and then an additional blood titer drawn six weeks later to verify immunity. Proof of being immunized as a child is not accepted. If you have not been vaccinated against Hepatitis B (series of three vaccines), you will need to start the series.鈥
Complete BLS certification
Students are required to obtain an American Heart Association CPR for Basic Life Support for Health Care Professionals certification at least 14 days prior to the start of clinical rotation. No other CPR courses are accepted.
Purchase required course materials:
Royal blue scrub top and black pants
Watch with a second hand
Double-head stethoscope
Blood pressure cuff
Course textbook and workbook
*All can be purchased in the Moraine Valley bookstore, located in Building D
Attend the first day of class, all lab and clinical sessions
To meet the program requirements, attendance at class sessions is required. Students who are absent on the first day of class, lab or clinical sessions or Alzheimer鈥檚 training must withdraw from this course if make-up sessions are not available. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Complete Clinicals
After students have submitted their health requirements, completed their criminal background check and fingerprints, all the laboratory sessions, completed the American Heart Association BLS CPR for Healthcare Professionals certification, and earned at least a 78% quiz average, clinical sessions begin. This usually occurs in approximately the sixth week of the course. During a 17-week course, clinical will begin during the 11th week.
好色先生 Notification of Clinical Health Requirements
Moraine Valley partners with healthcare facilities to provide clinical experiences for its students. These facilities prescribe various health requirements for all students who are placed at their clinical sites. Students who intend to participate in the clinical component of any program must submit documentation reflecting their compliance with the following clinical health requirements[1] prior to the deadline established by their program of study:
Measles (Rubeola) Titer
Mumps Titer
Rubella Titer
Varicella (Chicken Pox) Titer
Hepatitis B Titer
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Blood Test Annually
Tdap Vaccine every 10 years
Influenza (Flu) Vaccine Annually
COVID-19 Vaccination
Physical Exam by Healthcare Professional BNA Physical Form
American Heart Association BLS CPR for Healthcare Professionals every two years
Background Check Annually
Drug Screen Each Semester (medical marijuana cards are not accepted)
Medical Health Insurance 鈥 Upload Card Annually
Unless otherwise indicated, in writing, by a student’s assigned clinical site, all of the above health requirements must be met before the student may participate in a clinical rotation.
A student who fails to timely submit documentation by set deadlines reflecting compliance with the clinical health requirements listed above may be unable to participate in the required clinical component of their program in a timely manner, and their graduation may be delayed. The college cannot guarantee clinical placements for students who fail to satisfy all clinical health requirements by the set compliance deadlines.
[1] This list of clinical health requirements is subject to change based upon the policies of the clinical facilities. Students will be notified, in writing, of any modifications to the list of clinical health requirements.
Estimated Cost *These costs are subject to change
| Estimated Tuition and Additional Costs | |
|---|---|
| Tuition plus fees (BNA course only) | $1,350 in-district $2,680 out-of-district |
| Textbook | $100 |
| Fingerprinting for Background Check | $32.50 |
| Initial Health Requirements | $400 (varies) |
| Uniform, stethoscope, wristwatch | $150 (varies) |
| American Heart Association BLS CPR (good for two years) | $50-$100 |
| Viewpoint Compliance Screening & Drug Screen | $63 |
| Medical Health Insurance | $150 (varies) |
Start in high school with Dual Credit.

Moraine Valley’s Dual Enrollment program offers the opportunity for high school students over the age of 16 with permission from their high school, to enroll in and receive college credit for successfully completed college courses while still attending high school. The Basic Nursing Assistant course is just one of many dual enrollment classes offered by Moraine Valley.
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Program Details
View the catalog to explore program requirements, a suggested course sequence and prerequisite information.
| Program | Type of Credential | Curriculum Code | Department or Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 1546 | Health Sciences |
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