In a night class at St. Paul College here in Minnesota, students are practicing the nursing skills they’ll need to pass the state exam in a few weeks. A few are emptying catheter bags filled with fake urine. Some rehearse using a bedpan — placing it in the right spot, cleaning out the imaginary contents.
It’s a Certified Nursing Assistant program, and at the end of the non-credit course, students will be ready for in-demand jobs at long-term care facilities, nursing homes and hospitals.
The class costs more than $1,000, and while most students’ tuition is covered by employers looking to train their existing workforce, a few, like Datrina Hurt, 37, pay out of pocket.
