By BRENNE MEIROWITZ
In Oklahoma nursing abuse fines are funding free CNA training classes, which are expected to begin in 2010. The free CNA classes initiative was organized when the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), in cooperation with Tulsa Community College and Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education established a fund of $371,000 that will cover the cost of training approximately 900-1,000 CNA students in 2010.
The money to provide free cna training comes from penalties collected from nursing homes that were fined by OSDH for delivering substandard care, i.e. nursing abuse. It is possible that Certified Nursing Assistants from these very same nursing homes will be some of the beneficiaries of the scholarship, which has aims of improving overall patient care in long-term care facilities. The core initiative of offering free CNA classes is to upgrade the skills and knowledge of nursing assistants to a level CNA 2. Tulsa Community College also offers more advanced training for those nursing assistants who wish to advance to the CNA 3 level, but this level is not currently funded.
