Note: We are not currently accepting applications to our CNA2 program. Use the "Learn More" form to be notified when courses will resume.  

Are you a CNA 1 who’s looking to boost your earning power and open up new avenues for career advancement?

Pursue new opportunities and increase your earning potential by becoming a CNA 2. For a list of upcoming courses, click here.

Oregon is one of only two states that have dual levels of Certified Nursing Assistant: CNA 1 and CNA 2. Although CNA 1s can work in a variety of health care environments, hospitals and other acute care environments generally only hire CNA 2s.

During the Institute for Health Professionals’ CNA 2 training, you will gain acute care experience as part of a clinical rotation within a hospital environment.

What To Expect 

The Institute for Health Professionals’ Certified Nursing Assistant 2 training program is approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing. Students must have a current Oregon CNA 1 license to apply to this program.

Part I: 60 hour lecture and lab skills demonstration

• Build on CNA 1 training to acquire new skills, ranging from blood glucose testing to cast removal.
• Learn advanced information on body systems and disease processes.
• Understand how to document patient behavior in a hospital environment.
  

Part II: 28 hour clinical practicum

• After successfully completing the lecture and lab portions, you will attend a clinical portion at the Providence Portland Medical Center.
• Put your new skills to work with real patients in a hospital environment.
• PCC will place students in a clinical rotation; you will not need to arrange your own clinical internship.

Once students successfully complete the program, their CNA 1 license will be upgraded to a CNA 2 license in the Oregon State Board of Nursing CNA registry. Unlike with the CNA 1 program, no additional state testing is required.

Upon successful completion of the Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program 2, students will:

• Have their CNA 1 license upgraded to a CNA 2 license in the Oregon State Board of Nursing registry.
• Learn about the difference between CNA 1s and CNA 2s, and discover which skills only CNA 2s can perform and which unique responsibilities CNA 2s shoulder.
• Gain valuable experience working in an acute care hospital environment, where they will be exposed to the working practices of successful CNA 2s and the unique challenges associated with working in hospitals.
• Learn an array of interesting and challenging new CNA 2 skills, broadening their knowledge base and strengthening their abilities.
• Dive into greater details concerning body systems, disease processes, and more, increasing their understanding of the patient population.
• Increase their earning power and their advancement opportunities by opening up new avenues for employment
  
  

Bonus Features

PCC’s Nursing Assistant Training program combines in-class lecture and lab hours with a clinical practicum at Providence Portland Medical Center’s campus in Northeast Portland. Students will receive 75 hours of real-world experience in a hospital environment, interacting with patients and health care workers and learning about life in the hospital industry from the front lines.

Additionally, lectures will include a wide variety of learning experiences, including videos, quizzes, and role-playing exercises that will offer students the chance to explore a variety of CNA 2 scenarios.

Who is this program for?

This course is designed for current CNA 1s who are interested in learning new skills and advancing their health care career, as well as those who specifically want to be able to work in a hospital environment.

In order to take the CNA 2 program students must have a current, valid, unencumbered CNA 1 license in the state of Oregon. Students must be prepared to do the required reading, practicing, and studying to succeed. Effective time-management skills and study habits are important, but students do not have to have a GED or high school diploma.

Additionally, we recommend the class only to students who have a high level of proficiency in reading, writing and speaking English.

What Our Students Say

“As of April of this last year I became an employee at Doernbecher Children's Hospital. I feel like the programs that I had went through prepared me to be able to do as good of a job as I do today on my floor. I have seen so many different and cool (as well as sad) things that further my education in the medical field each and every day. You never stop learning that's for sure. I just wanted to thank you guys for the amazing jobs that you do by educating us and preparing us for the real deal. Keep doing a great job!” - J.L.

The Investment

Time:

• 60 hour lecture and lab skills demonstration
• 28 hour clinical practicum

Tuition:

$1095, including lecture, lab and clinical tuition

Other costs include:

• Mandatory background check and drug screen, $75
• Textbook, roughly $15
• 2-stage Tuberculosis test
• An appropriate uniform, stethoscope and gait belt
• CPR certification, $75 if taken at PCC CLIMB
• Since the clinical rotation for the CNA 2 program takes place at a hospital, there are also a series of required immunizations, including varicella,
• Tetanus-diphtheria (Tdap), and Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR). You can read more about the associated costs in the CNA 2 brochure.

Costs are addressed in more detail during orientation, which is required for all students before the first day of class.

PCC offers installment payment plans, which may allow you to make smaller biweekly or monthly payment. To find out more, visit the installment plan webpage.

How to Enroll

There is an application process. Complete the form on the right for application instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions