CNA / CPR Training Center open in McIntosh

McIntosh Senior Living recently opened up a Training Center in downtown McIntosh. Taking over the former Win-E-Mac Dental office on the Main Street in McIntosh. The facility recently held an Open House for the public to check things out. The Center will be a great asset for McIntosh and is run by Carissa Affledt.

Carissa started at McIntosh Senior Living in September of 2017 as the Infection Preventionist and Education Coordinator. Last summer, she became certified by the American Heart Association to teach CPR and first aid (BLS for healthcare workers and Heartsaver for general public). Since then, she has been teaching the classes to MSL employees, other healthcare workers, and the general public, even going to other facilities to teach employees in their workplace. Carissa will be teaching the CPR and first aid classes at the MSL Training Center. 

Carissa learned about how to start a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) Training Program. She took a “Train the Trainer” course last fall and then began the application process to start a new training program. 

McIntosh Senior Living received state approval at the beginning of 2019 and purchased the former Win-E-Mac Dental office to be used a training site primarily for the CNA program, as more space was required than what was available at McIntosh Senior Living. 

About half of the building was remodeled and set up for training, including a large, open classroom area, lab (complete with 3 hospital beds and manikins), supply room set up with everything you would need to care for residents or patients, including mechanical lifts and oxygen equipment provided by Northwest Respiratory, and a kitchen/breakroom.  The use of the other half of the building has not yet been decided. The remodeling project was completed by McIntosh Senior Living’s Maintenance Director, Paul Ruckreigle. Visitors that are former dental patients have commented that the building has really changed. It really is a great space for CNA students to learn and practice their skills.

The training center can have up to 10 students per class. Students don’t need to work at McIntosh Senior Living to be able to take advantage of this course. 

The first group that recently graduated from the program included students from Thief River Falls, Mahnomen, Red Lake Falls, Bagley, Gonvick, and Erskine. They were employed by different types of facilities, including hospital, assisted living, and nursing homes. The age requirements to take a class is 15 years old, but individuals cannot be employed as a CNA until age of 16. The class is 76 hours. 60 hours of classroom and lab, and 16 hours of clinicals which are held at the McIntosh Senior Living nursing home on the north end of McIntosh. The curriculum used is from MNSCU (Minnesota State College and University System). 

Carissa likes to incorporate a lot of group activities, discussion and sometimes some fun games to keep students engaged in what they are learning. In the first class, they played a game of CNA Jeopardy, complete with buzzers to ‘ring in’ with and the Jeopardy music for final Jeopardy. The categories included topics discussed in class, such as personal care, food and fluids, and more. 

The next class is started on June 10th. The plan is to have one more class before the end of summer and classes will continue based on demand. “It has been a blast, teaching students that are new to healthcare and eager to learn,” said Carissa Affeldt about her new endeavor with McIntosh Senior Living.