Contact: Katryn Conlin (she/her/hers)
Communications Director
Minnesota State College Southeast
[email protected], 651-385-6364
For Immediate Release
MSC Southeast Red Wing Campus will provide emergency Nursing Assistant training for Minnesota National Guard week of November 28-December 5
Red Wing, MN (November 27, 2021) -- Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing is one of 16 Minnesota State colleges that will provide emergency Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training for members of the Minnesota National Guard next week. These Guard members will serve in under-staffed healthcare centers and assist in long-term care facilities to address staffing difficulties and shortages during a period of heightened need due to the pandemic.
WHAT: Emergency training of 20 National Guard members to become Certified Nursing Assistant
WHERE: MSC Southeast Red Wing Campus, 308 Pioneer Road, Red Wing, MN
WHEN: November 28-December 5, 2021
On November 22, Gov. Walz activated 400 National Guard members to create skilled-nursing response teams to help short-staffed long term care facilities. With only a few day's notice, MSC Southeast responded to a request from the Minnesota State Healthcare Training Network to provide CNA training for up to 20 National Guard members.
The schedule is intense, with classes every day beginning on Sunday, November 28 and ending on Sunday, December 5. Many of the days run from 9 am to 9 pm with half-hour lunch and dinner breaks. A total of 75 hours of training will provided in 8 days. Training will be provided by one full-time nursing instructor and five adjunct instructors.
The Nursing Assistant for the National Guard training includes classroom and hands-on skills labs. National Guard members who complete the training with a passing grade will also be eligible to sit for the written and skills Nursing Assistant tests. Participants who pass both portions of the testing will be placed on the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry and will be eligible to continue working as a nursing assistant in their civilian life.
This training may be the start to a career pathway in a very high demand field: according to RealTime Talent, prior the COVID-19 pandemic, nine employers completed a two-year forecast estimating they would need to fill 5,400 positions within their Twin Cities locations. In addition, nursing assistant standing is a requirement for entry into the college's nursing majors at Minnestoa State College Southeast.
Statewide, 16 colleges will train 400 Guard members, with training to be completed by December 5 as the vaccination requirement for healthcare workers becomes effective December 6, 2021. Additionally, up to 400 more participants can be trained before June 30, 2022.
To schedule an interview or visit to campus, contact Katryn Conlin, Director of Communications, at 612-229-5659 (cell) or [email protected].
###
About Minnesota State College Southeast
Located in the historic river towns of Red Wing and Winona, Minnesota State College Southeast is a two-year technical and community college that prepares students for a lifetime of learning by providing education for employment, skill enhancement, retraining, and transfer. The Winona campus opened its doors in 1949; the Red Wing campus opened in 1973, merging with Winona in 1992. The two campuses now have distinctive characteristics but are one college in structure, policies, procedures, and mission. Both offer small class sizes, state-of-the-art facilities, and an environment that is friendly and supportive. In addition, more than 30 majors are available online. Minnesota State College Southeast is a member of Minnesota State. For more information, visit www.southeastmn.one.