Nurse Aide

What do Nurse Aides do?

Nurse aides provide basic patient care and help with the many physical and complex tasks for patient care. They work under the direction of licensed nurses.

What Is the Difference Between Nurse Aides & Patient Care Technicians (PCTs)?

Both are collaborative members of the healthcare team.

• Nurse Aides contribute by sharing the emotional connections and basic needs of the resident. Most nurse aides work in long-term residential care environments.
• PCTs provide more factual data concerning the residents' vital statistics on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis. Most PCTs work in acute care settings.

Program Description

You will prepare to work as an entry-level nurse aide who provides basic care to residents of long-term facilities.

Our program emphasizes effective interaction with members of the healthcare team, restorative services, mental health, and social services.

After completing our program, you will be able to:

• Give patient-centered basic care to residents
• Use safety & preventive measures in the care of residents
• Communicate & interact therapeutically with residents & their families—with sensitivity to the physical, social & mental needs of the residents
• Help residents attain & maintain maximum functional independence
• Protect, support & promote the rights of residents
• Be skilled in observing, reporting & documenting resident information
• Collaborate with other healthcare team members

Learn in the Classroom & in the Field

60 hours of classroom instruction

You will spend time in face-to-face interactions to build your confidence as you develop basic patient-care skills. We design skills practice and review into the curriculum.

You will also learn test-taking strategies and critical thinking skills.

40 hours clinical instruction

You will gain hands-on work experience by working in the field under the supervision of a clinical professional.

The clinical portion of our program is your opportunity to apply what you have learned in the classroom to a real-world setting.

Credentials in Detail

After successfully completing this program, students will be eligible to take the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) tests.

In Texas, the NNAAP is administered jointly by Prometric and the NACES Plus Foundation.

Licensing Notice: Texas House Bill 1508

This program prepares you for an occupational license. However, you may not be eligible for licensing if you have a prior criminal history.

For more details, see Texas House Bill 1508 Licensing Requirements

Continue Your Studies

After completing our Nurse Aide program and working in the field, you may be interested in a credit certificate or degree.

Explore our credit options:

• Medical Assistant
• Nursing
• Patient Care Technician (PCT)
• Vocational Nursing

Eligibility Requirements & Prerequisites

You must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Provide a copy of high school diploma or GED certificate
• Have:
  • Current driver’s license or government-issued identification
  • Social security card with signature
  • Current health insurance card
  • Current Basic Life Support (BLS) healthcare provider CPR card from the American Heart Association
• Provide documentation of immunizations
  • Chicken pox (Varicella)
  • Measles / Mumps / Rubella
  • Hepatitis B (3 shot series)
  • Hepatitis A (2 shot series)
  • Tdap
  • Influenza (seasonal from September–March)
  • Negative Tb Test
  • COVID-19 vaccination is strongly encouraged (COVID-19 protocols will be contingent upon CDC & facility guidelines at that time)

Immunizations

Texas law and applicable health-care standards establish immunization requirements for students participating in health-related courses involving patient contact. Texas law also provides exemptions from certain immunization requirements for medical contraindications, reasons of conscience, including religious belief, and active-duty military service. Students seeking a statutory exemption must submit the documentation required by Texas law and Tarrant County College (TCC) student onboarding procedures.

Requesting a Statutory Exemption

Under Texas law and Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) (opens in a new tab) regulations, you may request an exemption from required immunizations for:

• Reasons of conscience, including recognized religious beliefs
• Medical contraindications (supported by licensed physician documentation)
• Active-duty service in the U.S. military

Submitting an exemption request does not disqualify you from applying to or being considered for admission to a TCC Health Sciences program. Students seeking an exemption must submit required documentation following official TCC student onboarding procedures prior to established clinical placement deadlines.

Important Information Regarding Clinical Site Placement

While TCC honors statutory exemptions under Texas law, hands-on clinical education takes place at external hospitals, clinics, and partner health-care facilities:

• Clinical facility or other third-party clinical partner rules: External clinical affiliates establish and enforce their own independent health and safety requirements (including specific vaccination mandates such as Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Varicella (Chickenpox), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tetanus, Diphtheria & Pertussis (TDaP), flu, or COVID-19).
• No College Guarantee: TCC cannot require an external partner facility to accept a student who has received an immunization exemption. The clinical facility makes the final determination regarding site access.
• Impact on Program Completion: Successfully completing all mandatory clinical rotation hours and competencies is required to earn your degree or certificate. If a clinical partner declines an exemption and an alternate placement cannot be secured, you may face progression delays or be unable to complete the program

Post-Acceptance Requirements

After being accepted into our program, you must:

• Get a Criminal Background Check (past 5 years)
• Get a Drug Screening (9/10 Panel)

These tests are your responsibility and must come back clear to continue in the program. No refunds will be given.

Program Requirements

Explore the TCC Continuing Education Catalog and view the list of courses you will need to take for your program.

• Nurse Aide

Costs & Fees

Costs and fees vary. Costs are available in Hello!TCC's Continuing Education Course Descriptions.

How to Apply

1. New TCC students only: Complete a CE enrollment form. If you have not previously attended TCC, contact a career advisor for the form and more information.
   
   • Once you are accepted as a student at TCC, you will get a TCC Student ID number. You need a TCC Student ID number for your application to Nurse Aide.
   • Admission to the Nurse Aide Program is a separate process and is not automatically guaranteed by admission to TCC.
2. Read the application instructions
   • Nurse Aide Program Information Packet (PDF)Listen
     • Note: The Test of Adult Education (TABE) is no longer required (as listed on page 3 of this information packet).
3. Complete the online application
   • Nurse Aide Program Application
     • You must be logged in to your TCC email account to access the application.
4. Register for class.
   • Once you have been accepted, we will place you in your Nurse Aide courses.