The Riverside Growing Your Future Certified Nursing Assistant (C.N.A.) Apprenticeship Program is currently accepting applications (application form below).

Applications for winter 2023 semester are due to Riverside’s OD and Learning Department (email completed forms to: [email protected] ) no later than November 23, 2022.  

What is the Riverside C.N.A. Apprenticeship?

Riverside is committed to helping our employees throughout their career journey and has helped Riverside employees complete their C.N.A. while maintaining their Riverside job.  You can EARN while you learn.

The Certified Nursing Assistant Apprenticeship this fall is a 16 week, competency-based program in which students attend classes at Kankakee Community College and complete hands-on clinical experiences 2, 8 hour days per week for Monday and Wednesday (16 hours per week classroom/clinical time). Your registration fees, course fees, and books or related materials to attend the Kankakee Community College (KCC) C.N.A. program, if accepted into the program, are all paid and you are also paid for your 16 hours per week to attend the program by Riverside for your current position. You may continue to work in your current Riverside position while attending the program.  

What happens when I finish the program?

Upon successful completion of the program’s coursework and meeting State of Illinois requirements including passing the NATCEP exam, participants become a registered State of Illinois C.N.A.

If offered a C.N.A. job at Riverside Healthcare, participants are expected to accept the position at Riverside for a minimum of 18 months or pay back the educational funding received towards his/her C.N.A. to Riverside.

Who is Eligible?

Interested Riverside employees must meet all KCC admission requirements for the C.N.A. program to be eligible to participate in the apprenticeship program and must be in good standing as a Riverside employee (good standing means the employee may not have a written warning or greater in the past 12 months). Also, he/she must have worked at Riverside a minimum of 6 months before the program starts on 1/9/2023.

When does the program start?

Orientation for the winter semester is 12/5/22 and classes/clinicals are from 1/9/2023 to 5/12/2023.

What do CNAs do?

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) are very important members of our Riverside healthcare team. Becoming a C.N.A. is often the first step in someone becoming a nurse.  C.N.A.s are responsible for helping the entire clinical team and patients too. The compassion and skill of a C.N.A. in giving patient care helps reduce stress for those who are sick and unable to care for themselves. We employ C.N.A.s in the hospital and in our senior life areas. Being a C.N.A. is hard work—and very rewarding.  It is a wonderful opportunity to make a meaningful difference in a patient’s life.

Where do I send my application when complete?

Please complete this application and note what semester you are interested in attending classes. Return applications to Riverside’s ODL Department (email [email protected]).

Please contact the OD and Learning Department at 815-935-3276 or extension 22701 for more information—You will be notified if you are selected for the program along with your leader no later than 11/29/2022.