Job Demand, Essential Technical Skills, & Dementia Care
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Job Demand, Essential Technical Skills, & Dementia Care
This course is part of Exploring the Role of the Certified Nursing Assistant Specialization
Instructor: Melissa Mills
Included with
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Recommended experience
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What you'll learn
Explore specialized care techniques for people with respiratory, cardiovascular, diabetes, and dementia conditions through patient stories.
Understand end-of-life care, including hospice support, the five stages of grief, and how to provide compassionate care for patients and families.
Learn communication techniques for people with cognitive impairment, including redirection, validation, and managing behavioral changes.
Skills you'll gain
- Basic Patient Care
- Patient Observation
- Geriatrics
- Respiratory Care
- Hospice
- Patient Education And Counseling
- Nursing and Patient Care
- Endocrinology
- Respiratory Therapy
- Long Term Care
- Dignity in Care
- Chronic Diseases
- Nursing Care
- Cultural Sensitivity
- Patient Communication
- Patient-centered Care
- Infection Control
- Caregiving
- Patient Safety
- Clinical Nursing
Details to know
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 5 modules in this course
Build specialized care skills through compelling story-driven scenarios featuring real healthcare challenges. This course uses cinematic storytelling to immerse you in the advanced responsibilities of CNA work, helping you understand what it takes to care for people with complex medical conditions.
You'll explore care techniques for people with respiratory and cardiovascular problems, diabetes and obesity, and various stages of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Through the stories of Frank, Stuart, and Martha, you'll learn essential skills, including oxygen therapy assistance, specimen collection, diabetic foot care, and communication strategies for people experiencing cognitive changes. You'll also examine critical topics like infection control, end-of-life care, grief support, and legal and ethical responsibilities. What makes this course unique is our immersive approach to sensitive topics. Rather than abstract concepts, you'll witness realistic scenarios showing how CNAs navigate challenging situations—from managing behavioral changes and wandering to supporting families through hospice care. You'll develop the professional skills needed for therapeutic communication, cultural competency, and essential self-care techniques when working with diverse patient populations. By the end of this course, you'll understand the emotional and technical demands of specialized CNA work and continue building your personalized nursing assistant career plan.
This module explores the growing demand for CNAs and introduces you to specialized care for people with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. You'll meet Frank, an older adult living with COPD and heart failure, and follow his journey as his health changes. Through Frank's story, you'll learn to recognize signs of heart and lung conditions, understand vital caregiving skills, and discover how CNAs provide person-centered care and family support during challenging times.
What's included
7 videos3 readings
7 videos•Total 22 minutes
- Nurse Spotlight: Welcome to Advanced CNA Care•2 minutes
- Nurse Spotlight: Job Demand and Outlook •7 minutes
- Nurse Spotlight: Intro to Caring for Individuals with Respiratory and Cardiovascular Problems•3 minutes
- Episode: Meet Frank•2 minutes
- In Focus: Take a Deep Breath•2 minutes
- Close Up: Cardiovascular Disease Inside the Body•3 minutes
- Old Man River•3 minutes
3 readings•Total 8 minutes
- Key Terms to Know•2 minutes
- CNA Workforce: A Career with a Growing Demand•3 minutes
- Key Caregiving Skills•3 minutes
This module explores the physical and emotional changes that come with aging, and how CNAs provide supportive care as health status shifts. You'll learn about normal age-related changes, how to observe and report concerning symptoms, and the importance of honoring individual preferences and choices. The module also covers hospice and palliative care—approaches focused on comfort, dignity, and quality of life when cure is no longer the goal. Through Frank's continuing journey, you'll discover how CNAs support people and their families during life's final chapter.
What's included
18 videos8 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts
18 videos•Total 54 minutes
- In Focus: Getting Older •11 minutes
- Episode: The Physical•1 minute
- Episode: C.O.P.D•2 minutes
- Episode: Oxygen•2 minutes
- Close Up: The CNA is Critical to Patients and Families•3 minutes
- Episode: Panther Mount•2 minutes
- Close Up: Infection Control•2 minutes
- Episode: Infection Control•1 minute
- Episode: The Specimen•2 minutes
- In Focus: Legal and Ethical Responsibilities•5 minutes
- Episode: Dignity•4 minutes
- In Focus: Hospice And Palliative Care•4 minutes
- Episode: Frank's Decision•2 minutes
- In-Focus: The Five Stages of Grief•3 minutes
- Episode: Frank in Hospice•2 minutes
- Episode: Do Not Resuscitate•2 minutes
- Episode: Family•3 minutes
- In Focus: End of Life: Self Care•5 minutes
8 readings•Total 23 minutes
- The Aging Population: Understanding the Golden Years•3 minutes
- Beyond Wrinkles: Understanding Age-Related Physical Changes•3 minutes
- Honoring the Aging Spirit•3 minutes
- Global Perspectives on Legal and Ethical Responsibilities•3 minutes
- Respecting Residents Rights and Choices Around the Globe•3 minutes
- Holistic Care•3 minutes
- Spiritual Care: Honoring Beliefs in a Diverse World•3 minutes
- CNA's Bill of Rights: Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Frank•10 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 6 minutes
- The Older Adult•3 minutes
- Grief and End of Life Care•3 minutes
This module covers the unique care needs of people living with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. You'll learn about the progressive nature of the condition and care strategies you can use when providing care to individuals. You'll also meet Stuart and his family and watch how they navigate through his care needs and challenges.
What's included
22 videos6 readings1 assignment3 discussion prompts
22 videos•Total 84 minutes
- Nurse Spotlight: Intro to Caring for Someone with Dementia•3 minutes
- Close Up: Introduction to Dementia and Alzheimer's •2 minutes
- Episode - Stuart and His Family•5 minutes
- Close Up: Introduction to Mild Dementia or Alzheimer's •3 minutes
- In Focus: The Mind Cannot Remember Though the Heart Never Forgets•13 minutes
- Episode: Personality Changes Part 1•2 minutes
- In Focus: It's a Wanderful Life•12 minutes
- Episode: Personality Changes Part II•2 minutes
- In Focus: It's Not What You Say, But How You Say It•9 minutes
- Close Up: Managing Sexual Aggression•2 minutes
- Episode: Sexual Aggression Part I•1 minute
- Close Up: Working with Patients Who Have Moderate Dementia or Alzheimer's•4 minutes
- Sexual Aggression Part II•2 minutes
- In Focus: Sundowning - The Wanderers of the Night•6 minutes
- Chemical Restraint•2 minutes
- Close Up - Severe Alzheimer's•1 minute
- Close Up: The Impact of Dementia and Alzheimer's on the Family Members•2 minutes
- Close Up: Working with Residents with Severe Alzheimer's •3 minutes
- Episode: Comatose •2 minutes
- Episode: Last Breath•2 minutes
- In Focus: Final Days - Recognizing the Signs of Death•7 minutes
- Episode: The Conversation•2 minutes
6 readings•Total 24 minutes
- Key Terms to Know•2 minutes
- Dementia Care•10 minutes
- Techniques for Working with Cognitively-Impaired Residents•3 minutes
- Warning: Sensitive Content•3 minutes
- The Impact of Environmental Factors on Individuals with Dementia•3 minutes
- Introduction to Severe Dementia•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Stuart•10 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 9 minutes
- De-Escalation•3 minutes
- Handling Sexual Aggression•3 minutes
- How to Support a Grieving Family•3 minutes
This module covers the unique care needs of people with diabetes. You'll learn about the function of the endocrine system, the signs and symptoms of diabetes, and how obesity can impact the condition.
What's included
18 videos4 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
18 videos•Total 79 minutes
- Nurse Spotlight: Caring for Individuals with Diabetes and Obesity•3 minutes
- In Focus: The Endocrine System•3 minutes
- Close Up: Overview of Diabetes and Obesity•5 minutes
- Episode: Martha and Ceily•2 minutes
- In Focus: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity•6 minutes
- In-Focus: Digestive System Disorders•15 minutes
- Episode: Blood Bugs•3 minutes
- In Focus: Introduction to Handwashing•6 minutes
- Episode: Mealtime•4 minutes
- In Focus - Food Guidelines for Diabetics•6 minutes
- In Focus: Foot Care•4 minutes
- Episode: Giddy Up•3 minutes
- Episode: Black Spots•3 minutes
- In Focus: Falls•5 minutes
- Episode: Falling Apart •3 minutes
- In Focus: Working with Visually Impaired Clients•4 minutes
- Episode: ADL with Martha•3 minutes
- Episode: Anniversary•2 minutes
4 readings•Total 18 minutes
- Vocabulary and Abbreviations•2 minutes
- Warning: Sensitive Content•10 minutes
- Complications of Diabetes•3 minutes
- Activities of Daily Living•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Caring for Individuals with Diabetes and Obesity•10 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 3 minutes
- Caring for Complex Patients•3 minutes
In this module, you'll complete the second course project in this specialization. This project will help you reflect on on your caregiving aspirations and define your ideal CNA job.
What's included
1 ungraded lab
1 ungraded lab•Total 30 minutes
- CNA Task Inventory and Comfort Level Ranking•30 minutes
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Frequently asked questions
No. This is a career exploration course, not a state-approved CNA certification program. While you'll learn about nursing assistant responsibilities, patient care skills, and healthcare settings, this course does not replace the hands-on clinical training and classroom hours required for CNA certification. To become a certified nursing assistant, you must complete a state-approved CNA training program that includes supervised clinical practice and pass your state's certification exam. This course helps you understand the CNA role and guides you in researching local training programs as part of your personalized career plan.
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
More questions
Financial aid available,