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Nursing Assistant Essentials
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MedCerts

Nursing Assistant Essentials

This course is part of Nursing Assistant Fundamentals Specialization

Stephanie Butcher

Instructor: Stephanie Butcher

Included with Coursera Plus

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Learn more

3 modules
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

Recommended experience

Beginner level

This is a beginner course and does not require any prior healthcare or medical background

6 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

3 modules
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

Recommended experience

Beginner level

This is a beginner course and does not require any prior healthcare or medical background

6 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
  • About
  • Outcomes
  • Modules
  • Recommendations
  • Testimonials

What you'll learn

  • Describe the nursing assistants’ role and responsibilities as a member of the healthcare team

  • Discuss the role of nursing assistants in long-term care facilities

  • Provide safe and high-quality patient care

Skills you'll gain

  • Healthcare Ethics
  • Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
  • Caregiving
  • Personal Care
  • Communication
  • Nursing Homes
  • Oral Hygiene
  • Medical Privacy
  • Patient Assistance
  • Direct Patient Care
  • Home Health Care
  • Nursing Practices
  • Toileting

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Recently updated!

May 2025

Assessments

3 assignments

Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Nursing Assistant Fundamentals Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • 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 3 modules in this course

Nursing Assistant Essentials is a beginner-level course designed to build the fundamental knowledge and skills to provide compassionate and effective patient care. Through these three lessons, students will learn how to support patients across various healthcare settings.

In Lesson 1: The Workplace: Health Care Settings, students explore the diverse environments where nursing assistants work, including hospitals, nursing homes, and home care settings. Lesson 2: The Nursing Assistant Role delves into the specific duties of a nursing assistant, including patient interaction, assisting with daily activities and providing essential support to nursing teams. Students learn to communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare professionals, fostering a positive and supportive care environment. In Lesson 3: Daily Hygiene: Grooming, Bathing, Toileting, Oral Care, and Dressing, students gain hands-on knowledge of assisting patients with personal hygiene tasks. They learn the proper techniques for ensuring patient comfort, dignity, and safety while performing essential daily care routines. This course is unique in its practical, patient-centered approach, blending theoretical understanding with essential hands-on skills to prepare students for real-world healthcare roles.

This module explores the diverse environments where nursing assistants work, including hospitals, nursing homes, and home care settings.

What's included

5 videos1 reading1 assignment3 plugins

5 videos•Total 19 minutes
  • Lesson 1 - Introduction and Objectives •2 minutes•Preview module
  • Health Care Agencies and Health Care Settings•6 minutes
  • Prevention Care•4 minutes
  • Members of the Healthcare Team•4 minutes
  • Lesson 1 - Review•1 minute
1 reading•Total 15 minutes
  • Course Introduction•15 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • Lesson 1 - Quiz•30 minutes
3 plugins•Total 45 minutes
  • Lesson 1 - Key Terms•15 minutes
  • Organizational Structure of Health Care Agencies•15 minutes
  • Members of the Healthcare Team•15 minutes

This module delves into the specific duties of a nursing assistant, including patient interaction, assisting with daily activities and providing essential support to nursing teams. Students learn to communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare professionals, fostering a positive and supportive care environment.

What's included

4 videos1 assignment3 plugins

4 videos•Total 15 minutes
  • Lesson 2 - Introduction and Objectives •2 minutes•Preview module
  • The Nursing Assistant•8 minutes
  • Laws and Regulations•3 minutes
  • Lesson 2 - Review•1 minute
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • Lesson 2 - Quiz•30 minutes
3 plugins•Total 45 minutes
  • Lesson 2 - Key Terms•15 minutes
  • Nursing Assistant Role•15 minutes
  • Five Rights of Delegation•15 minutes

In this module, students gain hands-on knowledge of assisting patients with personal hygiene tasks. They learn the proper techniques for ensuring patient comfort, dignity, and safety while performing essential daily care routines.

What's included

6 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review3 plugins

6 videos•Total 38 minutes
  • Lesson 3 - Introduction and Objectives •2 minutes•Preview module
  • Bathing Part One•8 minutes
  • Bathing Part Two•16 minutes
  • Toileting Assistance•4 minutes
  • Dressing•4 minutes
  • Lesson 3 - Review•1 minute
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
  • Project Instructions•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • Lesson 3 - Quiz•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
  • Case Studies•60 minutes
3 plugins•Total 45 minutes
  • Lesson 3 - Key Terms•15 minutes
  • Perform a Complete Bed Bath•15 minutes
  • Dressing•15 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Stephanie Butcher
Stephanie Butcher
MedCerts
1 Course•270 learners

Offered by

MedCerts

Offered by

MedCerts

Since 2009, MedCerts has been helping individuals start new careers in the high-demand industries of healthcare and information technology through online certification training. These short-term, low-cost programs provide a flexible learning solution for busy adults seeking better careers, faster. As a Coursera student, you can get up to 20% OFF a full MedCerts program! Click our link to learn more and enroll today.

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Frequently asked questions

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

  • The course may not offer an audit option. 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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policyOpens in a new tab.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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