Job Demand, Essential Technical Skills, & Dementia Care

Coursera MOOC / Non-credit USD 49
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Job Demand, Essential Technical Skills, & Dementia Care

About 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.

What you'll learn

  • assist with oxygen therapy
  • perform diabetic foot care
  • collect medical specimens
  • apply communication strategies for cognitive changes
  • navigate end-of-life care scenarios

Course objectives

  • understand emotional and technical demands of specialized CNA work
  • develop skills for managing behavioral changes and patient support
  • create a personalized nursing assistant career plan

Skills you'll gain

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