Open Enrollment on October 4th for CNA, Phlebotomy and Medication Aide Classes

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Jump-start your legacy by enrolling in an 11-day fast track nurse aide (CNA) program at Legacy Healthcare Careers on Friday, October 4th during an open house enrollment event between the hours of 2:00pm and 5:00pm. Legacy Healthcare Careers has a very convenient location in the Mid Cities area between Dallas and Fort Worth. Call (682)626-5266 to confirm your attendance and/or to RSVP.

Legacy Healthcare Careers’ address is 7505 Glenview Drive, Suite I, North Richland Hills TX, 76180. Feel free to place a telephone call (682)626-5266 to either RSVP, ask any questions or confirm your attendance. The school is currently a Pearson Vue Regional test site for nursing assistants, as well as a state test site for medication aides. Also, the school is a national certification testing site for phlebotomy and medical assisting.

If the 11-day fast track CNA training program doesn’t pique your interest, keep in mind that the upcoming phlebotomy technician training program still has classroom seats available that you can reserve. Students who graduate from the phlebotomy program at Legacy Healthcare Careers are eligible to take the national exam through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) to receive certification as a certified phlebotomy technician.

The medication aide training program is open to students who are either CNAs with active certification or direct care workers at personal care group homes. If you want the immediate gratification of gaining valuable healthcare knowledge in a fast period of time, register for the 2-day Personal Care Assistant seminar course that leads to a certificate of completion and comes with job placement assistance.

All of the programs and seminar courses at Legacy Healthcare Careers are amazingly affordable and can fit into almost anybody’s tight budget. Day, night and weekend classes are available, so place that call to (682)626-5266 to jump-start your legacy. In a relatively short period of time you could be working in the medical field with steady pay as a phlebotomist, nursing assistant, certified medication aide or personal care assistant.

Enroll in an 11-Day CNA Program, Phlebotomy or Medication Aide Classes in the Fort Worth / Mid Cities Area

Sept 20th Open House

Enroll in an 11-day fast track nurse aide (CNA) program at Legacy Healthcare Careers on Friday, September 20th during an open house enrollment event between the hours of 2:00pm and 5:00pm. Legacy Healthcare Careers is located in the Mid Cities area of Dallas /Fort Worth at 7505 Glenview Drive #I, N. Richland Hills TX, 76180. Call (682)626-5266 to either RSVP, ask questions or confirm your attendance.

If the 11-day fast track CNA program doesn’t pique your interest, enroll in the phlebotomy technician training program or the medication aide training program. If you are seeking healthcare knowledge in a short amount of time, enroll in the 2-day Personal Care Assistant seminar course that leads to a certificate of completion. All programs and seminar courses are extremely affordable. Day, night and weekend classes are available.

Legacy Healthcare Careers also offers CPR/BLS classes. Call (682)626-5266 for more information or to register for a seat in one of the upcoming classes.

Affordable Fort Worth/Mid-Cities Medication Aide Program is Accepting New Students!

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An affordable medication aide training program is now being offered to students at Legacy Healthcare Careers, a small family-owned school in the Mid Cities location of North Richland Hills, Texas. The school’s central Mid-Cities location makes the classes conveniently accessible to those who commute from Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and other cities and suburbs in the DFW Metroplex area. Call (682)626-5266 to enroll.

Day and evening class schedules are available; therefore, students who presently work full-time in the healthcare sector can continue to keep their jobs while training to become certified medication aides. The two-month medication aide training program program is comprised of classroom time, return lab demonstrations and a clinical externship component.

The Medication Aide training at Legacy Healthcare Careers prepares students for the allied healthcare role of the certified medication aide. Students who are enrolled in the medication aide training program will be taught to administer medications to patients and residents in a wide variety of healthcare settings such as:

  • Skilled nursing facilities,
  • Extended care facilities,
  • Nursing homes,
  • Intermediate care and community-based facilities for people who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities,
  • Correctional institutions,
  • Assisted living (personal care) facilities

Legacy Healthcare Careers is located at 7505 Glenview Drive, Suite I, North Richland Hills TX 76180. Call (682)626-5266 for additional information or to enroll in classes. In addition, Legacy Healthcare Careers offers nurse aide (CNA) training classes as well as a phlebotomy technician training program.

Summer Open Enrollment Event: Friday July 26, 2019

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Legacy Healthcare Careers will soon be hosting a summer open enrollment event that allows members of the public to easily enroll in nurse aide (CNA) programs, medication aide training classes, and American Heart Association CPR/BLS certification classes on the spot.

The open house event will take place on Friday July 26th from 2:00pm to 5:00pm at the Legacy Healthcare Careers campus. Call (682)626-5266 to RSVP, ask questions and/or confirm attendance. The school’s address is 7505 Glenview Drive, Suite I, N. Richland Hills TX 76180. Light refreshments will be served.

The next two-week CNA training program starts on July 29th with a graduation date of August 12th, and the medication aide program begins on August 20th with a planned completion date of October 17th. The next CPR/BLS classes will be held on the afternoon of August 13th.

Place a telephone call to (682)626-5266 for any questions on class schedules, tuition, fees and enrollment requirements. The nurse aide programs are accredited by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). Legacy Healthcare Careers has approval to operate from the Career Schools and Colleges division of the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) in Austin, Texas.

Fort Worth Area Medication Aide Training Classes Start 8/20/2019

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Finally, after many months of preparation, bureaucratic red tape and patient waiting, the medication aide training program at Legacy Healthcare Careers Training School is open to the public and accepting new students for enrollment. Legacy Healthcare Careers’ medication aide program is approximately 9 weeks long with a start date of August 20th and a graduation date of October 17th, 2019.

Call (682)626-5266 to enroll, or visit the school at 7505 Glenview Drive, Suite 1, N. Richland Hills TX 76180 for a tour of the modern facilities. The medication aide training program at Legacy Healthcare Careers is affordable. It is also legitimate because it is approved by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the state Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

Students who enroll in the medication aide training class will attend class for two to three days per week on a part time basis, thereby allowing these people to continue to work their full-time jobs in the healthcare field while they complete their studies. Tuition and fees are affordable, and flexible payment plans are available to those who need additional time to pay.

Classes are taught in strict accordance with the Texas-approved curriculum for medication aides. Also, classes include a blend of different instructional methods such as group discussions, lecture, lab demonstrations, clinical externship, DVDs, films, and so forth. The nonjudgmental environment and small class sizes at Legacy Healthcare Careers are extremely conducive to learning.

All medication aide courses are taught by registered nurse (RN) instructors with many years of clinical and practical experience in the healthcare sector. These instructors are kind, knowledgeable, resourceful, and most of all, they want the to ensure the pinnacle of success for all students who walk through the doors. At Legacy Healthcare Careers, the success of students is a top priority.

Place a call to (682)626-5266 or (682)313-6404 to enroll, or feel free to visit the school at 7505 Glenview Drive, Suite 1, N. Richland Hills TX 76180 for a comprehensive tour that will be conducted by a member of our friendly staff. Also, Legacy Healthcare Careers continues to offer nurse aide (CNA) training classes. The next two-week CNA training class begins on July 29th, 2019 and ends on August 12th.

Healthcare Career Spotlight: the Certified Medication Aide

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Certified medication aides, also known in some states in the U.S. as assistive medication administration personnel or medication technicians, have a clearly defined role in the allied healthcare field that is definitely worth exploring further. The overriding goal of this piece is to discuss the medication aide, including the day to day duties and responsibilities associated with this role.

Medication aides are helpful members of the allied healthcare team who assist licensed nurses in the realm of medication therapy. The primary function of the medication aide is safe administration of non-injectable over-the-counter and prescription drugs to clients, patients and residents. Medication aides work at the bedside to distribute medications to a large number of clients in a timely manner.

Medication aides are utilized extensively in certain settings, but never found in other types of workplaces. Post-acute healthcare settings such as long term care facilities, personal care group homes, correctional facilities, schools and assisted living facilities utilize medication aides regularly depending on the state. Meanwhile, medication aides are not utilized in the acute care hospital setting.

Most, but not all, states in the U.S. allow medication aides to work. In the states that do allow the use of medication aides, they are permitted to administer oral, topical, transdermal, eye and ear medicines to clients under the supervision of a licensed nurse. In addition, medication aides communicate with clients, report changes in patients’ conditions, obtain vital signs, and document their findings.

Because of pre-existing regulations in most states, the vast majority of medication aides have prior patient care work experience as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) or unlicensed assistive direct care workers. To be admitted into most medication aide training programs, students must be 18 years of age or older with a high school diploma or G.E.D. and submit evidence of work experience as a CNA or direct care worker.

The educational requirements to become a medication aide differ in each state. For instance, the requirements to become a medication aide in Texas entail 140 hours of training. The 140-hour medication aide training programs in Texas are comprised of 100 hours of classroom (didactic) teaching, 30 hours of hands-on return skill demonstrations and 10 hours of clinical externship practicum.

The medication aide training classes consist of a targeted review of a number of relevant topics such as medical terminology, human body systems, effects of medication on each body system, infection control, and drug medication classifications. The goal of the medication aide program curriculum is to bestow pertinent knowledge upon students so they will be able to administer medications safely and prudently.

Individuals who graduate from medication aide programs must also pass a written medication aide examination in the state where they plan to secure employment. The medication aide state test usually contains 100 multiple choice questions on medication therapies. Students who pass the written medication aide state test receive a practice permit or state certification as a certified medication aide.

The state medication aide certification and/or practice permit allows the certified individual to work in a wide variety of healthcare settings for fairly competitive pay. In addition, the working conditions of medication aides are generally not as demanding on the body as those experienced by nursing assistants and direct care workers. For many people, a career as a medication aide is a step up.

How does a career in the healthcare industry sound? A career as a medication aide is an awesome entry point into the healthcare field. Working in the allied healthcare field as a medication aide can serve as a wondrously great foundation to any person’s occupational future. 

Legacy Healthcare Careers will soon be offering a medication aide program in the spring of 2019 at our Fort Worth area campus. Place that phone call to (682)626-5266 or the 24-hour hotline at (682)313-6404 to get more information. This is an opportunity that should not be passed up.

Why Would Anyone Become a Medication Aide /Medication Technician?

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A medication aide, also referred to as a medication technician or assistive medication administration personnel (AMAP) in a handful of select U.S. states, is an allied healthcare worker whose primary responsibility is administering non-injectable prescription and over-the-counter medications to clients.

Medication aides work under the oversight of registered nurses, licensed practical /vocational nurses (LPNs /LVNs) and other members of managerial staff to set up, administer and observe the effects of clients’ medications. Medication aides also report changes in clients’ health conditions and might also be responsible for requesting reorders of prescription drugs per company policies and procedures.

Medication aides are typically found working in post-acute healthcare workplaces such as skilled nursing home facilities, personal care group homes, intermediate care facilities, assisted living facilities, retirement centers, correctional facilities, and schools. Generally, medication aides secure employment in non-hospital healthcare settings due to local regulations.

So, why would any person become a medication aide in this day and age? Well, the advantages of working as a medication aide are definitely worth mentioning. The role of a medication aide is associated with a number of tangible and intangible perks. Without further ado, keep reading to find out about the wonderful advantages of becoming a medication aide.

REASON ONE: The role of a medication aide can be incredibly fulfilling.

One of the main reasons people opt to become a medication aide is that a career in the healthcare industry can be enormously rewarding. The reality that a medication aide will work alongside other persons as a very important part of the healthcare team can produce powerful feelings of joy. In addition, the fulfillment is something intangible that the medication aide can take extreme pride in.

Medication aides also communicate with clients, thereby being in a position to put a smile on their faces or ease their anxieties. The knowledge that one person can make a positive impact by contributing to various clients’ well-being while possibly even prolonging their lives with timely medications makes the role of the medication aide meaningful and fulfilling.

REASON TWO: Flexible work schedules are available for medication aides.

Since healthcare facilities are in operation 24 hours per day, medication aides are often able to select the work schedules they would like to work. A medication aide with school-aged children can work the 7:00 am to 3:00 pm day shift while the kids are in school. Likewise, a medication aide who is single and into the party scene can work the 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. shift, enabling him or her to get off work in time to go to the club or visit late night parties.

Furthermore, the weekend double shift is an option at some facilities. Weekend work appeals to medication aides who attend school full-time during the week or simply have a preference for enjoying all their weekdays off in a row. Finally, many people are nocturnal late owls who prefer to sleep during the day while working all night. Many medication aides work the overnight shift due to 24-hour work scheduling.

REASON THREE: The working conditions of most medication aides are comfortable.

The workplace environments of most healthcare workers, including medication aides, are comfortable due to predetermined standards of cleanliness. Most individuals who work in the healthcare sector report to places of employment that are cleaned on a routine basis per protocol by housekeeping, as well as climate-controlled to promote comfort for workers, clients, family members, vendors and visitors.

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In the very near future, Legacy Healthcare Careers plans to offer a brand new certified medication aide training program to prospective students in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area who are employed as CNAs or direct care staff workers. Call (682)626-5266 for more details.

The staff of Legacy Healthcare Careers is in the initial phases of abiding by the varied regulatory steps connected with the addition of the certified medication aide classes to the school’s current nurse aide course offerings. More details will be added as the development of the certified medication aide training program reaches completion time.

 

Medication Aide /Medication Technician Practice Test Questions (Part Two)

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NOTE: This post is the second one in a series that contains medication aide practice test questions similar to the ones a test taker will most likely see on the state Medication Aide Competency Examination, or MACE for short. Answers to the practice test questions are supplied, as well as rationales. Click here to read Part One.

QUESTION: When administering oral medications to a nursing home resident who needs assistance, where should the medication aide ensure the pills, caplets or capsules are placed?

A. Onto the center of the tongue

B. Anywhere in the mouth is okay

C. Under the tongue

D. Between the inner cheek and the teeth

ANSWER: A

RATIONALE: Oral medications such as pills, capsules and caplets are to be placed on the middle of the tongue to promote greater ease with swallowing. Sublingual medications are the only type of oral drug that should be placed under the tongue. Pills and capsules that are placed between the inner cheek and teeth of a client might dissolve without ever being swallowed by the resident.

QUESTION: The medication aide is permitted to crush a client’s oral medications (e.g., pills and caplets) and mix with puddling, applesauce or jelly only if the following condition is met:

A. If the client requests the medications be crushed

B. If the medication administration record (MAR) indicates that the medications may be crushed

C. If the facility administrator requests the medications be crushed

D. If the client’s family member requests the medications be crushed

ANSWERB

RATIONALE: A medication aide should not crush or break pills, caplets or tablets or pills, or open and empty powder out of capsules, unless a pre-existing order on the client’s medication administration record indicates that the medications may be crushed. Some types of tablets, pills and capsules will not work as directed or may actually be harmful to the client if they have been crushed or opened prior to administration.

Many medications are in extended release form. This means they the medication is released in the client’s body patient over an extended period of time, typically several hours. If the client takes an extended release medication after it is crushed, this means the medicine will be released all at one time in the body. This might lead to the medication harming the client, similar to taking too much of a dose at once.

In addition, an extended release medication might be rendered less effective than the prescriber originally intended since it is no longer medicating the client during an extended period of time. For example, the anti-diabetic medication Metformin XR (Glucophage XR) is an extended release form of Metformin that is not to be crushed because it is intended to provide control over a client’s blood glucose levels over many hours.

Also, many drugs are coated to permit them to pass through the upper gastrointestinal tract undissolved with minimal side effects so they will be released in the small intestine instead of the stomach. Crushing a coated pill or caplet may result in unwanted side effects since the protective coating has now been crushed.

QUESTION: How would a medication aide determine that a medication should be given transdermally?

A. Ask a coworker

B. Find out from the client

C. Follow the directions on the MAR

D. Ask the manager

ANSWER: C

RATIONALE: The medication aide should always follow the directions printed on the medication administration record (MAR). The MAR contains the essential components of each medication order. These components include the medication’s name, current dose, frequency to administer the drug, route of administration, and original date the drug had been ordered by the healthcare provider.

Since the MAR contains the proper route of administration, a prudent medication aide would follow the directions on the client’s MAR to determine whether the drug should be administered in transdermal form.

 

Medication Aide /Medication Technician Practice Test Questions (Part One)

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Graduates of approved medication aide training programs must take and pass a state test called the Medication Aide Certification Examination, abbreviated as MACE for short, in order to receive a state-issued practice permit as a certified medication aide. In most states, the MACE typically consists of 100 test questions that directly pertain to safe medication therapy.

The best way to prepare for the MACE is to repeatedly answer medication aide practice test questions prior to sitting for the state exam. To prepare for this exam, a student should answer multiple practice test questions on a daily basis because repetition is the key to retaining the knowledge. In addition to answering test questions every single day, students should also review the rationales behind each answer.

QUESTION: What reason(s) should medication aides obey the six rights of medication administration each time medications are administered?

A. Recent changes might have been made on the dosage of the medication

B. Recent changes may have been made on the time the medication is to be given

C. Recent changes may have been made on the route the medication is to be given

D. All of the above

ANSWER: D

RATIONALE: Safe medication therapy involves checking the six rights of medication therapy each time medicines are administered. The six rights of medication administration include the following: 1) right patient 2) right medication 3) right dose 4) right route 5) right time, and 6) right documentation.

Due to the fact that a patient’s medication orders, times, dosages and routes often change at the physician’s discretion, adherence to the six rights of medication administration ensures patient safety in the realm of medication therapy. In addition, doctors often hold or discontinue medications, so the prudent medication aide would review the six rights of medication administration to avoid giving a medicine that the patient is no longer supposed to receive.

QUESTION: During the routine end-of-shift counting of controlled drugs, the medication aide notices that 10 pills of Xanax (Alprazolam) are missing from a prescription pill bottle. No one knows why the pills are missing. Which action should the medication aide take next?

A. Notify the charge nurse

B. Document the 10 pills as having been administered to a patient

C. Notify the administrator of the facility

D. Do nothing at the moment since 10 pills is not a large shortage

ANSWER: A

RATIONALE: The medication aide should notify the charge nurse each time the end-of-shift controlled drug medication count is inaccurate. This is true whether there is a shortage or overage of controlled medication. Controlled drugs are regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Additionally, the charge nurse knows the facility policies and procedures on how to proceed if the controlled medication drug count is not accurate.

It is not usually necessary to notify the facility administrator of issues relating to controlled medications. A medication aide who falsely documents the missing pills as having been given to a patient is engaging in falsification of medical records since the medication administration record (MAR) is an official medical record.

QUESTION: The medication aide is supposed to administer Metoprolol Tartrate (Lopressor) once per day at 8:00 a.m per the doctor’s order. The medication order has parameters to “hold if the pulse is less than 60.” The patient’s pulse is 55 this morning. What action should the medication aide take next?

A. Administer it anyway since a pulse of 55 is close enough to 60

B. Hold the medication and document it

C. Hold the medication, document it and immediately notify the patient’s nurse

D. Hold the medication, document it, and recheck the patient’s pulse to see if it reaches 60 beats per minute later in the morning

ANSWER: C

RATIONALE: It is common for some doctors to include vital sign parameters when ordering cardioactive medications that affect the heart rate and/or blood pressure. If the patient’s heart rate or blood pressure readings are less than the parameters associated with a medication order, the medication aide should hold the medication, document the action, and immediately notify the nurse.

Administering the medication could harm the patient by adversely affecting the heart rate. The prudent medication aide would not simply hold a medication and just document it without notifying the nurse because a low pulse may or may not signify a change in the patient’s usual condition.

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New Years Resolutions Related to Your Career

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Yes! The air is so thick with giddy anticipation that a person could figuratively cut through it with a knife. To some individuals, the new year is the most wondrous time of the year due to the professional and personal transformations that could be initiated if one is motivated enough to make changes. Another new year has entered our lives and consciousness along with the awesome promise of 365 new days that lie ahead.

Since everyone has been gifted with the same 365 days per calendar year, the ultimate goal is to avoid frittering those precious days away with lofty new years’ resolutions that turn out to be mostly unattainable. After all, it has been wisely said that time is an individual’s most valuable asset. Once a person wastes his or her valuable time, it is gone forever and can never be replenished again.

New years’ resolutions related to occupations and careers are of the utmost importance. After all, most people spend a considerable amount of their lives at work. In addition, the earnings from gainful employment often dictate how comfortable our personal lives will be. Bluntly put, money makes things happen, while a lack of money can cause even the best person to struggle with constant uphill battles related to finances.

For those who would like to make some career-related resolutions in the new year, the following is a brief list of ideas that may result in professional and personal self-improvement. Keep in mind that discomfort is usually the motivating factor that drives positive change in people. In other words, some of these new years’ resolutions might feel somewhat uncomfortable at first.

However, these new years’ resolutions are most definitely worth the time and effort in the long run for those who possess the perseverance and tenacity to keep plugging away at them. Without further ado, keep reading to find out about the actions that virtually any individual can take in order to transform one’s career prospects and overall value in the employment marketplace for the better.

Enter the healthcare industry

People who are unhappy with their current jobs or careers may wish to consider a career pathway in the healthcare sector. No matter the educational level, there is room for all types of people in the healthcare industry. A fulfilling position in the healthcare industry can be a life-changing new years’ resolution for so many individuals who are disgruntled with their present situations in life.

A dishwasher with a ninth grade education who is dissatisfied with his current job can transform his life and financial situation by completing a certified nursing assistant (CNA) program to become a nurses aide. Likewise, an overworked, underpaid social worker with a masters degree can retrain to become a registered nurse (RN), physicians assistant (PA-C) or any number of fulfilling roles in healthcare.

Pick up a technical-related skill

Let’s face it. Computers and technology are the towering waves of the future. Thus, it would be reasonable to say that those who are proficient with technical skills are the least likely to be left behind in this ever-changing, often brutal employment market. The olden adage advises people to either adapt or die! Knowledge is power, so empower yourself with relevant skills to boost your fund of knowledge.

People who are not very computer-literate might pursue an attainable goal of learning how to operate a basic computer. Those who are unfamiliar with the Microsoft Office suite of applications may wish to learn how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint since many employers like to see these skills on a job applicant’s resume. Those who are already proficient should consider learning the basics of coding.

Pursue a volunteering opportunity

Volunteers often dictate the amount of time they can devote to their volunteering ventures. Furthermore, volunteering involves devoting one’s personal time to assist others, and providing assistance to others is an essential ingredient in altruism. Also, volunteering can cause the volunteer to feel good and build character by providing exposure to diverse life experiences.

Most hospice companies accept and train interested persons who want to volunteer their time to help terminally ill patients and their families. Another noble organization is Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit service that arranges deliveries of prepared meals to those who are homebound and unable to cook for themselves. Also, many emergency medical services (EMS) companies readily accept volunteers.

Legacy Healthcare Careers CNA School offers a 4-week CNA program as well as a 1-week (7 day) CNA program to prospective students who are located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. Both the 1-week and the 4-week CNA classes are state-approved.

Call (682)626-5266 to enroll in classes today. Legacy Healthcare Careers will also be offering a certified medication aide program later in 2019 to currently employed CNAs and unlicensed direct care staff workers who seek advancement in their healthcare careers.

Visit www.LegacyHealthcareCareers.com for additional info on the CNA classes offered at Legacy Healthcare Careers CNA School. Jump-start your legacy today…