New CNA and CPR training center opens in Bristol

Through passion and perseverance, entrepreneur opens a new training school

By Kristen Ray
Posted 9/14/18

While others were spending their summer days out on the harbor or picnicking in the park, longtime educator and registered nurse for 25 years Sue Von Villas was working tirelessly under …

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New CNA and CPR training center opens in Bristol

Through passion and perseverance, entrepreneur opens a new training school

Posted

While others were spending their summer days out on the harbor or picnicking in the park, longtime educator and registered nurse for 25 years Sue Von Villas was working tirelessly under Bristol’s radar.

From stuffing her garage to the brim with lockers, AV equipment and any other medical supplies she could find, to perfecting her business plan and receiving her small business loan, Ms. Von Villas didn’t stop until her passion project was realized just a few short weeks ago: to transform the old dance studio at 490 Metacom Ave. into The Walker School of Allied Health.

“It was an effort, it was fun, but now it’s time to get to business,” she said.

Named after her late father, the training center provides accepted students, ages 18 to 65, the ability to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA) through a 120-hour program or receive their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification through a four-hour-long course. Offering both day and evening classes, Ms. Von Villas — a working, single mother herself — strives to create the flexible schedule necessary for anyone, whether it’s mothers with a few spare hours while their children are in school or college students awaiting admission into a nursing program, to enroll in a program.

Through the duration of the CNA program, Ms. Von Villas guides the 15 students in each section through their 80 hours of required coursework, complementing lectures and quizzes with hands-on demonstrations. They’ll read about taking vital signs or applying elastic stockings at their desks, then take a couple steps over to the area outfitted as a hospital room and perform the tasks themselves.

Though she’s quick to laugh and not above using humor in her lesson plans (Walter the Skeleton is part of the curriculum), Ms. Von Villas, above all, is dedicated to ensuring her aspiring CNAs are experts in caring for the emotional, mental and physical well-being of their patients.

“As an instructor, my job is to establish and give them the confidence that they can do this,” Ms. Von Villas said.

After her students have learned all of the required skills expected of CNAs, Ms. Von Villas sends them out for their 40 hours of clinical rotation, distributed evenly between time in a skilled nursing facility and homecare setting. By the time the full length of the program is completed, students are ready to take their licensure test — available at CCRI — and become the “eyes and ears” of the health field.

“I love that, as a CNA, you are the backbone of the medical industry,” Ms. Von Villas said.

Yet, it’s a critical role that fewer people are filling. With a shortage of nursing homes across the state and a higher demand for at-home care, the need for CNAs couldn’t be greater. With the introduction of the Walker School in the East Bay, Ms. Von Villas hopes she can start to fill in the gaps and provide the assistance necessary for seniors living in Bristol and its surrounding communities.

“The elder population’s not going anywhere, and we need to be there to help them,” Ms. Von Villas said.

In order to more effectively supply the demand, Ms. Von Villas offers training for interviewing and resumé writing for each of her students as they start their career search. Before even leaving the program itself, students are exposed to numerous potential employers she’s brought in specifically for networking and job placement opportunities.

“Not only do we show you how to be hired, but we’re also giving you the opportunity to be hired,” she said.

Fueled by her entrepreneurial spirit, Ms. Von Villas already has plans to implement additional courses for those interested in becoming home makers or personal care attendants in the near future. For now, though, she’s simply excited to inspire a whole new generation of CNAs in Rhode Island and do good by the community.

“If I can step in, make a difference and contribute, then that’s my purpose,” she said.

Enrollment is open for both the CNA and CPR training courses, priced at $850 and $65 respectively. Applicants for the CNA program must meet a set of criteria, including completion of a BCI check and possession of at least a high school diploma or GED, before being admitted. More information is available at www.wsoah.com.

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