About the Program
Geriatric Nursing Assistants working in Maryland long-term care facilities have a unique opportunity for advancement by becoming a Certified Medicine Aide. Certified Medicine Aides dispense medications under the direction of a registered nurse.
By successfully completing this program you will have received training and in-class laboratory practice relating to the techniques, principles and procedures for safe administration of certain medications.
Program Requirements
You will need at least one year of long term career experience, a letter of recommendation from the Director of Nursing from your current Maryland long term care employer, proof of current CNA/GNA licensure, and a high school diploma or a GED®.
Additionally, the majority of healthcare facilities require a background and drug screen of all students who enter their facility; therefore all healthcare career students are required to successfully complete a background check and drug screen upon entering any healthcare career program. Students who are not successfully cleared will be unable to complete the clinical portion of the healthcare careers program and thus, will not be eligible to complete the healthcare careers program.
Completion of a student health profile and current American Heart Association BLS for Healthcare Provider certification are also required prior to clinical.
Please direct any question to Amanda Horn at ahorn@nullcecil.edu or (410) 287-1008.
Required Courses
You will need to complete the following courses, totaling 60 hours of instruction/clinical experience:
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| HHL 114 | Certified Medicine Aide Theory |
| HHL 115 | Certified Medicine Aide Clinical Externship |
Medicine Aide Update
The Certified Medicine Aide Clinical Update course is offered throughout the year. Call Tammie Houck at (443) 674-1542 for details.
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| HHL 119 | Medicine Aide Update |
Program Approval
Maryland Board of Nursing
The Certified Medicine Aide program at Cecil College is approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing:
Maryland Board of Nursing
4140 Patterson Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland, 21215-2254
(410) 585-1900
www.mbon.org
National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)
Cecil College is approved by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) to offer distance education in the member states and territories. Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution. The student should begin the complaint process with the institution and if resolution is not found, the student would contact the Institution’s Home State SARA Portal Entity, Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). For more information, please refer to the SARA complaint process.
Supervised Clinical and Field Training Experiences
Through participation in NC-SARA and compliance with statutory regulations related to training in individual states, Cecil College is approved to offer limited, supervised clinical field experiences in 3 U.S. states to eligible students. The states include Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. These are the locations currently approved for student supervised clinical and field training. Individual state regulations are subject to change without prior notice and the College does not guarantee locations for clinical and field training experiences.
Certification Requirements
The Certified Nursing Assistant/Geriatric Nursing Assistant program prepares the graduate to request certification through the Maryland Board of Nursing and to take the Geriatric Nursing Assistant certification exam. Students that complete the CNA/GNA program at Cecil College can apply for reciprocity to work as a CNA in Delaware by contacting the Board at (302) 421-7403 or through the Delaware CNA website. Reciprocity requirements in the state of Pennsylvania can be found on cnacertificationschools.net. Since requirements may change, prospective students should contact their state for information on the applicable certification board to determine whether the program meets requirements for licensure in the state where students are located.Geriatric Nursing Assistants working in Maryland long-term care facilities have a unique opportunity for advancement by becoming a Certified Medicine Aide. The Medicine Aide is a designation for the state of Maryland and does not guarantee practice in other states.
For information about course fees, class times, and location, please visit the Continuing Education and Workforce Development Non-Credit Course Schedule.