Certified Nurse Assistant program graduates first class
Congratulations to Matthew Lagomarsino, Brian Smith, Erik Wikstrom, William Cassata, Josiah Mena, Jennifer Bugliaro, and Ayanna Harrison, the first class of the hospital’s new training program for Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA).
The program, launched in response to a shortage of CNAs, pays students during their training and guarantees them a position at the hospital upon successful completion of the course and New York State certification exam.
While the new grads have not yet been scheduled for the state exam, they have begun training on the units where they will now be working. Those are Jennifer Bugliaro, Emergency Department; William Cassata, 2 South; Ayanna Harrison, TCU; Josiah Mena, 3E; Brian Smith, 3N; Erik Wikstrom, 2S; and Matthew Lagomarsino, 3E.
John R. Balcuk, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Assistant Director of Nursing Talent, Nursing Recruitment and Retention, oversees the program that follows the American Red Cross training program but is an in-person course at the hospital rather than an online program. The trainees meet their required 30 hours of clinical experience with patients in the hospital’s Transitional Care Unit.
Balcuk said the next cohort is scheduled to begin January 3, 2023 with six students. Interviews also have begun for the third class, scheduled to being mid-February.
For more information on the program contact John Balcuk at (631) 473-1320 X5636, or JBalcuk1@Northwell.edu