I am in FULL agreement with this Petition for Rulemaking regarding the changes to the VBON/state regulations for CNA programs!

We, as instructors, have struggled to keep our programs afloat during the Covid restrictions.  The term "difficult" would be an understatement of how hard it's been to meet the mandate clinical hours especially with the vaccine mandates and the waivers no longer allowing sites other than Long-term Care facilities. *** The only thing I'd like to add would be the allowance of using Assisted Living Facilities so that those students that are choosing not to be vaccinated (or their parents object) could still meet requirements to take their CNA certification exams!  There are plenty of non-governmentally funded facilities as well as private in-Home care opportunities that need to be accommodated with CNA's.

The rule of mandating an instructor for a CNA program to have had long term care experience is truly removing some amazing applicants from the lists of employment!

Lastly but most important, To the powers that be: anything we can do to encourage and increase entry into the health care career clusters should be made as easy and accessible as we can can make it!!  We need them!