I would like to offer my support to amend regulations to allow for greater flexibility around the current nurse aide education programs to include:

-The use of licensed hospitals for clinical education rather than only nursing homes: I firmly believe that students enrolled in approved nurse aide education programs will benefit greatly from a broader clinical experience. 

-The elimination of the requirement that RNs and LPNs serving as clinical instructors have experience working in nursing homes: We are eliminating great talent by requiring RNs and LPNs to have experience working in nursing homes.

To echo Vicki Owen, RN, Instructor/Coordinator, Amherst High School- anything we can do as educators to remove obstacles and make access to the health care career clusters education and skills more attainable should be our goal. The system is desperate for enthusiastic and fresh caregivers. 

I do not support changes to decreasing the student to instructor ratio. Facilities and faculty should work together and decrease student to instructor ratios where necessary based on the capacity of the facility.