Patient Care Assistant
Career Certificate Program (Program Code: 5233)
- In Person
Courses available in person on Lake Worth campus and approved health care facilities.
Start your path to employment and licensure as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
Program Overview
Take the first step toward a career in health care as a patient care associate, where you'll provide essential support to nursing staff. Palm Beach State College's Patient Care Assistant Career Certificate Program (CCP) prepares you for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) eligibility, helping you start a career dedicated to patient care.
Through hands-on training, you'll build practical skills across multiple areas of nursing. Training takes place in skilled nursing facilities and in-home care settings, where you'll learn to meet diverse patient needs with professionalism and compassion. Students also complete clinical experiences at local hospitals, gaining valuable skills in pre- and post-operative care.
This fast-track program provides a foundation for advancing into more specialized and complex areas of health care in the future.
Program Details
- Admission requirements: None. To receive financial aid, a high school diploma or GED may be required.
- Location: On-site at Lake Worth campus and approved health care facilities
- Clock Hours: 290
- Program length: 3.5 months
- Start Terms: Fall, Spring and Summer
- Cost: Approximately $1,600 for Florida residents, including tuition, fees, uniforms, books and medical and background screening. View tuition details.
- Financial aid and scholarships: Available to qualified students. Learn about financial aid options.
This program is part of the Health Sciences Pathway. Learn more.
Career Outlook
Graduates work under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs) or licensed practical nurses (LPNs) as a patient care assistant. You'll employ your expertise across a variety of health care settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and rehabilitation centers.
This certificate also positions you for employment as a private home health aide, serving a wide range of patients, from the elderly and disabled to people recovering from injury or surgery. With this certificate, you're prepared to pursue further credentials and advance within the highly-valued health care field.
Stackable Credentials
After completing your Patient Care Assistant certificate, you can:
- Take the Florida Certification Exam for Nursing Assistants.
- Pursue other PBSC health care-related certificates to broaden your skillset, including:
- Transfer credits seamlessly to PBSC's Associate in Science in Nursing.
Why Choose PBSC?
- High Standards: Learn practices approved by the Florida Board of Nursing.
- Student Leadership: Get involved in PBSC's chapter of the Nursing Student Association.
- Affordable Tuition: PBSC offers some of the lowest tuition rates in Florida, making a cutting-edge nursing education accessible to all.
- Career-Ready Mindset: Learn from expert faculty and graduate with the skills employers need in today’s health care.
- Supportive Community: Access internships, industry networking and daily interaction with faculty dedicated to your success.
How to Apply
- Step 1: Attend a mandatory information session.
- Step 2: After attending an information session, you may apply to the program by selecting Program Code 5233 for the Patient Care Assistant CCP when you fill out PBSC's application on the Admissions webpage.
- Step 3: Fill out a controlled access program application for the Patient Care Assistant program before the deadline listed on the application page.
Take the Next Steps
Program Contact
- Rhonda Boles
- bolesr@pbsc.edu
- 561-868-3441
Program Accreditation
This program is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. View PBSC's license information.
Contact Information
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-975-5000
www.acenursing.org
Licensure Information
Students who complete the Patient Care Assistant program are eligible to take the Florida Certification Exam for Nursing Assistants, which is required to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).