Welcome to the Health Aide Program

1. SyllabusHealth Aide Program (240 hours)Instructor Contact InformationKris Wittekmwitte1@msn.com575-527-9943SKYPE -NMKrisYou will receive a response to your call, email, or instant message within 24 hours. Welcome to the Health Aide Program

2. Course Overview • If you are a caring person who likes to help people, this course will prepare you to help the health care team provide care to patients/clients, perform routine maintenance and general assistance to health care facilities, and laboratories. You will be eligible for jobs in nursing and residential care facilities, hospitals, and home care agencies. This course provides the knowledge and skills needed to enter other health care programs, such as certified nursing assistant, nursing, phlebotomy, respiratory care and radiologic technology. Employers in entry level health care are seeking employees with the following skills and knowledge: • to provide safe care • to communicate effectively with clients/and families and others • to advocate for the rights of individuals • to assist with basic care needs • to assist with emergency and health maintenance situations Together, we will explore these areas and you will produce a portfolio demonstrating your skills and knowledge.

3. Required Reading • English on the Job. This software tool is required because you are expected to use it as a resource to help you complete assignments. The software provides interactive practice with language skills and technical skills required by employers in the health care field. You will have access to the software tool as part of your course of study. • Materials from the health care field will be assigned as related readings

4. Course Prerequisites: • Technical Prerequisites • You will have the opportunity to experience many technology tools in this course. In order for success with the course you will need the following skills: • Access to the internet • Ability to locate resources on the internet • Ability to send/receive email • A computer with speakers and microphone • A web cam would be nice • Create and save Word documents • Knowledge Prerequisites • A CASAS reading assessment score of 220. We will provide a “Getting Started” orientation to get you up to speed with tutor assistance if you need it for technical skills or knowledge skills.

5. Learning Community Overview • Learning online may be new to you. The “Getting Started” orientation will get you up to speed in working with other learners in discussion activities. While all of the learners are different, all of you are here to learn. You can learn from each other. You will experience learning using media such as videos, audio. • Research in online learning suggests that learners will have a more successful experience if they interact with the other online learners. You may agree or disagree depending on your own online experiences. Are you already participating in online communities such as Face book, and using text messaging to stay in touch with friends and family? We will explore together the best learning situation for you.

6. Netiquette & Discussion Expectations • What can you in expect from your instructor? • I am available to respond to your questions, comments and concerns • I will respond promptly to your requests, within 24 hours. • I will provide the resources you need to complete assignments on time. • I will provide the resources you need interact with other learners online. • I will communicate with you about your assignments within 10 days of completion. • What the instructor expects from the group? • Politeness- you can disagree with an idea without showing disrespect to others • Use emoticons and acronyms so others do not misunderstand your intent. For example: • Use  to indicate you are smiling • Use ;) to indicate you are joking; or JK (Just Kidding) • Use LOL (Laughing Out Loud) to show you are amused • Use IMHO (In My Humble Opinion) to gently express an opinion • Remember that a written message can be misunderstood. THINK carefully about what you write. • Are you respecting other cultures and values? • Respond with respect when you get upset. Ask for clarification.

7. Communication Expectations: • Language • Write so you are understood by others. • Communication Style • Here is a story about miscommunication. Imagine what you would think if you received this message: • Hello, I do not understand your comment. • You need to explain yourself better. • Are you from another planet? • Here Are Some Communication Tips to better communicate with others: • Listen (Did I hear you say ….?) • Think critically (Could you explain what you said again?) • Think creatively (I would like to try to understand what you are saying) • Communicate assertively (My opinion is different, but I respect your point of view)

8. Course Learning Objectives and Assignments • For a complete list of all assignments and due dates see the schedule. • This course is (12) weeks in length with new topics introduced every two weeks. Each topic focuses on a major concept. Each topic has several assignments to help students successfully understand the topic. • By the end of the course you should be able to demonstrate the following skills and knowledge: • Devise a plan for success in this learning program • Use technology to learn in this learning program • Produce effective communication with others • Support the rights of individuals • Demonstrate safe care in the health care setting • Implement procedures to assist with daily and special cleaning • Implement procedures to assist with emergency and health maintenance situations

9. The assignments that support the above learning objectives include: • Getting Started Activities- You are provided with an orientation and getting started activities that get you started learning online. Skills include technical skills and how to work online with others. • Discussions- Frequent online discussions will expose you to different view points, and give you the opportunity to help others with your feedback. • Activities- You are provided activities that allow in-depth learning and application of the content in this course. • Assessments- You will take part in self, peer, and group assessment as well as providing feedback on this course and instructor. Midterm and final exams are provided to provide feedback supporting student learning. • More About Assignments • All assignments and the resources to complete them, are listed in each topic. You will have the opportunity to experience activities and assignments that use a variety of tools and methods. • See the course schedule for all the assignments and the due dates for assignments. The schedule is listed on your course home page along with the syllabus. • Assignments will be graded and feedback emailed to you within 10 days of completion. If not, we will explain the situation to you and provide the timeframe in which you will receive feedback.

10. Assessment Here is the breakdown of the types of assignments in this course and how much they are worth in relationship to overall points available.

11. Late Assignment Policy • Sometimes things happen which make it difficult to complete assignments on time. You may turn in your assignments late-but only up to a week late. Ten percent is automatically deducted for late assignments. • Exceptions to this policy may be made in certain circumstances, at the discretion of the instructor. Contact me to make arrangements before the assignment is late. Exceptions to the prior arrangement requirement include tragic events and family emergencies. Again, exceptions are at the instructor’s discretion. • Plagiarism • Plagiarism is the use of others’ words or ideas, as your own. It is unacceptable in this course. • ADA and Students with Disabilities • You may wish to self identify if you believe you have a disability. You can provide documentation so appropriate accommodations can be provided for you. Discuss any conditions in confidence with the instructor that may affect your ability to exit safely in an emergency or any conditions that may cause an emergency during class.