LEWISTON, ME – Central Maine Healthcare will soon have some new certified nursing assistants (CNAs) among its ranks.

Earlier this month, eight CNA candidates graduated from CMMC’s Earn to Learn Program. It’s an eight-week state-approved training regimen and is free to the students. The program includes classwork, a skills lab and clinical experience.

All eight graduates have passed the state CNA Competency Exam and have been offered positions within Central Maine Healthcare which includes CMMC, Rumford Hospital and Bridgton Hospital.

“You are the eyes and ears of the nurses,” Kaitlyn Smith, RN, director of Acute Care Nursing at CMMC, told the graduates. “You are often the first person a patient comes across. You’re often the person who helps them into their car when we discharge them. You are the face of Central Maine Healthcare. Just remember why you wanted to go into the healthcare profession: to take care of patients.”

The next Earn to Learn program starts in October. Those interested can email gervaich@cmhc.org or call (207)795-7526.