Section 395.150  Minimum Hours of Instruction

a)         Time frames for Basic Nursing Assistant Training Programs

1)         Each program shall include a minimum of 120 hours of instruction, excluding breaks, meals, and any orientation to the program and clinical site.  A thirty-minute uninterrupted meal break shall be provided in all programs where class times meet or exceed five continuous hours.  One 15-minute break shall be provided for each class session that meets for two consecutive hours and every two hours thereafter.

2)         The basic program content shall be presented in a minimum time frame of four weeks, but cannot exceed 120 days, unless the training program is conducted by a community college or other educational institution on a term, semester, or trimester basis.

3)         The program shall include a minimum of 62 hours of theory instruction, 18 hours of laboratory (skills) instruction, and 40 hours of clinical instruction.

4)         The program shall include a minimum of 12 hours of theory instruction related to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, as described in Section 395.300(i), excluding breaks and meals.

5)         The program shall include a minimum of four hours of theory instruction in CPR.  Students shall be certified in CPR before the conclusion of the BNATP, except as provided in Section 395.300(f)(12)(I).

6)         The program shall include a minimum of 16 hours of training in the following areas, which shall be conducted prior to any direct contact with a resident (42 CFR 483.152(b)(1)):

A)        Communication and interpersonal skills;

B)        Infection control;

C)        Safety/emergency procedures, including airway obstruction clearing procedures;

D)        Promoting residents' independence; and

E)        Promoting residents' rights.

b)         Time frames for Direct Support Person Training Programs

1)         Each program shall include a minimum of 120 hours of instruction, excluding breaks, meals and any orientation to the specific policies of the employing facility.

2)         The basic program content shall be presented in a minimum time frame of three weeks, but cannot exceed 120 days, unless the training program is conducted by a community college or other educational institution on a term, semester, or trimester basis.

3)         Training shall consist of 40 hours of approved classroom instruction and at least 80 hours of approved on-the-job training.

c)         Time frame requirements for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services Aide Training Programs

1)         Each program shall include a minimum of 120 hours of instruction, excluding breaks, meals and any orientation to the specific policies of the employing facility.

2)         The basic program content shall be presented in a minimum time frame of three weeks, but cannot exceed 120 days.

3)         For the Health Care Skills Module only, there shall be a ratio of three hours of theory, including supervised laboratory instruction, to each hour of supervised clinical practice instruction.  The other two modules shall consist of theory and supervised laboratory instruction.

4)         A waivered program may contain fewer than 120 hours if all students are individuals who have satisfactorily completed an Illinois-approved BNATP, and have at least one year of experience in the last three years working as a nursing assistant with persons with mental illness.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 17753, effective December 2, 2024)