Our MIssion is All About caregivers
The National Institute of CNA Excellence aims to support direct care professionals by providing no-cost or low-cost education to help them deliver the highest quality of care and promote well-deserved respect and recognition.
People living in congregate care settings, those recovering from illness or injury, or individuals living in their own homes all rely on the dedicated direct caregivers who make up today's Careforce™.
The National Institute for Caregiving Excellence (NICE) mission is to help meet the growing need for well-prepared Private Caregivers and Certified Nursing Assistants ( Caregiving) by offering learning opportunity that includes the basics of direct care, then goes beyond those basics into the training and education called for by nursing assistants to help them give the best possible care to those they serve. NICE is committed to fostering excellence and promoting continuous professional growth.
Caregiving is a rewarding and challenging career choice. Millions of direct care jobs need to be filled today and in the future, making the Careforce™ a top focus of everyone who cares about healthcare. NICE is exclusively aimed at helping to build and retain that Careforce™ through easy access, high quality education.
NICE gives caregivers one-stop, online access to training that is designed to help caregivers be successful and to open doors to career advancement for those already in the profession who want to continue learning and growing.
MISSION
Our mission is to provide caregivers with the learning support they deserve, empowering them to thrive professionally and personally, while ultimately improving the lives of those they serve.
Through our online, self-paced courses, we strive to enhance the knowledge, skills, and confidence of CNAs and other Caregivers, enabling them to deliver compassionate and high-quality care to patients, residents, friends and family.
NICE is committed to help professional certified nursing assistants find opportunity for ongoing development and skill building through a targeted career growth lattice of course content.
VISION
NICE is dedicated to helping meet the growing need for well qualified caregivers by creating a learning community for people starting or continuing to grow as a part of the direct care Careforce™.
NICE aims to help establish and promote the availability of professional certification via nationally recognized core competencies that eliminates career entry barriers and helps caregivers stay in the profession.
VALUES
There is no greater opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people who depend on the physical, social, and emotional support of others.
NICE is driven by a deep sense of respect, compassion and appreciation for Certified Nursing Assistants, and all caregivers working across the health care continuum, as well as those caring for family and friends. All caregivers must have access to the resources, education, and recognition they need to excel in their vital role.
The healthcare economy is dependent upon availability of personal and professional caregivers that need a quality, easy to access source of information to inform their caregiving, helping ensure quality of life for themselves and the people they care for.
COURSES
NICE courses meet your special needs and interest in learning more and advancing your skills beyond the basics.
Courses focus on understanding the environments and person-centered approaches used in the home or in congregate care settings like assisted living, skilled nursing and hospitals.
Courses are designed and selected to ensure your entry into caregiving starts on a strong foundation of knowledge about the diverse roles and complex care tasks faced daily.
Courses are developed by experts and selected for inclusion with guidance from CNAs and other professionals in caregiving.
Courses can be taken to help you move forward on your path to Certification with confidence.
Course offerings for existing caregivers focus on creating opportunity for advancement and building on your skills to help ensure the highest quality of care is delivered to the person.
Online, self-paced courses fit well into the busy lives of caregivers.
NICE Board OF CNA Advisors
Brandy Wilson, CNA
NICE Board Member
Certified Nursing Assistant
Certified Restorative Aide
Certified Activity Director
(Brandy Wilson Bio)
Brandy has been at her current nursing center for almost 10 years! She began just as she had become a CNA. After working there for 3 months she started doing Transportation and working in the Restorative program. Over the course of her years there she worked primarily as a CNA, on all shifts, and has assisted in all departments including kitchen, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, and activities.
In 2021 I got my Texas Food Manager and food handler certification and was considered for the Kitchen Manager position. When she didn't receive that position, she then took on transportation, medical records, ordering supplies, receptionist and office support duties. She continued to advance her training In 2022 by becoming a Certified Activity Director and completion of NAHCA Preceptor program for certification. Brandy assumed a leadership role in their CNA training program and was integral to supporting NAs on course to become CNAs, when they turned over their administrator and director of nursing.
Brandy works closely with the leadership to help the facility operate in a quality manner, no matter what the need. Over the last 10 years she has enjoyed being a part of this community and says "I try to help in any way possible whether it is with staff or patients".
Jerrie Rieck, CNA
NICE Board Member
Family Care Giver
Assisted Living Memory Care Certified Nursing Assistant Certified Medication Aide
(Jerrie Rieck Bio)
Jerrie brings her journey in learning to be the best CNA she can be to the NICE Board of Directors. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do “when she grew up”, so she chose to become a nurse aide after high school graduation. She recalls her mom being worried that she wouldn’t like the work but found that she loved being the best nurse aide there could be. Jerrie learned hands on, to touch gently, listen, and not talk too loudly, but clearly enough to be understood. She took her job to heart and knew she wanted to treat those she cared for as if they were her own family. She works that way to this day.
When Person Centered Care became the standard of care, Jerry remembers is as being hard for an “old timer” that was used to following schedules and telling residents when they needed to be up, go to meals, or have baths but has thrived in the change that puts the person first. In addition to being a CNA, Jerrie is a Certified Medication Aide and mentors, teaches and trains new CNAs and CMSs. She currently works in Assisted Living Memory Care as well as being the primary home care giver for her mother. Jerrie’s mother lives with Jerrie and her family and has increasingly needed support over the past several years. Jerrie knows well that caring for a loved one is tough emotionally and physically, and more so when added to her full-time paid career.
Shawn Crawford
NICE Board Member
Certified Nursing Assistant
Acute Care Patient Care
(Shawn Crawford Bio)
...coming soon
NICE Board of Directors
Cindy Frakes, ACHA
NICE Board Chair and Executive Director
(Cindy Frakes Bio)
Cindy knows well the needs of caregivers and their employers, having spent decades helping people find and receive quality care, experiencing firsthand the need for training beyond the basics to build quality and retain care teams. Cindy began her journey to NICE in a small rural hospital with opportunity to experience many roles as a support team member. She earned her CNA in 1978, then licensed as an Adult Care Home Administrator in 1980. After serving as an administrator, then Regional Vice President for a multi-facility Midwest community operator she owned and operator a small residential care home that provided 24-hour care for 6 elders. Cindy then spent several years in long-term care pharmacy customer support and as a long-term care subject matter expert for an electronic health record developer. She is proud to have experienced working almost 20 years in an SNF with a solid, quality driven team of CNAs, Nurses, Environmental, Nutrition, Therapy, and Social Services, and Business Office staff who proudly received no deficiency, low deficiency licensure & certification surveys over many of those years. Respect, recognition, training and opportunity to grow for all roles was a key factor in that success.
Tim Holahan DO, CMD
NICE Board Member
(Tim Holahan DO, CMD Bio)
Dr. Holahan has served or currently serves in many roles in the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and Nursing Home setting. His main passions include caring for complex patients in the SNF setting and being a leader in advocacy to improve care in nursing homes at a state/national level. He has served as medical director of multiple SNFs in Rochester, NY and also is the attending physician on ventilator patients at 2 local SNF ventilator units. He also attends on patients at Highland Hospital in Rochester NY as a geriatric hospitalist. He has served on multiple committees as well as served in leadership roles for state and national organizations such as the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA), The New York Medical Directors Association (NYMDA) and the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY).
If the COVID-19 pandemic showed us anything, it was the need for well trained, compassionate and knowledgeable front line care givers in post-acute care. They are truly the lifeblood that makes a post-acute care facility function at its highest level and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are at the forefront of that. For many years, I have felt that this specialty and area of the care force has been largely ignored. It is the goal of NICE to change this for the better and train the next generation of CNAs which will significantly improve the care of our older adults in post-acute care. I am humbled to play my small role in such a great organization and initiative.
University of Rochester
Division of Geriatrics
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Medical Director of the Monroe Community Hospital Ventilator Unit Medical Director of Aaron Manor and The Hurlbut Skilled Nursing Facilities
Jane Zacardi, RN, BSN, MA, Ed.D.
NICE Board Member
(Jane Zacardi Bio)
Jane firmly believes that our direct caregivers are the most important members of the healthcare team and supports development of programs to enhance their preparation, career success, and growth. She has dedicated most of her nursing career to caring for frail elders in a variety of care settings, advocating for improved access to and quality of care for seniors, and/or educating nurse aides, medication aides, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Registered nurses to provide care for senior adults with multiple, acute, and chronic health care issues.
Jane is currently retired and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. During her nursing career, She worked as an Independent consultant in Senior Care and as a Legal Nurse Consultant, Regional Clinical Consultant, Director of Nursing, Staff Development, Charge Nurse roles in Long Term Care, as well as Intensive Care and Coronary Care Nursing in Acute Care Hospitals. Jane has held positions in Community Colleges as a Director of Nursing and Allied Health, Faculty and a Director of Practical Nursing and Health Occupations.
Jody Jones, RN
NICE Board Member
Registered Nurse
Sr. Vice-President MAK-SYSTEM
(Jody Jones Bio)
Jody has deep experience working with nursing and long-term care support organizations. Working alongside CNAs and Nurses implementing care strategies has been integral in shaping her interest in offering training and support to direct care professionals, especially CNAs, caring for frail elders. She has held executive roles in organizations helping develop and offer and training solutions. Additionally, she has worked with organizations implementing electronic records, including solutions aimed at capturing direct care and improving communication for the health care team.
Kari Miller, RN, JD
NICE Board Member
Registered Nurse
Attorney
(Kari Miller Bio)
Kari is a Registered Nurse and Attorney with over 35 years of experience in senior housing, hospital, Long Term Care Post-Acute, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Independent Living and Private Duty Home Care. Admitted to practice law in Kansas and Missouri. Strong passion and belief that in order to improve resident care outcomes in our long-term care and Assisted Living space, we must invest in education, further training, and mentoring of those compassionate individuals who are called to become caregivers and CNAs.
Lori Craft
Secretary, NICE Board Member
Executive Assistant NAHCA Certified Nursing Assistant
Direct Care Professional
(Lori Craft Bio)
Lori has more than twenty years in healthcare that includes supporting Careforce members with the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA). As Direct Care Professional working with Developmentally Disabled individuals in their homes, as well as in nursing homes. Lori is proud to be a part of NICE in helping to prepare caregivers for the “real-life” situations they experience. Lori knows firsthand that CNAs and other direct care workers are the backbone of healthcare and that they deserve to have the proper knowledge and education to perform their duties, and to have the opportunity for successful and rewarding careers.
How Does NICE Work FOR YOU?
The National Institute of CNA Excellence has a one-stop shop for online training, certification, and career growth preparation. NICE training content helps:
NICE course materials make conducting classes easy and consistent for RN instructors with schools or employers.
Employers can find an edge up in recruiting and retention with NICE. Hosting classes gives the opportunity to meet and select future team members. Providing high quality on-going training, and career lattices is a key factor in any retention and quality improvement program. NICE creates a way for employers to have these advantages using the on-line program to promote self-paced learning with content that is evidence based and guided by CNAs and other professional caregivers.
coming soon...
If you're looking to hire without holding classes, use your login to access a list of NICE graduates in your area and begin your interview process.
Pretty simple, isn’t it? So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!
All The Tools You'll Need
Prepare to become a successful certified nursing assistant (CNA).
A Comprehensive Approach
Equipping CNA's for the “real life” field experience they need.
Going Beyond Compliance
Skills in team building, conflict resolution, and communication.
Click on the VIDEO To Learn More
Our FOUNDERS
National Association of HealthCare Assistants (NAHCA)
Lisa Sweet, RN
NICE Co-Founder
C0-Founder, Chief Nursing Educator
National Association of Health Care Assistants
(Lisa Sweet Bio)
As co-founder, Lisa serves as a steward of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA) mission and vision. In addition, she is responsible for developing state of the art learning systems and educational content to ensure the Association’s success in motivating, educating and developing frontline excellence. She is a gifted communicator and educator.
For more than 30 years Lisa has served long term care as a CNA, LPN and RN. She is uniquely positioned to develop specific core curricula to advance NAHCA members in professional development. As a former CNA, director of nursing and corporate nurse consultant she understands the educational needs and requirements of any skilled and/or assisted living community.
Lisa’s authored NAHCA’s Geriatric Care Specialist Certification program for CNAs, understanding their desire to expand their education and enhance their skills in caring for the aged. To date more than 5000 certified nursing assistants have successfully earned the distinction of Geriatric Care Specialist (GCS).
Lori Porter
NICE C0-Founder
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer
NAHCA
(Lori Porter Bio)
Coming Soon...
Hear From Our Clients
Don't just take our word for it. Hear from past students and NICE Employers about their experience.
"The courses were interesting and very educational."
"I learned to know and listen to the [person I am caring for] so they have confidence in me, and to make them feel at home."
"The course content was very good."
"The Infectious Diseases [module] was interesting and [had] very detailed explanations"
"[Content] conveys the importance of CNAs in early detection and rapid reporting of physical or emotional {observations/changes]."
"Courses were of great help to understand more about the position and responsibilities [of the caregiver]"
"[The Anatomy and Physiology course] helped me know more about how our body works and how it changes over the years", and "the care plan each [person] may have", "very valuable information".
CNA - Happy Client
