School Lunches – Can they really be fun

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Back to school means it’s time to think of creative ways to provide healthy lunches to kids. Truth be told, there are times that packing school lunches can redundant and seen as a ‘chore’ for parents. Help is on the way! Here are some simple things to try to make the experience a little more pleasant.
  • Involve your kids – have them pick fruit for their lunch, pack crackers, or fill up juice / water bottles. When they feel they have ownership into what they are eating, they are more likely to eat it!
 
  • Meal-prep on the weekend or cook in bulk. – It’s always a good idea to make a few extra servings of kid’s favorite snack or meals. Muffins, pasta, or rice & beans store very easily in the freezer! They can be taken out the night before and will defrost the next morning to pack a fun and healthy lunch. It’s also helpful to spend an hour over the weekend preparing snack bags for an easy Grab & Go.
 
  • Consider “convenience” foods such as berries, olives, jerky, boiled eggs, or strong cheese. These are easy to pack ahead in snack bags.
A healthy lunch doesn’t have to be a chore. Motivation is the first successful ingredient to a healthy lunch and ultimately a happy child!

Institution For Hope: Sickle Cell Awareness

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Every month the Allen School of Health Sciences is proud to support an important cause through education, awareness, and of course giving through fundraising and donations as part of our Institution For HOPE Initiative. This is a great opportunity for our students to not only become educated on challenges their patients may face as they head into their new careers, but also a chance to give and make a direct impact on lives of others. Every September we dedicate our time and efforts towards Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle Cell Anemia is an inherited disease that causes chronic anemia (low red blood cell counts) as well as periodic episodes of pain. The red blood cells in people with Sickle Cell Anemia are faulty and tend to cluster together and lose their normal round shape. Instead they become elongated and take on a shape similar to a crescent moon or sickle. When this occurs they aren’t able to pass through the tiny blood vessels located throughout the body and they become trapped, which causes both the anemia and pain that are the trademarks of this disease. These blood cells also have a much shorter life cycle than a normal red blood cell and tend to die in 10 to 20 days instead of the normal 120 days a healthy red blood cell lives. So, what are some ways you can help raise awareness for Sickle Cell Anemia and make a difference in people’s lives?
  • Donate Blood – blood transfusions are a vital part of current treatment of Sickle Cell Anemia.
  • Learn More – there are great resources on the web to help you get educated and learn how this disease affects those who have it as well as those around them.
  • Volunteer – There are many camps, support groups, youth clubs, and other opportunities for you to get involved.
  • Attend Events – Sickle Cell Anemia organizations across the country host walks, fundraisers, and other benefits that allow you to have a great time and make a difference in fighting this disease
  • Donate – Every penny brings researchers one step closer to fighting this disease. Many states have their own local organizations that you can donate to, or you can visit the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America or the American Sickle Cell Anemia Association for more information.
The Allen School prides itself on going beyond the classroom and bringing education to life for all of our students and staff. We are proud of the culture of giving and support we have developed in our 56 years as an institution. If you are ready to be part of something more contact us today to get started www.allenschool.edu

Top Questions to Ask as You Look For Schools This Fall

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Are the Instructors Qualified?

The instructors should be experts in the field of healthcare and should specialize in the field they are teaching. Ask about their credentials and certifications during your interview and school tour. We have doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and more as part of our teaching staff.

Is the Institution Accredited?

The accreditation of the institution is very important as this determines not only the quality of the education you will receive, but also what benefits, such as Financial Aid that may be available to you as a student. The Allen School is proud to be licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private and Postsecondary Education, the New York State Department of Education and nationally accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.

What Kind Of Support Services Will I Receive While I’m In School?

Classwork is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to starting your new career, but what else does the institution offer? While you are in school be sure to ask about things like tutoring and extra practice sessions.

What Type of Career Services Are offered?

The Allen School offers a full-service Career Services department that will help you construct your resume, practice interviewing, help you learn job search skills, and more. We also offer our students the opportunity to complete an internship in their chosen field working at a wide variety of hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, and more. Finding the right school to fit your needs and life style can be a daunting task, but with a little research you will find the perfect match for your needs. We sincerely hope that you find your place in the Allen School family. If you’re ready to take the next step, tour our campus and learn more about our training programs.

New Land, New Career: What You Need To Know to Succeed

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When you come to the states, you come with a fresh start and the opportunity to build the kind of life you’ve always dreamed of. At The Allen School, we help train students from all walks of life who want to work in the medical assisting field. Medical assisting is one of the fastest-growing fields in America and is only expected to expand more in coming years. As a medical assistant, you can enjoy job stability, steady pay, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re making a real difference in your new home. Wherever you want to live in the US, there is a medical assistant job, and within the field itself, hundreds of different jobs you can pursue. Here are some tips to ensure success as you train for this amazing opportunity.

The first step is to call The Allen School to schedule a campus tour. Our advisors can help you learn more about the field, set up your schedule, and help you get everything you need to get started without delay.

Our career services department is available throughout your time in school and after to help you build a resume that will catch recruiters’ eyes and help place you in high-demand jobs. In America, your resume is your first impression to potential employers, so it’s important to have a resume that highlights your experience, and The Allen School can give you all the tips you need to make sure you stand out from the crowd.

The Allen School places all medical assistant students in internship sites, so you can get even more first-hand knowledge of the field, and be able to apply what you’ve learned in school in a real medical setting, side by side with doctors and nurses before your schooling is up. Many students who take internships find themselves being placed in jobs faster; often at the facilities they intern at!

Call or email The Allen School today to set up an interview, and get started on the path towards a new life. You came to America to chase opportunities and to build a better life for you and your family. The Allen School can help!

Skills That Every Medical Assistant Should Have

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Medical assisting is quickly becoming one of the most popular careers in America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth within the field reaching 29% in the next ten years, making it one of the fastest-growing job markets in the country. With the incredible job opportunities, room to grow within the field, and flexibility within the field, it’s easy to see why so many want to enter the medical assisting profession. Some clear traits have been discovered that make a good medical assistant. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in medical assisting, check out these traits for top applicants and see if they apply to you.

You’re Adaptable

In the medical field, things are constantly changing, and your day can go from routine to hectic in a matter of seconds. Medical assistants can find themselves caring for multiple patients at a time, so it’s important to be able to switch gears quickly and handle any task that comes at you with skill and patience.

You’re Compassionate

More often than not, you will be encountering patients during very confusing and scary parts of their lives. Dealing with health issues can be incredibly emotionally draining for patients and their families, and part of your job will be providing emotional as well as physical support. If you can find the humor in scary situations, and maintain a pleasant demeanor during stressful times, you may have what it takes to be a medical assistant.

You Want to Help Your Community

The medical field is a vital part of any community, and you will find yourself coming in contact with people of many different backgrounds and beliefs. If you take joy in being a part of your community and have a passion for providing the best care you can to every person who walks into your facility, a career in medical assisting could be your dream job. If you relate to any or all of these traits, it’s time to consider a job in medical assisting. Contact The Allen School today to learn more about how to make your dreams a reality and put your skills to best use.

The Top 5 Things to Know About Taking the CNA Exam

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A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) career is an essential piece of the healthcare industry, as well as a highly sought-after profession amongst those pursuing work in healthcare. It offers flexibility, a good salary, and opportunities to make a difference. At the Allen School of Health Sciences, we’ve specially tailored our premier Nursing Assistant Program to provide the education and skill set you’ll need to prepare to sit for the CNA Exam and begin working towards your dream job!

The CNA Exam also called the Nurse Aid Assessment Program (NNAAP) Exam, is offered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Earning this certificate verifies your proficiency as a nurse aid, and is essential to becoming a top job candidate. And while taking such an important test may appear stressful, it doesn’t need to be! The Allen School training is designed for success, and goal-oriented preparation will help you feel confidence and composure heading into Exam Day.

Below are five CNA Exam prep tips that will help you begin to understand the process of certification and how to study for success: 

You Must be Eligible

To take the CNA Exam, you must meet training and educational requirements by first completing an accredited nursing assistant program. While eligibility guidelines do vary slightly by state, enrolling at The Allen School for your CNA training will ensure you graduate with this eligibility. 

CNA Test Content: Know What to Study

To verify that you’ve gained a comprehensive education, the CNA exam will test your fundamental knowledge of nursing; your understanding of teamwork as it applies to working alongside other healthcare professionals; and your grasp on state regulations and regulatory agencies. The breakdown as outlined by teachingsolutions.org is as follows:

  • Physical Care Skills
    • Daily living activities
    • Fundamental nursing skills
    • Restorative skills
  • Psychosocial Care Skills
    • Emotional and mental health needs
    • Spiritual and cultural needs
  • Role of the Nursing Assistant
    • Communication
    • Client rights
    • Legal and ethical behavior
    • Healthcare teamwork

CNA Test Application: Know How You’ll be Tested 

The test itself is administered in two sections – a written exam and a clinical skills test.

The written portion of the CNA Exam is primarily multiple-choice. For example:

  1. When a person is admitted to the nursing home, the nursing assistant should expect that the resident will:
    1. Have problems related to incontinence
    2. Require a lot of assistance with personal care
    3. Experience a sense of loss relating to the life change
    4. Adjust more quickly if admitted directly from the hospital

The clinical portion is hands-on and requires that you demonstrate on-the-job skills under the observation of a test proctor. Skills you may be questioned on include:

  • Taking and recording patient blood pressure
  • Feeding, bathing, and dressing a patient
  • Assisting range-of-motion exercises

While it is not mandatory, you might find it helpful to voice aloud each step as you go, as it can further showcase your knowledge and even help keep your mind focused.

Take Advantage of Clinical Skills Prep and CNA Practice Exams

The Allen School offers free clinical skills practice before the exam, to prepare you for the hands-on reality. Better still, each campus is a certified testing location and enables you to test exactly where you’ve trained.

In addition to your formal training, utilizing online practice tests to aid your CNA Exam prep will allow you to approach exam day feeling confident and prepared.

We encourage you to look into such helpful sites as uniontestprep.com, CNA.plus, and practiceCNAtest.com.

Know What Comes After

Because state personalizes the CNA Exam based on individual rules, regulations, and procedures, your score will be determined by an advisory committee of healthcare personnel. See the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s website at www.ncsbn.org to learn more about the state scoring metrics in the state of your chosen Allen School campus.

Scores may be delivered via mail, email, phone call, or even – if testing was administered at a testing center by computer – immediately. 

We believe that a prepared state-of-mind is a confident state-of-mind and that both are key factors to earn your Nursing Assistant credential successfully. Contact The Allen School to enroll today!

Bilingual Jobs: How Nurse Assistants Use Language to Improve Care

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The nursing assisting field is one of the most rapidly expanding in the nation. As more and more Americans are reaching retirement age, their medical demands become more pressing, as does the need for highly qualified professionals in the medical field. Working in the nursing assisting field is a challenging, rewarding career, and is highly accessible to people from all walks of life, as long as they have a passion for helping others. Specifically, the need for bilingual medical and nursing assistants has increased over the years, as American waiting rooms become ever more diverse. If you have proficiency in more than one language, here are a few reasons why a nursing assistant career could be the perfect way to put your skills to use.

Here Is What Being Bilingual Means for a Nurse Assistant

Being a bilingual nursing assistant is different from being a medical interpreter. Medical interpreters are specialized professionals who help convey important and difficult medical information to patients whose native language is not English and requires extreme fluency in that language. For nursing assistants, the requirements are not nearly so strict. Your primary job as a bilingual nursing assistant is to help non-native English speakers communicate their basic needs, like needing to use the restroom or updating them about appointment times, in a language that makes sense to them, and will help them feel comfortable. These skills are especially important to have in more diverse areas of the country, where many of the patients and families you will be dealing with may be immigrants.

What is The Most Rewarding Part of The Job?

The satisfaction of helping patients is second to none, and being able to help a non-native English speaker feel comfortable and safe in a scary and stressful situation can make the job worth it.

If you want to start a career that will help enrich your community and put your language skills to great use, contact The Allen School today for a consultation, and find out how to get started on your new career.

What to Wear for a Medical Assistant Interview

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Updated August 17, 2021

You don’t get a second chance at a first impression, and at job interviews, first impressions are vitally important. In just an hour, employers will get an idea of who you are, what your work ethic is, and whether you’ll fit their team, and it all comes down to how you carry yourself, and how you look.

One of the most important aspects of job interviews is looking the part, and dressing in a manner that makes you look like the competent, professional person you are, and someone your potential employer would be proud to have in their workforce. Remember to dress for the job you want.

Here are some tips on how:

Appearance

First off, it’s important to be clean and fresh overall. Make sure there are no visible stains or tears on your clothing, and that you’ve showered before the interview. Make sure your hair is well-brushed and in place. For an interview at a health facility, one of the best strategies is to go for business or business casual. For men, this can mean a full three-piece suit, or at the very least, a crisp button-up and tie. For women, this can mean a pant or skirt suit, or a dress with a conservative neck and hemline. Your hem should be no shorter than knee-length. Go for neutral colors like black, grey, or navy. Avoid flashy colors or patterns. For jewelry, go for studs or small hoops with a small, non-distracting gem, or a tasteful chain and a small pendant.

What to Avoid

Stay away from heavy colognes or perfumes. You want to smell clean, but avoid smelling like a department store! For ladies, a bit of makeup will make you appear fresh and well-groomed, however, stay away from the outrageous lip and eye colors that are more suited for a night out. Neutral shades like peach and tan will give you the perk you need. If you have removable facial jewelry, it might be best to take it out for the interview process. Make sure to cover any outlandish tattoos, if possible. Avoid jeans, sneakers, flip-flops, overly high heels, and t-shirts at all costs, for these, are all overly casual and will not give your interviewer a good impression.

Interviewing properly is the first step to a promising career in the healthcare field, and the first step to a successful interview is looking the part. When you look your best, you’ll feel your best, and be able to answer all questions with confidence and ease, and prove that you’ll be a valuable member of any facility you interview with!

Looking to start a career in healthcare? Find all the courses you need at the Allen School of Health Sciences – we have three campuses in Queens, Brooklyn, and Phoenix. Contact us below to learn more about the program! CONTACT US

4 Great Apps for Medical Assistant Students

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Smartphones are an essential part of everyday life for many people. Smartphone technology has gotten so advanced that your iPhone or Android can act as a library, a music player, a map, an email server, or even a personal assistant. However, did you know that your phone can also help you in your career as a medical assistant? With this list of free apps, available for download now at your favorite app store, you’ll have the knowledge and resources you need to excel in the medical assistant field.

Skyscape Medical Library

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The Skyscape app gives you access to 400 medical references published by 35 verified partners, giving you a comprehensive guide to medical information instantly. Unlike a typical e-reader app, Skyscape provides interactive charts, pronunciation guides, and thousands of reference pictures and videos, to ensure you get the most comprehensive experience available.

Epocrates

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Epocrates is one of the most comprehensive medical apps available on the market today. You can find recommended doses for various over the counter and prescription medicines, quickly look up symptoms or identify a pill from its imprint code, all for free. For even more features you can subscribe to Epocrates +, but the free version will give you more than enough information to enhance your career.

CMA Smart Exam Prep

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While training programs like The Allen School will help prepare you for your accreditation exam with hands-on classroom training and one-on-one instruction, there’s always room for even more preparation. With the CMA test prep apps, you have access to thousands of practice tests, complete with explanations for incorrect answers, and 24/7 access from your computer or smartphone. When you have some free time to study, pick up your phone, take a practice test, and get accredited faster!

Medscape

appstore-download-apple  appstore-download-google

Medscape gives you access to dosage recommendations, symptom checkers, and information on potential medication interferences, all completely free. Medscape is updated continuously ensuring that you have the most up-to-date and accurate information possible.

The key to success in the medical assistant field is in your pocket right now. Paring these apps with training from The Allen School will help you become the most competent and educated medical assistant possible. Call The Allen School today for a free consultation and learn more about medical assisting in the 21st century. 

Closer to the Dream: Time to Think About Nurse Assistant Training

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Many people come to America for one very important reason, to make a better life for themselves. America is a land of opportunity, with many different paths you can follow. While this can be exciting, it can also be challenging as you try to figure out what you want to do. If you’re looking for a career that will give you the means to support your new life, and make a difference in your new community, look no further than becoming a nursing assistant!

The Allen School is the perfect place to train as a nursing assistant because many of the instructors were once right where you are. Many of our faculty members are immigrants themselves, and have been through the process of healthcare training themselves, living proof that you can do it too! Our faculty is compassionate to the needs of their immigrant students, and work hard to overcome language and cultural barriers to ensure you get the education you need to become the best nursing assistant you can be and a thriving part of your new community!

Nursing assisting is a rapidly growing field in the US. It’s expected to grow by 11% by 2026, making it one of the most sought-after career paths in the country. At The Allen School, we give you all the skills needed to get you into the nursing assistant field faster, with most training programs lasting less than a year. After you complete your course of study, you will have the tools you need to sit for the certification exam, opening the path for bigger and better career opportunities. The Allen School also offers career services for students who need more in-depth career advice, and financial aid services for students who qualify. At The Allen School, we are dedicated to your success!

You came to America to make a difference, not just in your life, but in the lives of your community. The Allen School is the perfect place to start getting closer to that dream. Contact The Allen School today for a consultation and get ready to start your dream career!