Academy opens center to train CNAs, place into area health care jobs

BRADENTON — Premier Nursing Academy has launched its second Florida location, this one in Bradenton. The new location is expected to graduate as many as 500 students in 2021 from the Bradenton and Sarasota areas.

Premier Nursing Academy offers free, state-approved training to become a certified nursing assistant. The new campus makes Premier Nursing Academy’s no-cost training model available to more students and health care employers, according to a press release.

Enrollees receive CNA training approved by the Florida Board of Nursing without any tuition or fees. Graduates are guaranteed a CNA job upon graduation with one of many Bradenton-area employers sponsoring classroom seats, the statement says. Premier Nursing Academy’s new campus is at 5720 14th St. W. in the Southwood Shoppes Shopping Mall. 

“Employers we surveyed overwhelmingly confirmed their demand for qualified CNAs in Bradenton and surrounding areas, including Sarasota, Sun City, and Palmetto,” says COO Matt Killday in the statement. “Local health care facilities could collectively hire 1,000 or more CNAs in 2021 if they could find and recruit them efficiently. What we’re doing at Premier Nursing Academy is identifying promising talent, providing them training for free and matching them with these local jobs that might otherwise go unfilled.”

Premier Nursing Academy’s training program combines classroom instruction at one of its campus locations with onsite clinical instruction at a participating employer-partner facility. COVID-19 protocols are in place at training facilities for trainees, staff, employers and patients.

“CNAs play a crucial role on the frontlines of patient care," says Killday in the statement. "We’re doubling our capacity in Florida to train entry-level health professionals at a critical time. Our graduates — whether they continue to be CNAs or decide to go into more advanced nursing — are in a high-demand field and are making a difference.”

Premier Nursing Academy was started to create an enrollment-to-employment pipeline. It has graduated close to 1,000 CNAs since its inception in 2017. Chris Palevich, president of Premier Nursing Academy, and his father, Rob Palevich, founded Premier.

Premier Nursing Academy currently focuses on training CNAs in 4- to 6-week programs that prepare graduates to pass their CNA exam. Premier Nursing Academy operates training centers in Pinellas Park and Bradenton.