Provides the foundational concepts and facts that a nursing assistant needs to function competently in the workplace, be it a long-term care facility, an acute care facility, or a home health agency. Because students enrolled in "essentials" courses -- 1) have limited time to read/prepare for class and 2) many have difficulty reading, (learning disabilities, ESL students) -- we have included only the most basic, essential information, with the understanding that this foundational knowledge will be supplemented by classroom instruction and on-the-job training.