Essential Guide to Certified Nursing Assistant License and Training
Certified nursing assistants(CNAs) work as licensed health care providers. They assist registered nurses and other health care providers. Some of them work as home health aides, or in nursing homes helping with daily tasks and maintaining the personal hygiene of the patients.
Licensed nursing assistants also help in supervising leisure activities of the patients, taking vital signs, and documenting the progress of patients.
Below is some important information about the certified nursing assistant license and training.
State Licensure and Training
Every aspiring CNA must complete the state-required 75-hour certified nursing assistant training program. However, in some states, the requirements may differ than those of others. As an example, some State’s might requiremore hours of training than others.
So it’s advisable to contact your State Nurse Aid Registry to determine the specific requirements for your nursing assistance licensure, before beginning any training, etc.
Nursing Assistant Licensing Examination
Typically, CAN hopefuls need to get the certification from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.They administer the licensing examination for nursing aid that is accepted and approved by 21 states. It comprises of a written and oral examination that tests the theoretical knowledge and skills of students, which include the following areas:
- General patient care
- Medical ethics
- Hygiene and nutrition
- Rehabilitative therapy
- Disease control
- Vital sign collection
- Mental health nursing
You need to contact the State Nurse Aide Registry in your area to know if they have any specific requirements to qualify for the exam, or just in case, if they have their own nursing assistant certification exam, which in most cases cover similar materials.
Certified Nursing Assistant License Training Requirements
Prospective nursing assistants can get a certificate, or associate degree programs from various community colleges, tech or vocational schools, home health agencies and health organizations. Or they can even pursue it through a number of reputable online certified nursing assistant schools.
Most of the times, the training program can be completed in 6 to 12 weeks. If you are wanting to dig in a little deeper with your skill-set, you’ll be happy to hear that there are also more extensive training programs that go as long as 1 to 2 years, equipping the students with solid theoretical knowledge and procedural skills before taking the certified nursing assistant license exams.