Where to get cna certification

CNAs also work in hospitals and assisted living facilities. Home health care: CNAs care for a person in their home.

The schedule is less frenetic than in other settings, but you may find the pay is slightly lower. Hospitals: CNA jobs in hospitals are highly sought after because they typically offer good benefits, higher pay, and the opportunity to work with a wide range of medical staff. You may also find opportunities to work in different departments, which helps broaden your skill set.

Nursing and long-term care facilities: The need for certified nursing assistants is expected to grow in these settings, especially as baby boomers age and live longer.

One of the benefits of working in a nursing home or long-term care facility is getting to know your patients. Many CNAs say this is one of the most satisfying parts of the job.

Many certified nursing assistants enjoy forming relationships with patients and stay with their jobs. But others go back to school to become nurses or other healthcare professionals. If you decide to move out of the role but want to work in a similar career, consider these options:. They also provide patients with basic care. Because of their additional schooling, LPNs have a bit more responsibility than CNAs and earn a slightly higher salary.

Occupational Therapy Assistant. OT assistants work with patients to help them regain and improve physical skills necessary for daily life. They work under the direction of an occupational therapist. Personal Care Aides. You may work alongside other healthcare workers in the home of one patient. Healthcare is a field in which having the most up-to-date knowledge is essential.

Federal law mandates at least 12 hours of continuing education annually for CNAs. States have the authority to require additional hours or specific topics for ongoing training. Some common topics for continuing education courses include:. Check with your state board to find out how many hours of continuing education it requires—and whether you can do any of the work online. Some employers may pay for your continuing education or provide the courses themselves to ensure that you remain properly certified.

To retain active status, federal regulations require that CNAs work at least eight hours every two-year period in a paid position in which they provide services consistent with the role of a CNA. If you allow your certification to lapse, you must apply for recertification. Depending on where you live, this could be a costly proposition. Some states allow you to retake the competency exam, but others require that you retake both the required training and the exam.

Your state board can provide details on its policy. Anna Giorgi. Training is comprised of lecture in a classroom setting, skills labs, and clinical experiences typically within a medical facility. When searching for CNA training courses, there are many options that are free and local to you. Your local Red Cross may offer free CNA training as well as nursing homes, long-term healthcare facilities, and other job corp resources.

The courses and resources available will all vary by state. The free CNA training programs are a risk-free way to discover if the job is for you. You will need to find or ask your training facility to assist in finding a state-approved testing facility. Once the testing location is identified, then you will need to provide documentation showing successful completion training.

There is both a written and skills evaluation for the exam. Once you have passed the state exam, then your name will be added to the Nurse Aide Registry. To help you prepare, this site provides a number of CNA practice tests to assist with your exam click the link jump to start our free CNA practice test. These questions have been designed to replicate the types of questions you will see on the CNA certification exam administered across the country by Pearson VUE and Prometric.

You can take a practice test that focuses on a specific category of question, or you can take one of our standard tests which will test the full spectrum of CNA skills. Once you have received your certificate, you will need to verify how often your state requires renewal.

Each state will have different renewal periods and also potential continuing education requirements. It is vital to understand all of these requirements after you receive your certification. After you complete the exam and have your certificate, then you are free to begin your job search. Link: Nevada State Board of Nursing. Link: New Hampshire Board of Nursing. Link: New Jersey Department of Health. Link: Oklahoma Nurse Aide Registry. Link: Oregon State Board of Nursing. Link: South Dakota Board of Nursing.

Link: Tennessee Department of Health. Link: Utah Nursing Assistant Registry. Link: Vermont Secretary of State. Link: Virginia Board of Nursing. Link: Washington State Department of Health.

Link: DC Healt h. Link: Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Link: Wyoming State Board of Nursing. Rules and standards for renewing expired CNA certifications will vary from state to state. In California, for example, if your certification is more than two years expired, or it is more than two years since you have worked as a Certified Nurse Assistant, you are required to have 24 hours of continuing education as well as sit for a Competency Evaluation.

Many nursing students find value in working as a Certified Nurse Assistant CNA during nursing school to add to their basic care and time-management skills.