Nurse Aide Certification
Compassionate, responsible and interested in the healthcare field? Consider a career as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Becoming a CNA can be a very lucrative and fulfilling career move. The demand for well-trained, caring and professional nursing assistants has increased rapidly over the years with the growing number of nursing facilities and the advancements in healthcare. Several training options are available to receive certification and pursue a career as a CNA.
Begin your journey to certification by contacting your state’sDepartment of Health,Board of Nursingor Nurse Aide Registry. Each state has its own regulations and requirements for certification. Also, be sure to find out the type of certification offered in the state you plan to work in. Instead of certification, some states license their nursing assistants. They are known as LNAs instead of CNAs. Others states also have different levels of certification, CNA I, CNA II, LNA I and LNA II while in certain states such as Maryland nursing assistants who work with the elderly are certified as Geriatric Nursing Assistants.
Your state’s Department of Health or Board of Nursing should offer a list of approved training programs that can lead to certification. Training programs are available through a variety of sources. Nursing facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities and rehabilitation centers will sometimes offer training for prospective employees and as an incentive, they offer paid training or guaranteed employment after training and upon certification. Community colleges and vocational schools will often offer a training course or an introductory course in nursing which qualifies the student for certification. Another option is a class taken throughThe Red Cross. Along with approved programs for nursing assistant training, they also offer CPR classes which are usually required for jobs in healthcare. Independent medical training services also offer a variety of medical programs including training for nursing assistants, medical assistants and medication technicians. Depending upon the company offering classes, scholarships and financial aide are available. Most of these options take about 4 to 10 weeks to complete training.
Once training is complete, one more step is necessary for certification. A test is administered to determine knowledge and preparedness for a career as a CNA. Usually, the test consists of at least two parts. The first is a written exam and the second is a hands on demonstration of a physical skill performed by CNAs, such as taking a pulse, making a bed, or feeding someone. Upon passing the test, your name is added to the Nurse Aide Registry in your state and you receive a document stating that you completed your training and are now certified to work as a nursing assistant.
