Being a certified nursing assistant is an incredibly rewarding job that often includes
a lot of personal interaction with patients. To become a certified nursing assistant, otherwise known as a CNA,
in Michigan a student must take a CNA training MI program. There are several different programs a student can
choose from, and each has its benefits.
In Michigan, a student can choose to complete his or her coursework in a CNA training MI program. These programs are available through most of the 28
community colleges in the state. These programs offer both a classroom portion as well as clinical rotation
hours and typically take a few months to complete. These community colleges offer programs for internships and
can be an excellent resource for students to get hands-on experience through a paying job.
A student can also complete the CNA training MI program online at one of the many online
schools. These include Kaplan Career Institute, the Dorsey Schools and others. Students receiving their
education online should take care to ensure that their CNA training MI program follows Michigan-based
curriculum. Students completing training online should also note that hands-on experience is still required for
state requirements, so volunteering or a paid job at a local health center is still required.
Once the training program is complete, CNA students can that take the test through Prometric, which is a
contractor organization who administers tests on behalf of the Department of Community Health, Bureau of Health
Professions. Prometric offers practice tests online. Some of the areas covered on the test include how to
handle difficult patients, rehabilitative therapy techniques, reading doctor's notes and more. The actual tests
are taken in person at several different locations throughout the state.
To become a certified nursing assistant in Michigan, a student must prove that he
has satisfied the required coursework, passed the state licensing exam and has either a high school diploma or
a GED. Keep in mind that after you are licensed, your education requirements don't stop there. The state of
Michigan requires that students get re-licensed every two years through Prometric. If a student has worked for
at least eight hours in the last two-year period, there are no prerequisites or requirements to satisfy before
taking the re-licensing test.
Many certified nursing assistants love their jobs because they include a lot of patient interaction. CNAs
often will be the medical professionals who help with tasks like helping patients to feed, bathe, dress
themselves, move to different locations in the hospital and so on. A CNA may be asked to check vitals of a
patient as well. Certified nursing assistants may seek out jobs in a hospital setting or in other medical
settings such as a nursing home or other such care facility. Many certified nursing assistants make this a
life-long career as it is very rewarding to work with patients all day. However, some certified nursing
assistants go on to take additional coursework and become a Registered Nurse, Licensed Vocational Nurse or
other such medical professional.
If you are from Massachusetts, check out CNA
Training MA.