How to Get CNA Certification

A certified nursing assistant is considered to be an entry level job in the field of nursing. Certified Nursing Assistants, or CNAs, can work in the field unlicensed under the title of nurse's aides or orderlies. However, the federal government requires that medical facilities like nursing homes and hospitals that get Medicare reimbursements from the federal government hire only those aides who have a CNA certification. For this reason, many people explore how to get CNA certification.

If you want to know how to get CNA certification, you should look into your own state's requirements. While the federal government may place the requirement on medical facilities to hire CNAs, it is up to each individual state to handle the licensing requirements and exams. While each state has different requirements, there are some general things you can expect in your quest to get CNA certification.

Each state will require that you have a high school diploma or a GED equivalent. States also require between 50 and 185 hours of training, but there is some variation to this from state to state. These training hours often include hours in both a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed medical professional, such as an RN, and also some training hours in a classroom environment. Often these training programs to get certification for CNA can be completed at any number of community colleges in the state. Other options include doing the classroom portion of the training online and seeking out training for the clinical portion on your own. Also, some employers may offer their own training at no cost to you but with the understanding that you will work for them as a CNA for a certain amount of time after you are licensed.

You can expect the CNA Training program to take anywhere between two weeks to six months or longer. Often, traditional classes at a community college will take the most amount of time. After your training is complete, most states will require that you take a licensing exam. Exams are typically taken in person, rather than online, and may include both a written exam and a skills test where you perform basic job functions for a test monitor.

For many states, the certification processes ends when you pass the exam, and for these states you are then placed immediately on the state's registry and can begin work. For other states, additional documentation must be provided. This documentation may include proof of a negative tuberculosis test result dated within the last six months, proof of immunizations, a background and criminal history check, a photo ID and more. Some or all of this documentation may be required depending on your state.

Keep in mind that after you are licensed, you will be required to renew your license every two years. For most states, you will not be required to re-take the test or take additional courses to renew your license provided you have worked in the field for at least eight hours over the course of the last two-year period.