CNA Training in Colorado

In Colorado the number of people over the age of 65 is increasing rapidly and there is a need for more workers in the healthcare field. The number of nurses and CNAs retiring in Colorado is also expected to increase significantly, meaning that there will soon be many job openings for qualified healthcare workers. Colorado offers a variety of quality CNA training programs that prepare individuals for a career in the medical field in a state that is facing a shortage of nursing staff.

The Colorado Board of Nursing requires state-certified CNA training programs to be made up of at least 107 hours of classroom instruction and clinical experience. Usually 50 of these hours are spent in the classroom, and the rest are spent in healthcare settings. Colorado offers opportunities for funding CNA training courses through state and college grants and most of the training courses are relatively inexpensive or sometimes free to certain applicants that qualify. CNAs who find a job with Medicare or Medicaid after receiving their license may be reimbursed for any training costs that they paid.

After completing all of the requirements for CNA Training individuals are able to take the Colorado state CNA examination. The examination includes two parts: a multiple choice written portion and a clinical skills portion. The written portion is made up of 70 multiple choice questions which test takers have two hours to complete. The clinical skills portion of the test is 25 minutes long and individuals must demonstrate for an examiner five medical skills. The skills are chosen by the examiner. After passing the written and clinical parts of the exam, an individual is officially a licensed CNA. Licensed CNAs receive an official certificate, which is usually mailed to them, and their name is placed on the state’s Nurse Aide Registry. Appearing on the Nurse Aid Registry proves that an individual completed all the necessary state requirements to work in healthcare facilities.

Below is a list of Colorado state-approved CNA training programs:

The Community College of Denver Colorado (CCD), located in the city of Denver, offers a CNA training course that lasts for seven weeks. The program has options to attend either two evenings a week or one full day per week and students must complete the clinical requirement on the weekends. CCD offers the courses several times throughout the year.

Front Range Community College has a campus in Westminster, Colorado that offers a CNA training program through their Allied Health Department. The course is a five credit hour certificate that participants complete in just three weeks. Full day classes, homework, and clinical experience make up the course.

Morgan Community College in Fort Morgan, Colorado offers a a five credit CNA training program that is made up of two classes: Nurse Aide Health Care Skills and Nurse Aide Health Care Clinical Experience. The program prepares students to perform all duties relating to patient’s personal care.

The South Denver School of Nursing Arts, located in Centennial, Colorado, offers CNA training courses at a variety of times and dates throughout the year, starting at the beginning of each month. The school offers an in-facility certification test and limits class sizes to ten students.

Western Colorado Community College in Grand Junction, Colorado offers a CNA training course that is five credit hours and designed to be completed in less than a semester. The program helps students practice skills from the classroom in both college labs and clinical settings.