In Virginia, the Department of Health Professions, and specifically the Virginia Board of Nursing, regulates the requirements for becoming a CNA in the state. The Board oversees and grants approval to training programs that comply with the mandated hours of training and curriculum material. Completing an approved CNA training program is the first step to becoming a licensed CNA. State-approved programs must contain both classroom and clinical instruction and must include a range of topics including the role of the nurse aide, safety and emergency procedures, infection and disease control, and basic anatomy and nutrition.

Once an individual has completed a state-approved training program they are then eligible to take the state certification exam, which is a form of the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program, or NNAAP. The NNAAP is an evaluation of nurse-aide related knowledge, skills, and abilities. The exam is made up of a written exam and a skills evaluation. Both parts are administered on the same day. The written exam is made up of 70 multiple choice questions, 10 of which are reading comprehension questions. In the skills evaluation, individuals are asked to perform five randomly selected nurse aide skills for an examiner. Individuals have 25 minutes to complete the five skills.

After passing the state competency exam evaluation individuals are placed on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry. Individuals who appear on the registry are legally qualified to work in any long-term care facility in the state of Virginia. Appearing on the registry proves that an individual has met all of the necessary requirements to be a CNA.

Some of the state-approved CNA certification programs that are offered in Virginia are listed below:

Career Training Solutions located in Fredericksburg, Virginia offers a nurse aide program that prepares individuals for entry-level work as a nurse aide. The program focuses on basic patient care issues as well as special care concerns. There are 132 hours of total training involved in the course and it includes an internship at a long-term care facility, which is made up of 52 hours.

Riverside Health System in Newport News, Virginia offers a nurse aide education program. The program lasts for four weeks and contains 79 hours of classroom instruction and 26 hours of clinical experience. The course is designed to introduce students to the many disciplines involved in the field of lifelong health. Clinical experience takes place during the second two weeks of the course.

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College located in Richmond, Virginia offers a CNA training program as part of the school’s Nursing and Allied Health branch. The course runs for a period of eight weeks. Students can register online for the course. The institution where individuals complete their clinical hours in the course will require a background check.

Tidewater Community College’s Virginia Beach campus location offers a CNA training program. The program is made up of 120 total hours with 80 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of clinical training. The program is one of the college’s health professional certificate and degree programs.

The first step to becoming a LNA in Vermont is to complete a state-approved training program. The Vermont Nurse Aide Registry, a division of Vermont’s Department of Health, regulates LNA programs in the state and grants approval to programs that meet all of their requirements for curriculum and training hours. CNA Training must be made up of a minimum of 90 hours of total instruction. Sixteen of the hours must be spent in a clinical setting doing hands-on training. The classroom instruction hours must cover curriculum that includes topics such as the role of the nurse aide, infection control, safety and emergency procedures, and basic anatomy.

After completing a state-approved training programs individuals may take the state competency exam. The exam is made up of a skills portion and a written portion. The skills portion requires individuals to demonstrate basic LNA tasks in front of a registered nurse examiner. The skills individuals are asked are found on a list of required LNA skills. Individuals are asked a minimum of five randomly selected skills. The written portion of the test is made up of multiple choice questions that cover material taught in training programs.

Once an individual has completed a state-approved training program and passed the state certification exam they are officially certified as an LNA. Certified LNAs are placed on the Vermont Nurse Aide Registry, signifying that they can legally work in any long-term care facilities in the state.

Some of the state-approved LNA certification training programs that are offered in Vermont are listed below:

Barre Technical Center in Barre, Vermont offers LNA courses as part of their Adult Training Health Courses. Classroom instruction takes place at the center and clinical hours take place at the Woodridge Nursing Home. The course is made up of 100 total hours and takes place over a period of about 12 weeks. Classes take place throughout the year and there is also a summer institute training option available.

Randolph Technical Career Center in Randolph, Vermont offers LNA training courses as part of their Adult Education Division. Courses are a minimum of 90 hours and individuals must be at least 18 years or older to enroll in the course. Instruction and clinical hours for the course take place over approximately eight weeks.

Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, Vermont offers a LNA training program. The program is targeted for individuals who are interested in immediate entry-level employment in the field of healthcare. The program is 100 hours in length and takes place over a period of 17 weeks. There are evening program or day program options. Registration for the course requires having a criminal background check conducted.

Green Mountain Technology and Career Center located in Hyde Park, Vermont offer LNA training courses as part of their Continuing and Adult Education program. The program is made up of 100 hours and held over an eight week period of time. Each semester there are three sessions offered. The clinical hours for the course are held at the Manor Nursing Home in Morrisville, Vermont.

Individuals must first complete a CNA training that is approved by the state of Utah. The Utah Nursing Assistant Registry approves training programs that teach the mandatory curriculum and require the necessary clinical experience hours. As part of the training program individuals must complete a minimum of 16 hours of clinical training experience working in a long-term care setting. This training must be under the supervision of a registered nurse.

In Utah, after individuals complete a state-approved training program they must take the Nurses Assistant Training Competency Exam Program, or NATCEP. The exam contains two parts: a written portion and a skills portion. During the skills examination, individuals are assessed by a state-approved RN skills examiner as they perform a minimum of five required skills. Test takers will have twenty to thirty minutes to complete the required skills. For the written exam individuals must complete one hundred multiple choice questions. This part of the exam is given over a computer with audio available.

Individuals who pass the exam are officially certified and will be listed on the Utah Nursing Assistant Registry. Appearing on this registry signifies that an individual has met all of the state and national guidelines required to work legally as a CNA in long-term care facilities. The registry is used by employers as a method of checking or verifying the qualifications of job applicants.

Some of the CNA training courses that are offered in Utah and are approved by the Utah Nursing Assistant Registry are listed below:

AAA CNA Training Centers offers CNA courses at locations in Salt Lake City, Murray, Orem, and Clearfield. The course guarantees students will pass, and allows them to retake the course for free. There are also practice tests available so students can prepare for the state competency exam. Daytime classes are offered over a two week period and evening classes are offered over a three week period of time.

ccCNA located in Midvale, Utah offers a CNA training course that takes about two weeks to complete. Individuals must be at least sixteen years old to enroll in the course. The school offers two or three different start times for training courses each month. Classes are offered for four different schedules: mornings, days, evenings, or weekends.

An Act of Caring located in West Valley City, Utah offers a CNA training program that is three weeks in length or an option where students attend only on Saturdays for eight weeks. Clinical hours during the course are held at the Highland Health Care Center every Friday. Class sizes are limited to ensure personal help and instruction is given to each student in the program.

Dixie State College of Utah offers a CNA training course that is worth four credits. There are 70 hours of lecture and lab work and 24 hours of clinical experience in the course. Classes are taught over a variety of days and hours each semester in order to fit into individuals’ schedules. Students may apply for the course as non-degree seeking students for a quicker process. The state competency exam is given onsite.

In Texas, the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), set the requirements for nurse aide certification in the state. To become a CNA, individuals must first complete an approved CNA training program. Approved training programs are made up of a minimum of 75 hours of instruction, 51 of which are spent in classroom instruction and 24 of which are spent in clinical environment learning. The first 16 hours of classroom training must be completed before beginning any clinical hours and these hours will cover direct patient care policies and skills.

Once an individual has completed a state-approved training program they may take the Texas Nurse Aide competency evaluation program. This consists of a written or oral exam and a skills test. The written or oral exam is made up of 70 multiple choice questions. If candidates have a disability that interferes with reading they may be administered an oral version of the test. The skills test is made up of five randomly selected skills that individuals are required to demonstrate for an examiner. The five selected skills come from a list of basic required CNA skills taught in all training programs.

After passing the competency evaluation program in Texas, an individual is placed on the state’s Nurse Aide Registry. Appearing on the registry proves that an individual has completed all of the state and federal guidelines to work legally in long-term care facilities. Employers of CNAs use the state registry to verify the qualifications of job applicants, and being on the registry is essential to working as a CNA.

Some of the state-approved CNA training programs that are offered in the state of Texas are listed below:

Hearts in Training located in Dallas, Texas offers CNA certification training programs. Courses are offered during the daytime, evening, or weekend hours. Individuals can complete a program in between two to four weeks depending on the schedule they choose. After completing all of the program’s hours, the school sets up an individual’s state exam testing time so they are able become certified.

The North Texas Institute offers a CNA training program that takes 10 weeks to complete. Students must be at least 18 years old to enroll in the course and must have earned a high school diploma or a GED certificate. Clinical training hours for the course take place at a local long-term care facility.

Houston Community College located in Houston, Texas offers a CNA training program. The program is made up of 96 hours of instruction and clinical experience. Before entering the program individuals must show proof of a criminal background check and of current immunizations. Courses are offered each semester.

Barbara Bee’s School of Nurse Aide Training located in Temple, Texas offers a CNA training program. The school also has a job placement assistance program that helps students to find jobs when they complete the course. Employers visit the school on a regular basis so students have the chance to network. Before enrolling in the course students need to have a valid CPR certification.

In Tennessee, the state guidelines require all approved CNA training programs to be made up of at least 75 hours of classroom instruction and clinical training. Training programs must be supervised by a registered nurse in the state who has had at least two years of experience, one year of which must be long-term care experience. Before beginning clinical training, or interacting directly with patients, individuals must complete at least 16 hours of instruction covering all of the following areas: communication and interpersonal skills, resident rights, resident independence, safety and emergency procedures, and infection control. The remainder of the training program curriculum will meet all of the state and federal guidelines for CNAs and include clinical experience.

After completing a CNA training program, an individual is eligible to take the CNA competency evaluation. The evaluation contains two exams. One is a written test and the other is a manual skills test. The written test is made up of 50 or 60 multiple choice questions. The manual skills test requires test takers to perform five skills, which are randomly selected from a list of required CNA skills, for an examiner. The list of required skills contains 25 different skills, all of which are taught in the clinical part of CNA training programs.

Once an individual has passed both parts of the competency evaluation, he or she is added to the Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry. This registry falls under the supervision of the state’s Department of Health. Being listed on the registry proves that an individual has obtained the qualification necessary to work in any long-term healthcare facility in the state of Tennessee.

Some of the state-approved training CNA programs that are offered in Tennessee are listed below:

The Career Academy in Memphis, Tennessee offers a nursing assistant training program. The Tennessee Career Center may be able to provide financial aide for the cost of the course for students who qualify. Classes start up throughout the year and are offered in either the daytime or evenings and last for a duration of about four weeks.

The Tennessee Technology Center offers a CNA training program which prepares individuals for the state competency evaluation. The classes contain 100 hours of total instruction which include lectures, lab work, and hands on training. The program takes place in Livingston, Tennessee.

The Alvin C. York Institute in Jamestown, Tennessee offers CNA training courses. The school has a program designed to allow students to begin a career as a CNA after completing classes or to continue on in the nursing world by beginning to work on a college degree.

The Harbert Hills Academy Nursing Home in Savannah, Tennessee offers CNA training course. The classroom learning takes place at the academy and the hands-on clinical experience that is required to complete the course takes place at the Harbert Hills Nursing Home.

Completing a state-approved CNA training program is the first step to becoming a CNA in South Dakota. This training can be done in a variety of locations including community colleges, technical schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and through other community adult education programs. The South Dakota Board of Nursing oversees the curriculum of CNA training programs and the sets the requirements for the certification process. Approved programs must contain at least 75 hours of classroom instruction and clinical training.

After finishing a state-approved training program, individuals are eligible to take the state competency exam. The competency exam is managed by the South Dakota Health Care Association. The exam consists of a written portion and a skills portion. For the skills portion of the exam, a registered nurse examiner asks test takers to perform randomly selected basic nursing skills. The skills are selected from a list of required CNA skills and all skills are taught in training programs. Usually the examiner asks test takers to perform five different skills.

Individuals who pass both parts of the state competency exam are placed on the South Dakota Nurse Aide Registry. Being listed on the registry proves that an individual has met all of the required guidelines to work legally as a CNA. Individuals listed on the registry may work in any long-term care facility in the state.

Some of the state-approved CNA programs that can be found in South Dakota are listed below:

Lake Area Technical Institute located in Watertown, South Dakota offers CNA program. Most of the instruction for the program is done online, allowing students to complete the 40 hours of required theory at their own pace. Students may find a healthcare facility nearby to complete the 35 hours of required lab and clinical training. Or students may complete the hours at a local nursing home facility that has an agreement with the school to take students for training. Classes are offered quarterly, beginning in January, April, July, and October.

The Boxelder Jobs Corps Center in Nemo, South Dakota offers a free of cost CNA training program. The program is available to individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 years old living in the state, and it is sponsored by the United States Department of Labor. The course is part of the center’s career training division.

New Tec Incorporated located in Aberdeen, South Dakota offers a CNA training program. The program contains 40 hours of classroom learning that focuses on the rights and role of a nurse aide. After the classroom instruction hours are completed, students go to work in a local long-term care facility to complete the clinical training requirements, and have the experience of working with patients.

Southeast Technology Training Center Solutions located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota offers a CNA training program. The program lasts for close to six weeks. The program is made up of classroom instruction and clinical experience. As part of the classroom instruction students have the chance to practice skills that have been taught in a laboratory setting.

In order for individuals in South Carolina to become CNAs they must first complete a state-approved training program. The state requires that CNA programs are made up of at least 80 total hours of instruction and training. Half of the total hours must be spent in classroom instruction and skills practicum learning, and the remainder must be spent in a long-term care facility completing hands-on clinical experience. The curriculum for all of the approved training programs in the state must cover certain material in order to comply with national standards. Required training program topics include infection control, basic nursing skills, nutrition, safety and emergency procedures, and patient rights.

After completing a state-approved training program an individual is eligible to take the state CNA certification exam. The exam consists of a written portion and a skills portion. The written portion is made up of fifty or sixty multiple choice questions that cover material from the classroom portion of a training program. For the skills section of the state exam, individuals are asked to perform five basic skills for an examiner, who is a registered nurse. The skills are randomly selected from a list of required CNA skills that are taught in training programs.

Once an individual has passed the state certification exam they are added to the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry. Being on the registry proves that an individual has met all of the state and national standards to work as a CNA in any long-term healthcare facility in the state. Employers use the registry to verify that a job applicant is qualified to be hired as a CNA.

Some of the state-approved CNA training programs that are offered in South Carolina are listed below:

Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina offers a 102 hour CNA training program. Individuals must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or a GED to enroll in the program. The program also helps individuals become aware of job opportunities for when they graduate, and introduces them to prospective employers. Hands-on clinical experience for the course takes place at a long-term care facility in the Columbia area.

Forrest Junior College in Anderson, South Carolina offers a CNA training program that focuses on preparing students to become members of a nursing team. Students complete a clinical internship class as part of the certificate program. Before enrolling in the program students must have a background check.

Northeastern Technical College offers a CNA course as part of their Continuing Education Department. The course is made up of 80 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of clinical training, which takes place in hospitals and nursing homes. There are day or evening classes available, and students taking the class in the evenings typically complete the program in 15 weeks.

Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, South Carolina offers a CNA training program that is 90 hours of clinical and classroom instruction. The course can usually be completed in less than six weeks of weekday classes. Weekend classes are also offered, as well as an accelerated course which can be completed in just three weeks. The program is part of the college’s Continuing Education Department.

To become a CNA in Rhode Island individuals must take a state-approved CNA training course. State-approved training courses must be made up of a minimum of 100 hours of total learning time, and they must include both classroom instruction and clinical training. While training courses may vary in the number of hours or length of time they take to complete, there is a set curriculum which all training programs must cover in order to meet national CNA standards. Some of the required topics for training programs include infection control, basic nursing skills, patient rights, emergency and safety procedures, and basic anatomy. All training programs must be supervised by a registered nurse with nursing experience.

After completing a state-approved training program in Rhode Island, individuals are then eligible to take the state competency exam which is administered by the Rhode Island Department of Health. The exam contains two separate parts: a written section and a skills section. The written part of the exam consists of fifty to sixty multiple choice questions. The skills portion of the test requires test takers to demonstrate about five CNA skills in front of an examiner. The skills are randomly selected from a list of required basic CNA skills which are taught in all training programs.

Individuals who pass the state certification exam will be added to the Rhode Island Nurse Aide Registry. Employers of CNAs use the registry to check the qualifications of job applicants. Individuals who are listed on the registry are proven to be qualified, according to both state and federal law, to work in any long-term care facility in Rhode Island.

Some of the state-approved CNA training programs that are offered in the state of Rhode Island are listed below:

The Community College of Rhode Island, located in Warwick, offers a CNA training program. The program is a certificate program and it is made up of 100 total hours. The hours are broken into 88 hours of classroom instruction and 32 hours of clinical training. The clinical training takes place in a local nursing facility.

Cranston Arc’s People in Partnership program offers a CNA training course. The training is available to all people, with or without disabilities. In addition to training, the program also offers job placement opportunities to graduates. All eligible Rhode Island citizens may enroll in courses through the People in Partnership program.

Bastian Academy in East Providence, Rhode Island offers CNA training programs. The school offers nurse aide training courses that are completed over a period of three to five weeks. The curriculum includes training on physical fitness and nutrition. Students do not need a high school diploma or a GED to enroll in the course. The academy also offers review classes for the certification exam.

Crossroads Rhode Island in Providence, Rhode Island offers an eight week CNA training program. The program is made up of 240 hours of instruction given by a registered nurse with extensive training. Graduates of the program also receive help with preparing resumes, practicing interviewing skills, and filling out job applications. Clinical training hours for the course take place at the Rhode Island Hospital and at the Elmhurst Extended Care Facility.

The first step to becoming a CNA in Pennsylvania is to complete a state-approved training program. Approved CNA programs in the state are regulated by the Pennsylvania Health Department. Programs are required to contain at least 130 hours of instruction, and this instruction must take place in both a classroom and clinical environment. There is a set curriculum for CNA training programs that is designed to comply with national standards. Although individual programs may vary slightly in their focus, all programs must cover topics including the rights of patients, infection control, patient care, basic nursing skills, and emergency and safety procedures.

Once an individual has completed a state-approved training program they are then eligible to take the two-part state CNA certification exam. One part of the exam is a skills portion that requires test takers to demonstrate five basic CNA skills for a registered nurse evaluator. The skills are randomly selected from a nurse aide handbook and all skills are taught during the skills training portions of courses. The written part of the exam is made up of fifty multiple choice questions that cover topics learned in CNA training programs.

After passing the CNA state certification exam an individual is added to the Pennsylvania State Nurse Aide Registry. Appearing on the registry proves that an individual is qualified to work legally as a CNA. CNAs listed on the registry may work in any long-term healthcare facility in the state.

Some of the state-approved CNA programs that can be found in the state of Pennsylvania are listed below:

Lackawanna College located in Scranton, Pennsylvania offers a Nurse Aide program as part of the college’s Continuing Education division. The program is 200 total hours of classroom experience and hands-on training and the hours are completed over the course of eight weeks. The program also offers 60 hours of specialized instruction in a hospital rotation.

Northhampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania offers a 128 hour Nurse Aide course which can be taken part-time during evenings and weekends or full-time during the day. Students must be at least 18 years old to enroll in the course. The clinical training portion of the course takes place at local nursing home facilities.

Schuylkill Technology Center in Mar Lin, Pennsylvania offers a CNA certification training program. The program is made up of 140 hours of combined classroom and clinical training. The training program takes between five weeks and eleven weeks to complete.

Steel Center Area Vocational Technical School in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania offers a CNA training program. The program is made up of classroom instruction and clinical experience. There is a combined 150 hours of training required in the program, and it takes nine weeks to complete.

To become a CNA in Oregon, individuals must first complete a state-approved CNA training program. In Oregon, the Oregon State Board of Nursing regulates CNA programs and creates the required curriculum and guidelines for programs. All state-approved programs must be made up of at least 75 hours of instruction. A portion of the total hours must be completed in a clinical setting in practical, hands-on experience. This experience must be supervised by a registered nurse. There are mandatory topics that must be covered in all approved programs including basic nursing skills, infection control, and the treatment and rights of patients.

After completing a state-approved CNA training program, individuals are eligible for the state’s Nursing Assistant Exam. The exam is made up of a written test and a manual skills test. The written test is administered in a group setting, but is taken individually, and it consists of multiple choice questions. During the manual skills test, students are tested individually. An examiner gives the test taker five skills to perform, along with the supplies and proper equipment to perform the skills. Actors act as patients for the purposes of the test. The examiner is a registered nurse who rates test takers based on an objective criteria.

Once an individual has passed Oregon’s state Nursing Assistant exam, their name is added to the Oregon State Nurse Aide Registry. Being listed on the registry certifies individuals to work legally as a CNA in the state. Licensed CNAs may work at any long-term healthcare facility. Employers of CNAs use the Nurse Aide Registry to verify the qualifications of job applicants.

Some of the state-approved CNA training programs that are offered in Oregon are listed below:

Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon offers a Nurse Assistant course. Individuals taking the course must have a criminal background check conducted before the classes begin. In addition to qualifying students to take the state CNA exam, the course also serves as a prerequisite to the college’s nursing program. The college offers Nurse Assistant courses offered each term, and class schedules vary.

Linn-Benton Community College offers a Nurse Assistant course that is made up of 150 hours. There are 75 hours of classroom instruction and skills practice given, and 75 hours of clinical experience included in the course. The schedule of classes vary and the college offers the course at multiple locations.

Chemeketa Community College offers a Nursing Assistant Training Program. The program is made up of 80 hours of classroom and lab skills demonstration and 75 hours of clinical training. There are day class or evening class options available, and the program is usually offered every term. The course takes place at the college’s Salem campus location.

Rogue Community College offers Nursing Assistant courses. The college offers the course during the fall, spring, and summer terms at the Medford campus location. The clinical hours for the course take place in a local long-term care facility so students should have reliable transportation. Individuals enrolling in the course must have proof of a current CPR certification.