CNA Training Programs

All about Certified Nursing Assistant Training Programs


Free CNA Training Classes

Thursday 25 February 2010 @ 11:27 pm

If you are among those who are interested in a nursing career, then you should also explore the possibilities to be eligible to get Free CNA Training from your potential employer.  The US Federal Government offers reimbursement for training through Medicare to the health industry employers.  This free training also includes CNA training programs.  All CNAs by law must clear a competency test as per federal requirement. This is the same for all health aides.  Health aides must also have seventy five hours minimum of state approved training.

The National Association for Home Care and Hospice also provides voluntary certification. This is mostly for states that need nursing aides to have a license.  Some high schools also provide free training for CNA certification test.

American Red Cross trains and tests CNAs but it is not free.  However, it is relatively less expensive in comparison to most paid CNA training programs.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) along with Tulsa Community College and Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education is offering to cover cost of training of approximately 1000 CNA students for the year 2010.  All the money to fund this program has been collected form nursing homes that have defaulted by providing sub standard care.  CNAs working with long term  patients in a  nursing home and skilled facilities are eligible for this training.

There are close to 66000 CNAs who are certified and registered in the state of Oklahoma.  These 66000 are eligible for applying  for free training as CNAs.  Since in 2010, only 1000 students are going to be funded  the competition is very high.  If accepted, the students are given instructions on immunization.  Also, a criminal background check as well as a drug screening test is done as an eligibility criteria to undergo the CNA training classes.

The CNA training is for 30 hours.  It has 11 modules each of which is 3 hrs long. This  five day training focuses on teamwork, safety, nutrition, aging, dementia care, illness, importance of family, restorative care, dying and spirituality.  For CNA certification the student needs to pass after taking the state exam.

Another choice would be free CNA classes that are available online.  But these only cover certain topics and may not have everything that is necessary for passing the exam.  So be sure whether the site you refer to is showing topics to pass CNA exam or just general information.

The projected rate of job growth for nursing aides and assistants is 28% between 2006 & 2016. But although the job growth is tremendous, opportunities for advancing may be less as compared to an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse).  Hence it is recommended that CNAs continue their studies and education to certification as an LPN or RN (registered nurse).  Online LPN classes are also available.

We hope this answers most of your questions about free CNA training classses. You may also read another post  on Free CNA Training for more details.

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CNA Licensing requirements

Sunday 21 February 2010 @ 11:37 pm

Obtaining a license as a certified nursing assistant is the primary prerequisite for a career in nursing.  The specifications for acquiring a license vary state- and location-wise.  A few general conditions that must be kept in mind to apply for a license are:

Age: The age requirement for a candidate applying for a certified nursing assistant course is over 18 years.

High School education: Some states require the candidate to have finished a basic education of at least eight years inclusive and covering courses relevant to applied knowledge and essential biological awareness of the human physiology or display proof of familiarity of the subject.

English language: Knowledge and understanding of the English language is essential in order to be able to speak with patients and their families in the language.

Transcripts: Ensure all official college curriculum transcripts are available at hand to show to the licensing authority to prove authenticity.
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CNA Licensing requirements





Red Cross CNA Training Chapters

Tuesday 2 February 2010 @ 12:14 am

The American Red Cross is well known for its CNA training.  They have the facilities and  training faculty which are supposedly the best in the field.  The CNA training is conducted by  highly experienced professionals.  The training offered by the Red Cross organization is not free, although it is low cost CNA training compared to other paid CNA Training courses.

Red Cross CNA training programs are offered in  the US across thirty six cities.  This is a great opportunity for beginners who are considering health care as a career.  For many health care professional, CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) is a stepping stone to becoming a RN (Registered Nurse) .

American Red Cross makes sure that it meets the federal standards for CNA training.  Every chapter has its program designed to meet the licensing requirements of the state.  This includes training hours, standards, practices and procedures.  The hours and cost of different programs will differ as per state licensing requirement.

The cost can be anywhere between 1,000 to 2,000 dollars depending on the state and can vary in different cities.

The Red Cross chapters providing CNA training programs are as follows:-
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Red Cross CNA Training Chapters

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CNA Training Programs in Michigan

Thursday 28 January 2010 @ 12:48 pm

CNA training programs for getting qualified as certified nursing assistant are offered in many community colleges in Michigan state.

Free Red Cross CNA Training in Michigan

Free Red Cross CNA training is also available in the state of Michigan.  A new program known as  No worker Left Behind has just been launched.  They train you free for becoming a CNA, LCP or PCA. If you ate making under $40000 a year you can qualify for it.  More information is available with Michigan Works office or Red Cross Office in Detroit, Southeastern Michigan.

CNA Training Programs in Michigan

Colleges in Michigan State that are offering CNA training courses  include Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Lansing Community College in Lansing,  and Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor.  CNA Training Programs offered by these schools can be completed within few months or weeks.
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CNA Training Programs in Michigan

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CNA and Nursing Jobs

Monday 25 January 2010 @ 9:30 am

Looking for CNA or Nursing Jobs?

A CNA job will set you on the fast track to a quality career in the health care field. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are employed in a variety of facilities including government hospitals, private hospitals and clinics, and home care. There are roughly 1.4 million nursing aides currently employed in the United States.

The turnover in the CNA field is quite high, as many CNAs leave jobs opting for advanced training to become a RN or LPN. Thus, there is continual demand for CNA professionals.  CNA jobs are expected to grow at a rate 21% or more in the next five years.  There are excellent job openings for CNAs across the United States. CNA salaries vary depending on the location, shift timings, and experience.

We have recently partnered with simplyhired.com to offer you access to the latest job openings for CNAs all across the United States. You can search the database of thousands of CNA jobs. It is one of the biggest and smartest job search engine on the web for nurse aides.

Please check our CNA Job Search Engine for CNA Job Openings section at the top right of our home page.

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Personal Hygiene for Nursing Assistants

Sunday 17 January 2010 @ 11:53 pm

Appropriate dressing and personal maintenance is important in almost all professions.   For Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), professional appearance and personal hygiene is more important compared to any other professions.  It is a reflection of how a CNA will take care of their patient’s personal hygiene.

Certified nursing assistants who are particular about their personal hygiene clearly show their commitment to their profession.  Since, CNAs are in the profession of maintaining the daily well being of others, it is necessary that they show their ability of maintaining their own hygiene.

Nursing Assistant Personal HygieneYou can perform your duties as a CNA with ease if your clothing are comfortable and suitable for your job requirements.  Being in an appropriate dress is required for nurse and other clinical personnel.  Nursing assistants have to wear nursing scrubs while performing their daily job.  The style or color of scrubs may vary according to the employer but wearing scrubs is a must.  It is better to have enough sets of so that you always have a clean set of scrubs for you to wear.  As wrinkles give unprofessional look, always wear properly washed and pressed scrubs which will give you a smart appearance.  You can get sets of scrubs and accessories for nurses and nursing assistants at affordable price in different stores.
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Personal Hygiene for Nursing Assistants

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CNA for Career in Health Care

Wednesday 6 January 2010 @ 3:09 am

A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program can be just what you need if you are looking for a career in health care.  There is an accelerated growth in the health care sector and the demand for CNA jobs is quite high and expected to increase more in the coming years.

CNA CareerAll you need is a high school diploma or a GED.  Since it is so easy to enroll for CNA program it is all the more alluring.  The course can be finished in 1 ½-3 months and is available at community colleges and medical facilities.  The syllabus consists of nutrition, infection control, anatomy and physiology and instruction in the basics of nursing.  A CNA certificate will be issued to you after finishing the program.  This can be used to register with National Association for Home Care.


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CNA for Career in Health Care

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CNA Salaries by State

Tuesday 29 December 2009 @ 6:25 am

Job description of CNA involves providing basic health care to patients under the guidance of staff nurse.  Typically CNA jobs involve duties such as bathe, feed, dress, move or groom and also change linens of patients. The Pay Scale of Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) is based on the job titles such as Orderlies, Attendants and Nursing Aides.

The basic pay structure of CNAs differs from state to state.  CNAs are normally paid on hourly basis.  Working in a city as CNA can be rewarding as you can get higher hourly CNA salaries  compared to that in rural area.  Certified Nurse Assistant also gets paid on the basis of his or her experience.  More the experience better chances of getting higher hourly CNA salary.  Less experienced or inexperienced CNAs can still expect to earn a hourly wage between $8 to $11.  For example any CNAs with working experience of 1 year can expect to get hourly salaries of around $12 to $14.  Many nursing homes provide attractive benefits to CNAs and also pay hourly salary comparable to that in other big hospitals.  Displayed below are typical average hourly salaries of CNAs in a some popular states.

* Pennsylvania $11.64
* California $11.58
* Florida $10.75
* Illinois $10.45
* Texas $9.84
* North Carolina $9.73
* Georgia $9.22

CNA salaries also depend on the experience. Typically the CNA salary range is as follows

Expeience in Years
Hourly Rate Range (US$)
Less than 1 year
8.65    to   10.89
1 to 4 Years
9.06    to   11.52
5 to 9 Years
9.73    to   12.56
10 to 19 Years
10.08  to   13.45
20 Years or more
10.49  to   14.53


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CNA Salaries by State

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How to choose the right CNA training School?

Thursday 10 December 2009 @ 2:57 am

Certified Nursing Assistants are specially trained technicians for patient care and have to work in various demanding environments.  Trained CNAs are hired in hospitals, health care clinics, long term and continuing care facilities, psychiatric care settings or as they can work as home nursing aides.  There are many CNA training schools, but selecting a good and effective CNA training program is quite a challenging job.

Before selecting a CNA training School,  you should take certain factors into consideration. Some of these are as follows:

Location of CNA School

First thing to note while selecting any CNA training school is its location and the distance you need to travel to reach the school.  If you prefer not to travel long distance, then you should finalize on school near your residence.  You also need to examine the class and school size as some students opt for smaller schools and classes to get individual attention, while others may opt for bigger schools with more students.

Facilities Available in CNA College

If you wish to work as a Certified Nursing Assistants in health care services, the most important factor  is practical experience.  So while selecting any CNA training school always make sure that it is  affiliated with nursing homes, hospitals or any other health care center where you can practice your CNA skills and gain practical knowledge.


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How to choose the right CNA training School?

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Online CNA Training Programs

Sunday 6 December 2009 @ 8:49 am

If you are looking for studying for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) within the comfort of your home and at your own pace, then going for an Online CNA training course is the answer.  Online CNA training courses are also cost efficient.   Online CNA training programs can help you prepare for the state CNA exam, as in most states there are no educational prerequisites to get trained for CNA certification.

online cna classesMany who wish to become nurse aide or health-care professional like CNA do not have the opportunity or time or to undergo a campus based nursing assistant course or CNA training, as these courses may not be available near the place they reside or have schedules which may not be convenient to the candidates.  Some candidates may find the course fees to be not affordable.  For all such cases, undergoing online CNA training course can be the right choice, but one has to also consider that it also has some cons.  Some drawbacks of the online courses for CNA are the lack the live interaction with trainers, other students, and professionals. Moreover, you would not get any practice with clinical equipment, procedures, patients and the direct hands-on clinical exposure.

In order to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, you will have to take and pass the CNA exam for your state.  CNA training programs vary from state to state. You will first have to inquire about the requirements of training for being able to take the CNA test in your state.  Depending on the state, some states require you to undergo clinical training and theory courses for several months while in other states aspiring CNAs only need to undergo training courses for just two weeks, without any formal education.  However, it is mandatory in all states for a CNA to have learned and mastered a set of basic skills related to nurse aide.   Apart from course work in physiology and anatomy, these skills include activities like measuring vital patient parameters, communication and documentation skills related to patient care, and moving patients.


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Online CNA Training Programs

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Sample Test Questions for CNA Exam

Wednesday 2 December 2009 @ 7:09 am

If you wish to get a sense of what’s involved in the CNA test and to know if you are ready for taking the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP ) certification exam conducted by the American Red Cross, sample test questions for CNA will surely help you.  This is a must if you are considering becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

The written CNA exam contains questions related to all the skills that a CNA must have.  You can get a clear idea of the nature of questions asked in the CNA exam.  Your performance on the CNA test, administered by the American Red Cross will depend on how well you can answer the sample test questions.  Thus, Sample testing questions for CNA exam can certainly help you in getting ready for NNAAP certification exam, and also in achieving high scores in the test.

The first section of the CNA test is the written exam which consists of 70 multiple choice questions. Some of the typical questions will test the candidate’s knowledge in areas like

Sample Test Questions for CNA Written Test:

  • What care should be taken in hand washing?
  • What is the best way for the nurse’s aid to prevent spread of infection?
  • What is the function of an ombudsman?
  • What are exercises called which move each muscle and joint?
  • What do you mean by Fowler’s position?
  • Ten ounces is equal to how many cc?
  • What is a measurement of urinary output?
  • What is the first nurse’s aide, if the patient has a deep cut on the forehead?
  • What part of a sweater is put on first, in case of left-sided weak patient?
  • How often position to be changed for a patient who is on complete bed rest ?
  • How the nurse should enter the room of a hearing impaired patient?
  • What is the best way to talk to a confused patient?


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Sample Test Questions for CNA Exam

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CNA Test Preparation

Thursday 19 November 2009 @ 11:00 pm

Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant requires hard work and dedication. However, it is worth the efforts once you pass the certification exams to become a CNA.  This is a challenging career through which you can take care of sick, disabled and aged persons and also get a good salary.  The  CNA certification examination is quite tough but not impossible to pass.  The CNA certification exam consists of a written exam followed by a practical exam.

If you have already attended CNA training classes and are contemplating whether to take the CNA exam, or if you are just considering if the CNA career is for you, CNA sample test questions can help you guage that.  The best way to get ready for CNA certification written exam is to attempt sample CNA test questions.  Sample CNA test questions  can make a big difference in your overall performance of CNA exam.  Sample CNA test questions can help you to find out if you are prepared for taking the NNAAP (National Nurse Aide Assessment Program) certification exam.  This test is administered by Red Cross CNA Training.

The written exam is the first part of the CNA certification test.  The written examination consists of (70) seventy multiple-choice questions and (10) Ten of these questions are non-scored (pre-test) questions which are meant for collecting statistical information.  Thorough knowledge of written material will also help you in skills section.


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CNA Test Preparation

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