Certified Nursing Assistant

There are several ways to get your nursing assistant certification. You can enroll in a nurse aid course offered by specialized schools and colleges, or you can choose a nurse assistant training program at a skilled nursing or a long-term caring facility. The certification as such is obtained after you complete training and you take the state exam.

Where to start

First of all, you have to find an accredited school in your area. If you need information on CAN (certified nursing aide) classes in a certain state, you should access the official website of various educational institutions. Once, you’ve narrowed down the list of possible schools, contact them directly and find out when information sessions are held. This gives you the chance to ask all the questions you have and learn about the course specifics, the length, the costs and the nursing assistant certification exam that follows training.

What you train for

A qualified nurse aide or a nursing assistant works as a caregiver helping patients with all the activities necessary for daily living. You may be asked to do all sorts of tasks from feeding, bathing and toileting to listening to your patients and taking vital signs.

There are numerous employment opportunities for certified nursing assistants. Most jobs are available in hospitals and long-term care facilities as well as in rehabilitation centers. Yet, you can find really good nursing assistant jobs in the community. Depending on the work place, employees may benefit from all sorts of financial incentives and educational opportunities. Thus, a nursing assistant who wants to advance in medical care career, may take further courses and qualify as a licensed vocational nurse or registered nurse.

Modifications in the nursing assistant certification

The certification is issued by a state authority, and in compliance with regulations, the certification holder must inform the institutions whenever modifications appear in personal information such as name, address, phone etc. When the certification expires, the competency examination has to be retaken in order for the professional to be able to practice again.

If you don’t renew the certification right away and a longer period of time passes (more than five years) between the expiry date of the certification and the application for the renewal, you may have to join and complete some other courses. You should contact the nursing assistant registry in your country/state to learn about the precise steps to follow in such a situation.

Lots of nursing assistant certifications do not mention the expiry date. Problems in validity appear only when you don’t practice the profession for more than two years. In some countries/states, you can use online tools in the nursing assistant registry office to determine whether your certification is active or expired.

The importance of certification

Without completing training and taking a state exam you cannot work as a nurse aide anywhere in the world. Although regulations vary from state to state, the essence remains the same in terms of nursing assistant certification. Complete the training, take the test and you qualify!