Pursuing a career in the healthcare industry is the smartest move, considering the economic conditions. Options are in numbers if you have made up your mind to follow this occupation.
Depending on what you want to be, you may need years of training, plus big money. If both these factors are out of your capacity, you have no other alternative besides becoming a nursing assistant.
Further career advancement is also possible if you add on years of experience to your profession. You can become a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse if you update your education and skills. For that, you have to enroll in Pennsylvania CNA classes.
Taking admission in Pennsylvania CNA classes means a lifelong investment where income will keep coming even under the sluggish economy. The course is intended to prepare you for becoming a certified nursing assistant.
It will help you to serve residents, as well as manage the expenses of your family. You can work in private clinics, government hospitals, state-run healthcare facilities, and rehabilitation centers funded by private organizations.
Further, you can work as a freelancer by offering your skills to a family who needs someone to look after an aged member in the house.
If you want to be sure whether investing in the Pennsylvania CNA classes at this time is appropriate for you, you must listen and read what the government officials have asserted about the future job market.
According to their calculation, the medical industry’s jobs will keep growing by 18 to 20 percent until 2029. It is a welcome note for people who need inspiration for nursing occupations.
This is the right time to take Pennsylvania CNA classes. When you start searching where to enroll, you will find many community colleges and vocational schools in your area that has provided CNA education to many.
Future prediction by the government officials and awareness about securing a career has captured many towards the nursing assistant’s profession.
Therefore, often you will find no seat available with these training institutes. If you are unlucky not to get an admission, you can take training with the Red Cross chapter of Pennsylvania. They also offer online training if commuting daily to and from is a problem for you.
Table of Contents
How to Become a CNA in Pennsylvania?
Students have to complete CNA training accredited by the state nurse aide registry to challenge and pass a state exam.
Passing students can work in any licensed long-term care facilities once the registry enters their profile with them. Here are a few instructions that will help you in becoming a CNA in Pennsylvania.
Find which training program meets the nursing board’s requirements. Visit or call the state education board and get a list of approved training programs. Ideally, the course should provide classroom training on the premises and clinical practice training in a long-term care facility.
Following the training, challenge the state competency evaluation exam. The written test is meant to check your knowledge about things associated with the medical industry.
Practical tests will confirm that you have acquired the required skills. Passing both the tests will ensure a place for you in the database of the nurse aide registry.
Prerequisites for Nurse Aide Courses
- Must be at least 16 years old
- Clean criminal background
- Passing medical and drug examination
- Good conduct
- Excellent interaction skills
- Ability to work in a team
- Consistency
Approved CNA Program in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania CNA Training program will train you with a variety of nursing skills. You have to attend all classroom instruction, lab settings, and clinical sessions to appear for the exam. The course will also provide textbooks and ready material that will help you in passing the exam.
The students obtain this formal training through state-approved CNA training programs.
Many high schools offer such classes, community colleges, technical vocational academies, nursing homes, long-term care Many education centers, and independent programs.
Some of the popular CNA classes in Pennsylvania are conducted by
- Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg
- Admiral Peary Area Vocational Technical School in Ebensburg
- Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Jamison
- Lehigh-Carbon Community College in Allentown
The Red Cross chapter of Philadelphia also offers nurse aide training.
These are all highly reputed institutes that provide quality training and are approved by the state of Pennsylvania.
Free CNA Training in Pennsylvania
Here is a list of institutes that might offer CNA training for free.
- Ambler Rest Center
Contact Number: (215) 646-7050
Address: – 32, South Bethlehem Pike, Ambler, Pennsylvania-19002
Email Id: (215) 646-6662
Official Website: amblerrestcenter.nationalsearchdirectory.net
- Andorra Woods Healthcare Center
Contact Number: (610) 825-6560
Address: – 9209, Ridge Pike, White Marsh, Pennsylvania-19128
Fax: (610) 825-9478
Email Id: busdev@andorrawoods.net
- Angela Jane Pavilion
Contact Number: (215) 708-1200
Address: – 8410, Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-19152
Fax: (215) 708-5057
Email Id: info@angelajane.com
Official Website: angelajane.com
- Arbor View, Willow Valley
Contact Number: (717) 464-5284
Address: – 211, Willow Valley Square, Lancaster, Pennsylvania-17602
Email Id: admissions@willowvalley.org
Official Website: willowvalleyretirement.com
- Arbutus Park Manor
Contact Number: (814) 266-8621
Address: – 207, Ottawa Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania-15904
Official Website: arbutusparkmanor.com
- Beaver Valley Nursing & Rehabilitation
Contact Number: (724) 846-8200
Address: – 257, Georgetown Road, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania-15010
Fax: (724) 847-2998
Email Id: beavervalley@extendicare.com
- Belair Health & Rehabilitation
Contact Number: (724) 339-1071
Fax: (724) 339-2882
Address: –100, Little Road, Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania-15068
Email Id: belair@extendicare.com
- Belle Haven
Contact Number: (215) 536-7666
Address: – 1320, Mill Road, Quakertown, Pennsylvania-18951
- Belle Reve Health Care Center
Contact Number: (570) 409-9191
Address: – 404, East Harford Street, Milford, Pennsylvania-18337
- Care Pavilion, Walnut Park
Contact Number: (215) 476-6264
Address: – 63rd Walnut Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-19139
Fax: (215) 476-1682
- Carleton Senior Care & Rehabilitation
Contact Number: (570) 724-2631
Address: – 10, West Avenue, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania-16901
Fax: (570) 724-6852
- Cathedral Village
Contact Number: (215) 487-1300
Address: – 600, East Cathedral Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-19128
Official Website: cathedralvillage.com
- Cedar Haven
Contact Number: (717) 274-0421
Address: – 590, South Fifth Avenue, Lebanon, Pennsylvania-17042
Fax: (717) 274-5501
Email Id: solive@lebcnty.org
Official Website: lebcounty.org
- Centre Crest Home
Contact Number: (814) 355-6777
Address: – 502, East Howard Street, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania-16823
Fax: (814) 355-6999
- Evangelical Manor
Contact Number: (215) 624-5800
Address: – 8401, Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-19152
Fax: (215) 624-7605
Email Id: scarter@wel.org
Official Website: wel.org
- Evergreen Nursing Center
Contact Number: (724) 452-6970
Address: – 191, Evergreen Mill Road, Harmony, Pennsylvania-16037
Fax: (724) 452-1333
- Fair Winds Manor
Contact Number: (724) 353-1531
Address: – 126, Iron Bridge Road, Sarver, Pennsylvania-16055
Fax: (724) 353-1117
Email Id: info@qualitylifeservices.com
Official Website: qualitylifeservices.com
- Fairmount Homes
Contact Number: (717) 354-4111
Address: – 219, Cats Back Road, Ephrata, Pennsylvania-17522
Fax: (717) 354-6665
- Hometown Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Contact Number: (570) 668-1775
Address: – Rr #2, Box 118-B, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania-18252
Fax: (570) 668-1570
Official Website: hometownnursingcenter.com
- Homewood, Martinsburg Pa Inc.
Contact Number: (814) 793-3728
Address: – 430, South Market Street, Martinsburg, Pennsylvania-16662
Fax: (814) 793-3654
Official Website: homewood.com
- Horizon Senior Care
Contact Number: (724) 746-5040
Address: – 300, Barr Street, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania-15317
Fax: (724) 746-2392
- Hospitality Care Center, Hermitage
Contact Number: (724) 342-5279
Address: – 3726, East State Street, Hermitage, Pennsylvania-16148
Fax: (724) 981-1271 - Hrh Transitional Care Unit
Contact Number: (215) 938-2860
Address: – 1648, Huntingdon Pike, Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania-19046
Fax: (215) 938-2863
How Long Does It Take?
In Pennsylvania, CNA programs have to strictly follow the nurse aide registry guidelines and provide training for 130 hours divided into classroom study and clinical practice.
What will you Learn During the CNA Program?
The certified nursing assistant education is overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, while the Department of Health oversees the nursing assistants’ certification.
As compared to the states having certified nursing aide training for only 75-100 hours, the training program in this state is relatively longer. The course program lasts for 130 hours, which is much longer than the minimum hour requirement of 80 hours.
The total duration is distributed between 2 sections – classroom instruction and hands-on clinical sessions. It focuses more on hands-on clinical practice rather than the theory part.
The first session is allotted to the in-class instruction, and the second session is allotted to the practical skills. The qualified course instructors conduct the first session in the facility’s classrooms and the second session in an actual health care setting.
Thus, during hands-on practice, the students obtain guidance from both the instructors and the nursing staff at the facility. They train the students and prepare them for the state level examination they have to go through right after the classes are over.
The classroom instruction of classes involves all the technical course content. It enables the students to learn and understand the theoretical base behind the nursing practices.
As these concepts are thoroughly covered in the first session, they are ready to implement them while they go through the practical session.
Similarly, the second clinical practice session covers all the essential clinical skills necessary for a CNA to perform accurately.
| Classroom Session |
|
| Clinical Session |
|
Procedure for the State Certification Exam
After you complete a CNA course in Pennsylvania, you can apply for a state certification exam (National Nurse Aide Assessment Exam). This exam is based on the concepts taught and implemented during a certified nursing assistant training program.
It includes two sections: written test and clinical skills evaluation test.
The written test, which can be taken in an oral format, stresses testing the candidates’ theoretical nursing understanding. This test includes 70 multiple choice questions, which must be solved within 1 hour.
Taking this test in an oral format will require you to specify it in the exam application form.
One must solve 60 multiple choice questions, and 10 reading comprehension questions in the oral test provided on the cassette. Multiple choice questions are repeated once, after which you answer that question through marking.
For the reading comprehension part (related to analyzing your understanding of nursing job-specific words), each word is repeated twice.
Duration for this test is the same as that of the written test. Make sure you excel in both parts of this test/written test.
During the skills test, an evaluator randomly selects and assigns any five skills (one of them is hand washing compulsorily) to the candidates, asking them to perform these skills within 25 minutes under his/her supervision.
This test judge the candidates’ clinical hands-on skills, wherein an evaluator rates his/her performance for each skill.
| Exam Type | Question Type | Given Time |
| Written Test | 70 Multiple Choice | 60 Minutes |
| Practical Test | 5 Randomly Selected Skills | 25 Minutes |
Good performance in each of the skills is needed, as a failure in even a single skill task will result in retaking this test next time.
Succeeding in this exam will list you under the Nurse Aide Registry, giving you the license to get employed anywhere as a Certified Nurse Aide in any hospital, clinic, long-term care facility, rehabilitation center, etc..
One can apply for this exam thrice within a 2-year eligibility period. If you do not succeed either in the written section or in the skills section on your first/second try, you will be required to retake that section only.
Failing in this exam in the third attempt will require you to take a CNA course and state certification exam all over again.
Certified nursing assistants are required to renew their licenses every two years to continue working in that state.
For renewing this license, a candidate is required to prove his/her employment status, claiming that he/she has worked for at least 8 hours as a Certified Nurse Aide in the last 24 months, performing nursing-related functions in any authorized facility in Pennsylvania.
How Much Does it Cost?
The average cost of training is $1000; some institutes offer training, which starts at $400, and it can go up to $1500 in other institutes.
| Written and skills exam | $102 |
| Oral & skills exam | $112 |
| Written only | $32 |
| Skills only | $70 |
| Oral only | $32 |
The high-cost programs take care of all the costs, including the study material, equipment, and exam fee.
Some even include the cost of medical examination and criminal background check.
What if you Can’t Afford the Cost?
You can search for free training in local medical facilities; these facilities offer free training if you agree to work for them for around 12 months after certification.
The health department of Pennsylvania also has some scholarship programs if you are facing some financial crisis.
How Much Does a CNA Make in Pennsylvania?
More than 75,000 people were working in Pennsylvania as certified nursing assistants. The figure is expected to grow by 20% over the next five years, which means the state will need 15000 more trained professionals in this period.
So if you have decided to make a livelihood by becoming a nurse aide, you will have many employment opportunities knocking on your doors.
The nursing aide payment in Pennsylvania lies between USD 21,000 and USD 33,000 per year. The hourly payment ranges from USD 12 to USD 16 depending upon the working hours. Therefore, the median payment will be approximately USD 24,000 per annum.
The average annual payments of CNAs working in different industries are as follows:
| Designation | Average Annual Payment |
| Psychiatric Aide | USD 32,000 |
| Pediatric Nurse Assistant | USD 69,000 |
| Hospital and Nursing Home Based Aide | USD 27,000 |
| Home Health Aide | USD 22,000 |
| Personal Caregivers | USD 29,000 |
| Long Term Care Based Nursing Assistants | USD 44,000 |
RN: The average per year income is USD 69000.
LPN: The average per year income is USD 38000.
If you are looking for a stable job with long term rewards and career growth, enroll in one of the CNA classes in Pennsylvania and get a head-start in the honorable nursing career.
What Does a CNA Do?
Certified nurse aides are like the building blocks of the higher nursing hierarchy. They are considered the nursing profession’s fundamental components, which perform the primary duties for patient care. They assist doctors and senior registered nurses.
The certified nurse aides are the front line active working professionals trained and skilled to perform their job duties.
Job Opportunities
Due to the slowdown, health insurance companies like Medicare and Medicaid advocate nurse aides to significantly reduce medical care costs.
The hourly wages of registered nurses (RN) are very high compared to nursing assistants, and if RNs are required to provide basic healthcare activities like moving and feeding patients, the cost will be high. Hence CNA plays a vital role in cost reduction and also lessens the workload of RNs.
Conclusion
In today’s economic climate, most industries have suffered huge setbacks forcing them to decrease the headcount.
You must choose a career very carefully in such a scenario to have a secure job and not worry about your monthly bills.
The healthcare industry offers many such career options if you have a liking for this field. One such career is a certified nursing assistant; it is a steady job, and trained professionals are in great demand.
If you join one of the CNA schools in Pennsylvania, you can look forward to a rewarding career in this state.