Information about CNA Nursing Schools in Massachusetts

It may sound unreal, but it is true; you can become a nursing assistant is six to twelve weeks and the fees charged by CNA classes in Massachusetts is not very high. When you become a nursing assistant you will have to assist patients in routine activities like eating, moving around, bathing, dressing and grooming etc. and do other duties delegated by a supervising nurse. But as a nurse aide you will not be responsible to core medical activities; all the responsibilities will be allied to the medical duties of nurses and doctors.

Some of the popular CNA nursing schools in Massachusetts are offered at Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown, Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, Bristol Community College in Fall River and Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield. The American Red Cross Society also offers nurse aide programs at its various chapters in Cambridge, Peabody, Brockton, New Bedford etc. The Red Cross programs have got a great reputation across the country.

To be eligible for nurse aide training you must be 18 years of age and must have a high school diploma or GED. Many high schools in Massachusetts provide for specialized training for nurse aides but the state certification requirement needs a high school diploma. Other prerequisites are a medical test stating a negative tuberculosis test and submission of two fingerprint cards for the FBI background check. The training must be taken at a community college or nursing facility which is approved by the state to qualify for certification; a program authentication form must be submitted with the application form.

The average cost of training in Massachusetts is $800 but it will differ from one institute to another; the range of the program cost is from $400 to $1200. The low cost programs can be deceptive as you will have to bear the expenses of uniform, study material and equipments for practice etc. the medical test and background check are additional costs that the costlier programs include in their fees.

Kindred Healthcare and Maplewood Care and Rehabilitation Center are some of the facilities that offer free training if you qualify for their training. The additional advantage is that you will not have to search for a job once you are certified as these facilities will offer employment. If you are in the age group of 17 to 21 years the nursing board has special programs for you and you can get free training through these programs.

The Massachusetts state CNA exam fee is $93 and is administered by the American Red Cross Society. The society notifies the state nurse aide registry once you clear the exam and you will be issued the license by the registry which is valid for two years. You can renew the license if you have worked for at least eight hours in those two years and have a clean record with the registry; the renewal cost is $87.

The mandatory training hours in Massachusetts are the same as the federal mandate; 175 hours of minimum training is required out of which 100 hours are fixed for supervised clinical training and the remaining hours for classroom studies. Classroom study includes subjects like nutrition, medical terminology, basic anatomy and interpersonal skills etc. while the clinical classes train students on basic nursing skills, personal care and various therapies etc. In all minimum 25 different skills are taught in these classes.

Once you finish the training you have to take the certification exam which is called Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation (NACE) in Massachusetts. The NACE has a theory paper of 60 multiple choice questions and you will have two hours to answer those. The skills test must be taken under the supervision of a nurse aide where you have to perform five of the 25 skills that were learnt during training.

The per capita personal income of the state is around $50,000 so the salary prospects for you as a nurse aide are also better in Massachusetts. The average yearly salary of CNA here is $34,000 whereas the national average is $27,000. So nursing assistants in Massachusetts are better off as compared to some other states and if you develop your skills with experience you can earn up to $42,000 a year which is great because this is an entry-level job. If you continue education and go on to become a RN you will be able to earn an average salary of $90,000 every year.

CNA nursing schools in Massachusetts serve the purpose of training those who wish to jump start their nursing career; you can complete training within weeks and pass a simple certification exam to get started.