How to Become a CNA – 4 Steps to Follow

It does not take more than a compassionate heart to be worthy of the title of Certified Nursing Assistant, since if you truly are of a compassionate and caring nature, then, you will find the somewhat demanding job profession of a nurse assistant self-satisfying, despite its modest earnings ranging from around $8 to $14 per hour. Anyways, this modest salary figure would get much better, if after becoming a CNA, you then pursue higher-level nursing credentials like that of a Licensed Practical Nurse or a Registered Nurse.

Becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) is one of the most rewarding jobs out there. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it in the end! As long as you follow these four steps, you will be on your way to becoming a CNA with ease.

1st Step:–Clear Up the Pre-requisites!

You will be qualified to enroll in a CNA school, only after the completion of your high school education, and that also with good grades in science and mathematics. Without the GED certificate or the high school diploma in your pocket, the nursing schools would not deem it right to enter you in their program.

In addition to the must-have high school diploma, the schools also expect you to submit fresh medical reports, giving the positive review of your physical and mental well-being, and stating that you are free of the clutches of the communicable diseases, especially the TB skin disease.

2nd Step:–Find an Accredited program For Your Enrollment!

Once you have accomplished all the pre-requisites, you may then confidently knock on the door of your desired school (be it online or classroom-based), but, mind you, that preferred of yours need to have the plaque advertising about its accreditation from the state nursing board.

Benefits & Importance of Enrolling in an Accredited CNA School

1. Accredited CNA programs are of high quality, and provide complete theoretical & clinical training!
When asked about the quality of their coursework, each and every school is likely to give you a positive response, thus, making it quite difficult for you to figure out which program is really of the best quality.
So, in order to make sure that you do not waste your money on a bad or even fraudulent program, your state’s nursing board does this wonderful job of granting accreditation to some selected options, whose curriculum, upon inspection, have been found to provide thorough theoretical education and clinical training to the aspiring nursing assistants.

Note:–You can either personally contact your state’s nursing board or just visit its official website to glean information about what CNA programs of your locality have received the state approval.

2. Accredited CNA programs grants you the eligibility to sit for the state CNA licensing exam!
Besides their quality coursework, the accredited CNA schools also have the benefit of letting their graduated students the eligibility to sit in the certification exam or, rather say, the Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation, passing which would then get them honored with the state license and, therefore, make them qualified to work in any healthcare facilities.

Note:– Although the federal laws, pertaining to the CNA education requirements, dictates that one should complete minimum 75 credit hours long training to challenge the licensing exam, the majority of states in the US have the tendency to formulate their own education requirements. So, prior to enrollment at a school, you better check out what credit hours are demanded by your state’s nursing board.

3rd Step:– Graduating From a state-approved program!

For your information, the certified nursing programs, in general, have a “short and sweet” schooling period, meaning that it’s possible for you to complete a state-approved CNA coursework in as little as 2 weeks to as long as 8 weeks, provided that you do not apply for the self-paced online classes.

Now, during the course of your CNA schooling period, you would get to explore the essential nursing courses like patient care techniques, ethics, anatomy, physiology, infection control, and medical terminology. And, upon the completion of this theoretical nursing coursework via didactic lecture classes and lab practices, your program would then assign you a clinical internship at some local patient care settings.

At the end of your program or, rather say, after the completion of both the theoretical and clinical training, you would then be honored with the Certificate of Completion.

4th Step:–Pass the CNA Certification Exam & Become a Licensed CNA!

Possessing the Certificate of Completion from an accredited CNA program marks the fact that you have successfully completed all the educational requirements for becoming a certified nurse and that you are now wholly competent at upholding the basic nursing assistant job duties.

However, it is not 100 percent sure that you have achieved the Certificate of Completion through fair means. Hence, in order to prove that you are truly worthy of the title of a Certified Nursing Assistant, you would have to seek the CNA license from your state, for which a Nurse Aide Competency exam has to be passed with flying colors.

Only after earning the CNA license would you be able to get yourself employed, and thus practice the profession of a certified nursing assistant in your specific state, with average salary earnings of around $25,000 per annul.