Schools for Nurse Aides in Oregon

Providence Benedictine Nursing Center in Mt. Angel, Springdale Job Corps Center in Troutdale, Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Portland Community College in Portland and Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario offer training that have earned good reputation over the years. These CNA schools in Oregon are recognized by the state and abide by the rules and regulation set by the statute. These schools have made it their motto to provide training which is practical oriented and qualitative; that’s why these programs have become popular amongst aspiring nurses.

The Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN) is responsible for setting the regulations regarding the training and certification module of nurse aides. The training schools have to prove their mettle to get training licenses from the board and they have to maintain the quality of training to continue serving as a training center. For students it is imperative that they enroll in approved programs in order to qualify for the state certification exam.

CNA certification in Oregon is subject to certain prerequisites. You must be in good physical and mental health and a physical and psychological checkup is required to confirm the same. IF you have a criminal case or a pending disciplinary action against your name in Oregon or any other jurisdiction you are not eligible for the certification. All the rights of approval or denial of the application for certification are reserved with the OSBN.

The cost of nurse aide training starts from $500 and can go up to $1500. On an average the cost is around $1000 and it includes all the expenses of study material, supplies, and uniform and exam fees. Some programs also take care of the cost of background and medical examination while some include the practice tests expenses. However, such programs are costlier but they are worth all the money. For those who cannot pay for the training can look around for free training at some local hospitals and nursing homes. Such free training is given only if the facilities have job openings for nurse aides and if you are willing to work with them after certification.

CNA programs in Oregon provide two levels of certification. The Level-1 certification requires basic training at an approved institute. The training program shall be for at least 150 hours which will be equally divided into classroom and clinical training. The 75 hours of clinical training must be at a hospital, nursing home or medical facility when a registered nurse is on duty to supervise the training and the students must demonstrate their skills for a minimum of 24 hours out of the stipulated clinical training hours. The classroom hours are for the study of all the theory subjects essential for the students to understand the basics of health care.

After you finish the training you can appear for the certification exam which has a theory paper and a practical paper. The theory paper has 70 multiple choice questions pooled out of the set of questionnaire which is related to the theory subjects and in the practical paper you must perform five of randomly picked skills out of the 25 you learned during training. You must pass the exam in three attempts and inside 24 months of completion of training. The Level-2 certification requires an active Level-1 certification to enroll in the required training program where advances skills are taught and then passing the competency exam.

The certification is valid for two years and renewal is subject to conditions laid by the state. Other state nurse aides have to pass the competency exam to practice in the state of Oregon.

By the end of the year 2011 there were around 30,000 active nurse aides on the registry of the state and it is estimated that there will be an increase by 10% every year till 2019 which means 3000 new job opportunities every year. The salary median currently is $27,000 a year which is the same as the national average and you can earn from $17,000 to $34,000 which is expected to increase because of the shortage of nurse aides.

CNA nursing schools in Oregon therefore are playing a vital role in matching the demand for nurse aides in the state who can lessen the burden on the RNs by assisting them in allied healthcare services.