A variety of certified nursing assistant courses are available in Tennessee. These courses are approved by the Department of health for the state. You will be able to sit for the certification exam after fully completing one of these courses.
Training Programs and Requirements
There are various educational institutions offering nursing assistant training courses. You can search for CNA classes at vocational high schools, community colleges and nursing care facilities. The course must be 75 hours or more in length to make you eligible to become a CNA. Although the training courses include both classroom and clinical instruction, you must attend 16 hours of classroom training before you can start any clinical training.
You will be supervised by a professional nurse when completing your clinical studies. The majority of certified nursing assistant training courses last for just a few weeks. Courses are often less than $1000 for tuition. Your course will prepare you to complete all the tasks for which a CNA is responsible. You will also learn how to communicate well with patients, their families and other staff members. The CNA training classes will also prepare you to maintain a patient’s privacy and dignity.
Other Ways to Become Certified
You do not necessarily need to complete a nursing assistant training program if you have some formal training or education. For example, if you were a certified nursing assistant in another state, you can apply with the Department of Health (in Tennessee) to have your certification transferred. The department will verify that you were in fact a certified nursing assistant in that state. They will also make sure that you are still listed in a good standing in that state as a CNA. You can also apply to have the training requirements waived if you completed a nursing degree from an accredited learning institution. You will need to show that you completed enough coursework to prepare you well to work as a certified nursing assistant without needing additional training.
CNA Certification Renewal in Tennessee
Every two years it will be necessary to submit renewal forms in order to maintain an active nursing assistant certification. You will receive your paperwork before your certification is going to expire. Complete all sections of your certification renewal forms in order to ensure prompt renewal of your certification. If you allow you certification to lapse, you can be required to repeat training and to once again sit for the examination for certification.
FAQ’s
Q. I will soon be starting my CNA training and am thrilled. I have wanted to be a CNA ever since a loved one received wonderful care while in a nursing care facility recovering from a serious illness. In any case, I have heard that Tennessee requires CNA students to receive 16 hours of training in certain areas before they begin working with patients. Do you know what areas are covered?
A. You are correct that you must receive instruction in certain areas before beginning clinical experience. You will learn about infection control in addition to learning safety procedures and the steps to be followed in emergency situations. You will also learn how to protect a patient’s rights and to help them preserve their own sense of independence. Time will also be spent helping you to further develop your interpersonal communication skills.
Q. I completed a nursing assistant certification course some time ago. Unfortunately, I went through a divorce and things have been hectic since becoming a single parent. In any case, I was never able to take the Competency Exam. I am now ready to do so. It is too late to sit for the exam now?
A. If it has not been less than 24 months, since you took the nursing assistant training course, you will still be eligible to sit for the exam. If it has been longer than two years, it will be necessary to take a new nursing assistant certification program. After you complete that training, you can then sit for the exam.
CNA Certification Guidelines by State:
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