You can become a nursing assistant who is certified in Maine by selecting a state approved training program. Before you receive your certification, you will need to pass the exam for certification administered in the state. There are a variety of good quality nursing assistant training courses found in Maine.
Training Requirements in Maine
You will have to complete extensive training in order to become a certified nursing assistant in Maine. In fact this state requires 180 training hours. This is 105 hours than the minimum number of hours required by federal regulations. Some of your time will be spent in a classroom, some will be spent on lab instruction and the remaining hours will be spent in a clinical setting.
You will learn all the necessary background that you need to work successfully as a certified nursing assistant. You will get an opportunity to work directly with patients in order to master your skills as a certified nursing assistant. Once you complete all training, you will be able to register to sit for the nursing assistant certification exam.
Certification through Reciprocity in Maine
You can also become certified in Maine if you hold a certification in another state and are approved for certification through reciprocity. Whether or not you will be approved to transfer your certification will depend on the state where you were certified as well as your training and work history. An application to apply for reciprocity can be received by contacting the Department of Health and Human Services. You will need to take a bridge exam if the state of Maine determines that you received less extensive education in your former state of certification. If your application for reciprocity is approved, you will not need to complete a training course within Maine.
Certification Renewal
About two months before you CNA certification is due to expire, you will receive renewal forms. This occurs every two years. During that time you will have had to have worked in your career for at least 8 total hours. The renewal forms will need to be completed in their entirety and sent to the address provided. Submit any forms for verification and any required fees in order to keep your certification active. You can contact the Nursing Assistant Registry in Maine if you find that your certification has lapsed or if you did not work 8 hours in the past two years.
FAQ’s
Q. I struggled to fully grasp the duties and responsibilities of a nursing assistant when I first became a CNA. Although not intentional on my part, I had a finding of neglect listed on my CNA record. Since that time, I have improved in my skills and provided the utmost care to my patients. I want to have a long-term career as a CNA. Is there anything I can do to have my finding of neglect removed?
A. You can call the nursing aide registry at 624-7300 to request a Petition for Removal of a finding of neglect form. The registry will consider removing your notation of neglect. You can only apply if it was an isolated (single) finding of neglect. You must have had a stellar work history since then. There cannot be any further evidence of neglect or even any suspicion of neglect.
Q. Can I become a certified nursing assistant if I did not graduate high school? I would like to begin a career and have decided I would like to become a CNA. The problem is that I dropped out of high school. I have not yet obtained my GED but am interested in doing so in the future. If I can keep up with the studies to be a CNA, is this an option for me? I am 24 years old.
A. You need to have a GED in order to enter into a nursing assistant training course at this point. You will certainly be able to apply for a CNA training program after this is done. It does not matter if you take GED classes or simply sit for your GED test. Once you pass and have your record for your GED in hand, you can begin to pursue your CNA career.
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