Certified nursing assistants provide basic care services for patients and residents in healthcare settings. You will need to complete a training program that prepares students for a career as a CNA before you can become certified. In addition, it will be necessary to sit for and pass the examination for certification.
Training Courses and Requirements
Nursing assistant training programs must be approved by the state of Montana. Specifically, they must meet the requirements set forth by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Courses will have a significant curriculum in order to prepare you well for your career as a certified nursing assistant.
Your CNA training course in Montana will prepare you to provide patients with help with their activities of daily living. You will learn to protect a patient’s privacy, to take and record vital signs and how to respond in an emergency. The course will teach you how to safely transport patients and how to move patients who are immobile in their beds to prevent bedsores. Of course, this is just a small sampling of the skills you will learn.
Nursing assistant training courses in Montana cover at least 75 hours of training. Some of that time will be spent in a classroom while other time will be spent in a clinical setting.
Transferring Certification through Endorsement
You have the right to apply to transfer an active and valid CNA certification from another state to Montana. This process is called certification through endorsement. You will be asking the Department of Public Health and Human Services to accept your certification from your former state. Request an application for endorsement from the Department if you are attempting to transfer your certification to Montana.
The state of Montana will review your employment, training and certification exam records. They will verify that you are listed in good standing on the Nursing Aide Registry in your former state. You will need to submit to a criminal background check before you can become employed as a certified nursing assistant in Montana.
Certification Renewal in Montana
Your nursing assistant certification is not valid for life. It will be necessary for you to renew your certification by completing the renewal forms every two years. You should receive these forms with plenty of time to complete and submit the paperwork before your certification expires. If you have committed a felony or are not listed in good standing on the Nursing Aide Registry, you will not be able to renew your certification.
Frequently asked Questions & Answers:
Q. I am planning to become a nurse but in the meantime I do want to be working in a nursing related job. I was giving some thought to going to obtain my nursing assistant certification in the meantime. I have not yet started nursing school. I have heard that some nursing schools actually require you to hold a nursing assistant certification to be accepted into the nursing program. Is this true?
A. There are many nursing schools that are now requiring nursing students to hold their nursing assistant certification. Since you are already thinking of going for your CNA certification, this would be an added benefit. The CNA certification could be helpful when you are applying to be a nursing student.
Q. I live in Montana and my sister and I have been contemplating going to CNA training. We are only a couple years out of high school and have found that we want a more rewarding career. A job as a certified nursing assistant seems like a good entry way into a career in the healthcare related fields. Where are some of the places that CNAs work?
A. CNAs work in a range of settings in the state of Montana. Many nursing assistants work in nursing care facilities including continuing care communities and rehabilitation centers. There are nursing assistants who work in hospitals and acute care centers. There is also a need for nursing aides working for home health companies. There are many places where you and your sister will be able to work.
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