If you are looking for an entry-level career in the nursing field, you might want to consider starting out as a certified nursing assistant. You will provide basic are services for patients and assist patients with activities of daily living. There are steps you will need to take before you can become certified as a nursing assistant.
Required Hours and Training
If you want to be able to work as a certified nursing assistant rather than a non-certified aide, you will need to attend a training program that has been approved by the state. These training courses will include at least 80 hours of study. You will need to sit for and pass the certification exam after finishing a CNA training course. The course will provide you with both classroom and clinical instruction. You will have the opportunity to work directly with patients in order to learn how to properly and safely perform the most common duties of a certified nursing assistant. The course provides you with an opportunity to learn a great deal about a career as a certified nursing assistant and your role as part of a healthcare team.
Certification Through Reciprocity in South Carolina
You might already hold a certification as a nursing assistant in another state. If this is the case, you can apply for certification through reciprocity if you want to work in South Carolina. The state of South Carolina will review your certification history to determine if you meet all requirements to work as a certified nursing assistant in South Carolina. The application will be carefully reviewed along with any requested documentation. If your application is approved, you can begin working as a certified nursing assistant without the need to enroll in training in South Carolina.
Certification Renewal
You must renew your certification as a certified nursing assistant every twenty-four months. This can be done by following the instructions provided to you on the renewal forms. These forms should be sent to you about two months or so before your certification will expire. There is a fee for certification renewal. However, if you work for a Medicare or Medicaid certified facility, they should cover the cost of your certification renewal. It is necessary to have completed any required continuing education credits over the course of twenty-four months in order to renew your certification. You must also work at some point either providing nursing related duties or as a certified nursing assistant if you want to renew your certification with ease.
FAQ’s
Q. My family and I will be moving from North Carolina to South Carolina for some time. We might move back to North Carolina if his employer sends him back to the other office at a later date. I am a certified nursing assistant and am hoping to find work in South Carolina but want to be able to return to my former CNA employer if we ever move back home. Is this possible?
A. South Carolina offers certification through endorsement for those individuals who have been certified in another state. There is an application process so that South Carolina can verify that you met state approved training and certification requirements for CNAs in the other state. They do not transfer your certification but rather offer reciprocity. This means if you are approved you will be listed on the registry in South Carolina but will still also be on the registry in North Carolina. For more information you can call 1-800-475-8290.
Q. I am taking a certified nursing assistant training program at an approved facility on my own. I have not yet gained an employment offer for when I become listed on the CNA registry. I am certain I will need to pay the nursing assistant competency exam on my own. I am wondering if you can tell me how much the test costs?
A. There are two parts to the competency exam which are the written and oral exams. There are options to pay for the written portion or the procedural segment. This will not apply since you are not doing a re-test and will need to take and pass both parts of the test. Both portions should be given on the same day. The fee for the test will be $101 and it does not matter if you are taking the English or the Spanish version.
CNA Certification Information by State:
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