Monday, May 5, 2014

CNA Training May Not Be Necessary?

I recently reviewed information on the New York State Department of Health and Prometric regarding CNA/Nurse Aide training and found that I may be able to take the NYS Nurse Aide licensing exam without re-training! This is of course due to that the fact that I was already a CNA but never worked in a paid position. The reason I assumed I had to retrain was that my license lapsed a long time ago (in 1999) but when reading the New York Nurse Aide application form, it appeared that I may be able to apply under the following route:

Route 6
"Select this certification route if your certification is currently lapsed and you successfully completed a NYS-approved nursing home nurse aide training program on or after July 1, 1989. Your certification is considered lapsed if you have not worked for pay as a NYS nurse aide in the last 24 months at a NYS nursing home or other approved facility."


Other routes that may be applicable once I graduate from nursing school (God-willing) would be the following:

Route 3 

"Select this certification route if you are a U.S.-trained graduate nurse. You will not be required to complete further training but you must take the exam."

Route 4
"Select this certification route if you are a currently active RN or LPN licensed in the United States. You will not be required to complete further training or take the exam."

Route 3 and 4 would probably be a waste of time (and money) since I would either be licensed as an RN or be preparing to take the RN NCLEX exam to become a RN. My best bet would be to take the exam after my first clinical course or at some point while in school so that my skills are "refreshed." I would rather spend my money on Phlebotomy training anyway. 

Source: New York Department of Health Nursing Home Nurse Aide Certification Handbook