Navigating Continuing Education Requirements for Nursing Assistants

Continuing education is essential for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) who wish to expand their knowledge, keep up with healthcare developments, and advance their careers. Whether you’re looking to fulfill certification requirements or explore new specialties, CNA continuing education opportunities provide a path for growth.

The Role of a Certified Nursing Assistant

A CNA, or Certified Nursing Assistant, works in a healthcare setting to provide basic care to patients. While it depends on the healthcare setting you choose, CNAs provide comfort and care to patients who have an illness, injury, or disability-or who just need extra help caring for themselves. CNAs work under LPNs and/or RNs to assist the nurses in providing care to a patient.

Initial Certification and Training

To become a CNA, you will normally need to complete a state-approved training course and pass the state certification exam that includes both a written section, and a hands-on competency skills section. You can check training eligibility requirements, such as minimum age or education, with the agency regulating this training in your state. Note that individual training programs may have additional requirements. The length of time it takes to become a nursing assistant depends on the state you live in. CNA/NAT classes can last 4-12 weeks at minimum but some programs can be up to 6 months.

CNA Training Programs

Be sure to do some research before you decide on the right CNA program for you. In most states there are many options for CNA training, including independent training schools and community colleges. Some facilities such as nursing homes, hospitals and home health agencies will offer training to staff or prospective employees. While federal requirements are the same, it's important to note that admission, curriculum, and certification requirements will differ depending on the state you live in. Many states have additional program information available, such as state certification exam pass rates or any regulatory action that has been taken.

The increase in longevity and the recent changes in the health care system have created an increased need for educated and skilled Nursing Assistants. This program gives students an excellent opportunity to acquire the necessary occupational skills required for C.N.A.s. The CNA profession is ideal for people seeking flexible hours working in nursing homes, hospitals, doctors' offices and health care facilities. The program includes anatomy and physiology, fundamentals of patient care and clinical experience in a residential health care facility.

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After careful consideration, the American Red Cross has decided to discontinue its Nurse Assistant Training (NAT) program. No Red Cross NAT course will be scheduled after December 31, 2023.

Continuing Education: Why It Matters

Continuing education is an excellent way to keep your skills current, meet certification requirements, and advance your career. The benefits of continuing education for CNA professionals extend far beyond just meeting certification requirements.

Benefits of Continuing Education

Higher Earning Potential: Specialized certifications and skills make you eligible for higher-paying positions.
Improved Job Security: Keeping your skills current makes you a valuable asset to employers, enhancing job security.

State-Specific Requirements

Continuing education requirements for CNAs vary by state. Here's an overview of requirements in different states:

Virginia: In Virginia, CNAs must complete 12 hours of continuing education each year to maintain their certification. This education covers essential topics like infection control, patient rights, and effective communication, ensuring that CNAs stay current with best practices and state regulations.
New Hampshire: Nur 403.02 Continuing Education Requirements for LNA. Each applicant for renewal, reinstatement, or endorsement of an LNA license shall complete at least 12 contact hours per year of workshops, conferences, lectures, or in-service educational offerings that are designed to enhance nursing assistant knowledge, judgment, and skills.

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Other States:
- 5 contact hours every year for practicing nurses. Must be accompanied by two documents verifying competence or 10 contact hours annually for those not practicing and one additional document verifying competence.
- 5 contact hours for practicing nurses accompanied by two documents verifying competence or 10 contact hours for those not practicing and one additional document verifying competence.
- 20 contact hours every 2 years.
- 20 contact hours every 2 years.
- 20 contact hours every 2 years.
- Required to maintain national certification.
- 15 contact hours of continuing education and 640 hours of active practice within the previous two 2 years, or one of nine other options.
- APRNs are required to maintain national certification, or 40 contact hours in specialty areas approved by certifying agency every two years.
- 15 contact hours of continuing education and 640 hours of active practice within the previous two 2 years, or one of nine other options.
- 8 contact hours every year.
- 8 contact hours every year.
- 12 contact hours every year. Must include best prescribing and drug diversion training if licensee prescribes, administers, or dispenses controlled substances.
- 24 hours every two years with 12 hours in pharmacotherapeutics and 12 hours in the clinical management of patients.

Continuing Education Topics and Courses

A variety of CNA continuing education classes are available to meet different interests and career goals. Online courses provide flexibility, making them ideal for CNAs balancing work with other responsibilities.

The Board does not require that your contact hours be earned at conferences that provide "official" contact hours granted by a professional organization. The licensee shall maintain documentation of attendance that includes: the title, length and date of the offering and the name of the entity providing the offering. There is no limit to the number of contact hours that can be completed through independent study. The Board will accept courses completed through your employer provided that the courses carry a credit-hour designation, i.e., one contact hour for each sixty (60) minutes of instruction, and the employer provides you with a certificate of successful completion. The employer must be approved by the ANCC. The Board recommends that you retain continuing education certificates for at least five years. The Board may request copies of your continuing education certificates for various reasons, such as a random continuing education audit or during a disciplinary investigation.

Sample Continuing Education Courses

Here are some examples of continuing education courses relevant to CNAs:

Infection Control: Essential for preventing the spread of diseases in healthcare settings.
Patient Rights: Ensuring that CNAs understand and uphold patient rights and ethical standards.
Effective Communication: Improving communication skills to provide better patient care.
CPR/BLS Training: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Basic Life Support (BLS) training gives you the skills you need to respond to emergencies in a healthcare setting, and it also looks good on a resume!

Here's a list of potential continuing education courses:

Accidental Injuries: A Pediatric Concern (1.5 Contact Hours)
Acute Flaccid Myelitis (1.5 Contact Hours)
Addiction Disorders Meets Kentucky APRN Requirement (2.5 Contact Hours)
Adult Obesity (2 Contact Hours)
Advanced Financial Concepts in Healthcare: Medicare and Medicaid (2 Contact Hours)
Adverse Reactions to Contrast Agents: Dispelling the Myths (1.5 Contact Hours)
Age-Specific Guidelines (3 Contact Hours)
AIDS/HIV One Hour, Current Evidence Based Practice (1 Contact Hour)
Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia (2 Contact Hours)
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (1.5 Contact Hours)
Alzheimers, Dementia, and Other Related Diseases for CNAs and HHAs (1.5 Contact Hours)
Angina (1.5 Contact Hours)
Annual Regulatory Requirements, Current Practice (2.5 Contact Hours)
Annual Review Topics for CNAs and HHAs (2 Contact Hours)
Anticoagulant and Fibrinolytic Therapy (2.5 Contact Hours)
Anxiety Disorders in Adults & Pediatrics (1 Contact Hour)
Arterial Blood Gases (2 Contact Hours)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare (1 Contact Hour)
Assaultive Behavior and Workplace Violence (2 Contact Hours)
Assaultive Behaviors in the Healthcare Workplace for CNAs and HHAs (1.5 Contact Hours)
Assistance with Self-Administration: Medication Savvy for Nursing Assistants (2 Contact Hours)
Atypical Antipsychotics (2 Contact Hours)
Bioterrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction Meets Nevada Requirement (4 Contact Hours)
Bipolar Disorder (2 Contact Hours)
Blood Flow Restriction Training and Uses in Rehabilitation (1.5 Contact Hours)
Borderline Personality Disorder (2.5 Contact Hours)
BPH and Prostate Cancer (2 Contact Hours)
Breast Cancer (2 Contact Hours)
Breastfeeding (3 Contact Hours)
Bullying: Real-life strategies to reduce the frequency and impact of bullying in healthcare (1 Contact Hour)
Burn Wounds in Adults (2 Contact Hours)
Business Management for the Healthcare Professional (2.5 Contact Hours)
Cardiac Emergencies (2.5 Contact Hours)
Cardiac Emergencies: Sudden Death (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with ADHD (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Alzheimer’s (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with an Intellectual Disability (1.5 Contact Hours)
Care of the Patient with Anxiety (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Arthritis (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Asthma (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Autism (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Cerebral Palsy (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Constipation (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Diabetes (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Down Syndrome (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with HIV/AIDS (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Kidney and Renal Disease (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Respiratory Conditions (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Schizophrenia (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Seizures (1 Contact Hour)
Care of the Patient with Tuberculosis (1 Contact Hour)
Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs) (2 Contact Hours)
CBC Interpretation (2 Contact Hours)
Cerebrovascular Accident: Time is of the Essence (1 Contact Hour)
Cesarean Section Risks and Complications (1 Contact Hour)
Child Abuse (2 Contact Hours)
Child Abuse: New York Mandated Reporter Training (2 Contact Hours)
Child Abuse: Pennsylvania Mandated Reporter Training, 2 hours - License Renewal (2 Contact Hours)
Child Abuse: Pennsylvania Mandated Reporter Training, 3 hours - Initial Licensure (3 Contact Hours)
Chronic Kidney Disease Management (4 Contact Hours)
Chronic Respiratory Conditions (2 Contact Hours)
Clinical Considerations: Older Adults Taking Multiple Medications (1.5 Contact Hours)
Clinical Management of Dengue Fever (1 Contact Hour)
Clinical Principles of Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation (2 Contact Hours)
Common Medications for the Medication Aide (1 Contact Hour)
Common Skin Conditions Across the Lifespan (1 Contact Hour)
Conflict Management (1.5 Contact Hours)
Conscious Sedation (1 Contact Hour)
Controlled Substance Prescribing Florida & Texas Advanced Practice Requirement (3 Contact Hours)
Controlled Substance Prescribing: The Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines (2 Contact Hours)
COVID-19 for CNAs and HHAs (1 Contact Hour)
COVID-19: Current Practice Guidelines (2 Contact Hours)
Critical Care Unit Competency Test (0 Contact Hours)
Critical Thinking (1.5 Contact Hours)
Cultural Competency and Implicit Bias (4 Contact Hours)
Cultural Competency for Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides, & Medical Assistants (2 Contact Hours)
Cultural Competency: Current Practice (2 Contact Hours)
Decreasing C-section Rates (1 Contact Hour)
Dependent Adult Abuse (Elder Abuse) (2 Contact Hours)
Dependent Adult Abuse (Elder Abuse) for CNAs, HHAs, and MAs (2 Contact Hours)
Depression (2 Contact Hours)
Diabetes Care and Education (2 Contact Hours)
Diabetes Medications (3 Contact Hours)
Diabetic Complications (1 Contact Hour)
Differential Diagnosis: Delirium, Dementia, and Depression (2 Contact Hours)
Disaster Preparedness (2 Contact Hours)
Diuretics: Navigating the Waters (1 Contact Hour)
Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, Intimate Partner Violence (3 Contact Hours)
Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, Intimate Partner Violence (Kentucky) (3 Contact Hours)
Drug Overdose and Antidotes (2 Contact Hours)
Dry Needling in Patient Care (1.5 Contact Hours)
Eating Disorders (2 Contact Hours)
Ebola (2 Contact Hours)
EKG, ECG Interpretation (4 Contact Hours)
Emergency Response for CNAs and HHAs (1 Contact Hour)
Emerging Trends in Psychopharmacology (2 Contact Hours)
Errors in the Surgical Setting (2 Contact Hours)
Establishing and Maintaining Professional Boundaries (1 Contact Hour)
Ethical Principles of Occupational Therapy (Includes American Occupational Therapy Association Standards) (2 Contact Hours)
Ethical Principles of Physical Therapy Includes American Physical Therapy Standards (2 Contact Hours)
Ethics for Healthcare Professionals (2 Contact Hours)
Fall Prevention Education for Community-Dwelling Older Adults (2 Contact Hours)
Fever: Evidence Based Practice (1.5 Contact Hours)
Fine Motor Skills and Handwriting: They Go Hand in Hand (1 Contact Hour)
Fl APRN Autonomous Practice Applicant (Differential Diagnosis): Common Skin Conditions Across the Lifespan (1 Contact Hour)
Food Handling Safety for CNAs and HHAs (1 Contact Hour)
Foundations of Healthcare Management (1.5 Contact Hours)
Growing the Health Revenue Cycle by Decreasing Workplace Violence (1.5 Contact Hours)
Guidelines, Recommendations, and Principles for Prescribing Opioids (2 Contact Hours)
Headaches and Migraine (1.5 Contact Hours)
Health Equity Meets Requirements for Washington State (2 Contact Hours)
Health Equity: Assistant Professions (2 Contact Hours)
Healthcare Economics for Executives and Managers (2 Contact Hours)
Healthcare Emergencies in Outpatient Settings (1 Contact Hour)
Heart Failure Series: Part 1- Definitions and Classifications (1.5 Contact Hours)
Heart Failure Series: Part 2- Chronic Heart Failure (1 Contact Hour)
Heart Failure Series: Part 3- Acute Heart Failure (1.5 Contact Hours)
Heart Failure Series: Part 4- Management and Treatment (1.5 Contact Hours)
Hepatitis C: Beyond the Basics (2.5 Contact Hours)
HIPAA for the CNA (1.5 Contact Hours)
HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (2 Contact Hours)
HIV/AIDS: Current Evidence-Based Practice (Two Hour) (2 Contact Hours)
Home Safety Evaluation and Fall Risk Assessments for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Reducing the Risk for Falls (1 Contact Hour)
How Screen Time & Social Media Affect Children and Adolescents (1.5 Contact Hours)
Human Trafficking (2 Contact Hours)
Human Trafficking for Texas (2.5 Contact Hours)
Hypertension (2 Contact Hours)
ICU Psychosis: The Danger is Real (1 Contact Hour)
Impairment in the Workplace: Substance Abuse (3 Contact Hours)
Implicit Bias in Healthcare- 1hr (1 Contact Hour)
Implicit Bias in Healthcare-2hr (2 Contact Hours)
Improving Customer Service for Healthcare Professionals (1 Contact Hour)
Improving Nurse-Physician Communication (1 Contact Hour)
Infection Control and Barrier Precautions (2.5 Contact Hours)
Infection Control During Medication Administration for Medication Aides (1 Contact Hour)
Insomnia: Inability to Sleep (1 Contact Hour)
Jurisprudence and Ethics for Nurses Licensed in Texas (2 Contact Hours)
Ketamine Infusion Therapy (1 Contact Hour)
Laws and Rules: Florida Board of Nursing Florida Nurse Practice Act (2 Contact Hours)
Laws and Rules: Florida Board of Occupational Therapy (2 Contact Hours)
Laws and Rules: Florida Respiratory Care Board (2 Contact Hours)
Lifespan Development for Allied Health Professionals (1.5 Contact Hours)
Long-Term Care Nursing: Medication Pass (1.5 Contact Hours)
Long-Term Care: Admission and Medicare Documentation (1.5 Contact Hours)
LPN IV Series: Administration Methods (2 Contact Hours)
LPN IV Series: Blood and Blood Products Transfusion (3 Contact Hours)
LPN IV Series: Central Venous Catheters and Arterial Catheters (5 Contact Hours)
LPN IV Series: Homeostasis and Regulatory Functions Relationship to IV Therapy (3 Contact Hours)
LPN IV Series: IV Pharmacology (4 Contact Hours)
LPN IV Series: Legalities, Infection Control, Safe Injection and Documentation (3 Contact Hours)
LPN IV Series: Parenteral Nutrition (2 Contact Hours)
LPN IV Series: Venipuncture and Maintenance (4 Contact Hours)
Lynch Syndrome (1 Contact Hour)
Malaria (1 Contact Hour)
Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Pregnancy (1 Contact Hour)
Management of Diabetes during Pregnancy (1 Contact Hour)
Maternal Fetal Triage Index (1 Contact Hour)
Measles in a Modern World (2 Contact Hours)
Medical Documentation (2 Contact Hours)
Medical Errors (2 Contact Hours)
Medical Marijuana (1.5 Contact Hours)
Medical Records Documentation and Legal Aspects for CNAs (Legal Aspects, Ethics and Working Within Your Legal Boundaries)
Sterile Processing Technician program (400-hour externship)
Affirming program

Career Advancement

Starting as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) offers valuable experience and can lead to various career advancements.

Career Paths

Patient Care Technician (PCT): Take on more specialized tasks such as drawing blood.

Planning your CNA career path involves setting both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals may include completing required education hours or obtaining a specialty certification. Your CNA career path starts with identifying where you want to go. Whether you aim to specialize in a particular field or move into a leadership role, use CNA continuing education opportunities to build the skills and knowledge you need.

The Future Outlook for CNAs

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook is bright for CNAs. Overall employment is expected to grow four percent between now and 2032. That means there will be 210,000 openings each year over the next decade.

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