Certified Nursing Aide (CNA)

March *, ****

Certified Nursing Aide

Certifying

Organization

Louisiana Department of Health (LDH)

http://www.dhh.la.gov/cnadsw.

Description of

Credential

IBC#: 010

A Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) is an individual who has successfully completed a Nurse Aide Training Program (NATP) and a Competency Evaluation Program (CEP) approved by the State as meeting the requirements of 42 CFR 483.151 – 42 CFR 483.154, or who has been determined competent as provided in 42 CFR 483.150(a) and (b). Nurse aides meeting these requirements are listed as certified on the Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry. Background Checks on students applying for a Nurse Assistant training program. Per the Louisiana State Police (LSP), authorized agencies are approved to conduct background checks only on entities enumerated in RS 1203.1. Students are not included on that list, and there is no law in Louisiana that allows for background checks on students. Therefore, a Right to Review must be performed. According to the LSP website, https://ibc.dps.louisiana.gov/faq.aspx, a Right to Review is a request by an individual (the student) to obtain a true copy of their criminal history. It can only be conducted by the Louisiana State Police. An Individual may obtain a true copy of their criminal history by requesting a “Right to Review” in one of two ways: 1) In Person at the LSP office (7919 Independence Blvd, Baton Rouge, Louisiana): You will need to bring a $26 money order, cashier’s check or business check for processing and a $10 money order, cashier’s check or business check for fingerprinting, both made out to the Department of Public Safety (cash or personal checks will not be accepted). You will need to have a valid state issued ID or Driver’s License. This service is available Monday thru Friday

(excluding holidays) from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. If you arrive before 3:00 pm you may wait and take your certified copy of the response with you but if you arrive after 3:00 pm your response will be mailed to you or you may return the next business day and pick it up. Before going, verify payment amount has not changed.

2) By mail: You must mail a set of fingerprints, an authorization form, a rap disclosure form

(these forms must include the individuals complete name and address and they are available online at lsp.org) and a $26 money order, cashier’s check or business check (cash or personal checks will not be accepted) payable to the Department of Public Safety to: Bureau of Criminal Identification

P.O. Box 66614 Mail Slip A-6

Baton Rouge, LA 70896

Please Note: This mail process takes approximately 4-6 weeks from the time the payment is entered into their receipt system. Always verify that payment amount has not changed. Part of which

Graduation

Pathways 1

Statewide: Certified Nursing Assistant

Associated with

Which Careers?

3 Star: Medical Assistants, Dental Assistants

2 Star: Home Health Aides, Nursing Assistants, Occupational Therapy Aides, Pharmacy Aides, Physical Therapist Aides, Psychiatric Aides, Personal Care Aides Entry-Level Annual

Salaries

$16,040 – $29,310

Certified Nursing Aide – page 2

Industry-Based Certification Requirements: Students Standard /

Curriculum

The Certified Nursing Aide’s curriculum requires a minimum of 80 hours (40 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of clinical instruction), plus 4 hours of orientation at the clinical site. However, programs may actually consist of more hours (100 hours, 150 hours, etc.) since completion of a training program depends on the total hours approved for that particular program. The age requirement is 16 years of age. After completion of training, the student must pass the competency evaluation, administered by Prometric, consisting of both a written content component and a demonstrated skills component, to attain certification. Clinical training must be performed in a nursing home or on a Skilled Nursing Unit (SNF). Each nurse aide, at a minimum, must be able to demonstrate competencies in: a) Communication and Interpersonal Skills b) Restorative Services c) Safety and Emergency Procedures d) Resident’s Rights/Independence e) Mental Health and Social Service needs f) Personal Care g) Basic Nursing Services h) Heimlich Maneuver

To get a nurse aide training program approved, the facility or school must submit an application and all information as specified on the LDH website http://www.ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/directory/detail/12588. The link “application, instructions, etc. for approval…” contains detailed information about program approval requirements, including application, training curriculum, training program responsibilities for trainees and providers, etc. Please allow a minimum of 90 days for approval of a new program. It is very important that the Nurse Aide training program reviews each candidate’s status on the CNA Registry, the DSW Registry, and the Sex Offender Registry, as well as the Right to Review, PRIOR to admission to the program. Program acceptance cannot be granted to any person who has a finding on the CNA or Direct Service Worker (DSW) registries, the National Sex Offender Registry, or who has been convicted of abusing, neglecting or mistreating the elderly or infirm or misappropriating resident’s property. The following are direct links to the regulations of Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Programs. The LA Rule (LAC 48:1 Chapter 100) can be accessed using the following online link: http://www.doa.la.gov/Pages/osr/LAC-48.aspx. Click on “Title 48:I-XXV, Public Health-- General (Book 2 of 2),” and the NAT regulations are in Chapter 100. Use the following link for the federal NAT regulations Code of Federal Regulations.

(**Please note the rule has not changed since last revision in 2012. They are combined to reflect all changes**

Testing

Methodology

Paper?

computer-

based 7.1.2018.

Online? Yes Performance Exams / Tests? Yes

Re-Testing

(if available)

Retesting

Procedures

A person has up to 1 year and 3

tries after training to pass both

exam sections.

Max

Attempts

Three attempts in 1 year

Certified Nursing Aide – page 3

Testing Details

(including any age

requirements /

accommodations)

**New Testing Procedures as of July 1, 2018:

Beginning July 1, 2018, all students will take the same nationally standardized test through the testing company Prometric. See the application, testing instructions, sample test, and other important information on the Prometric website https://www.prometric.com/en- us/clients/Nurseaide/Pages/la.aspx. Schools are required to document skill proficiency check- offs to ensure student proficiency PRIOR to performing clinical instruction, and the student is to receive a copy of the check-off results. AFTER completion of all training, students must take the written and skills competency exams to attain certification. Students will not get percentage results, just PASS or FAIL. The Training Verification Form (TVF) must be submitted with the testing application to Prometric. Therefore, the school must have a policy/procedure in place that defines who is responsible for the testing and/or retesting fees. If school/school board will pay for the test, the application, fees, and TVF must be submitted within 10 days of completion of training. If student is responsible for fees, the TVF must be provided to the student within 10 days of completion of program. Students may choose an oral exam that does not require additional documentation, cost, or time. If student requires special testing accommodations, the ADA Accommodations Request Packet must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the test date with the Prometric application. Additional information, including school responsibilities regarding the competency exam, can be found at http://www.ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/2767.

Each school has option to become an in-facility (IFT) testing site, which will aid student’s success by allowing students to test on date chosen by school in a familiar setting. If not tested at IFT, test is performed at a regional site on a first-come, first-serve basis. For information on IFT approval, see Prometric site or click here. Certification is valid for 2 years after registration and then automatically renewed every 2 years, if work history has been reported to the Registry. If certification expires due to no work history, an aide has 1 attempt during the 2 years following the expiration date to retest. Aides who fail to test during this two-year period are required to retrain. Aides who do not pass both parts of the test

(written/oral and skills) have to retrain. Aides who wish to test to reinstate certification are required to schedule and pay for the test through Prometric. For more information on testing for recertification, click here.

Industry-Based Certification Requirements: Teachers Bulletin 746, Chapter 5: All Louisiana teachers providing instruction in a course that leads to an IBC must hold the certification that they’re teaching students to attain. Instructor

Certification

Requirements (by

certifying agency)

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is responsible for the credentialing of program coordinators and instructors. According to the Code of Federal Regulations, at a minimum, the Program Coordinator must be a registered nurse with a minimum of 2 years nursing experience, of which at least one year must be in the provision of long term care facility services. This means at least 1 year of experience in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility is required. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) s who serve as instructors must have 2 years of experience also in the provision of long term care facility services. All instructors must also have an active, unencumbered nursing license, as well as one (1) of the following: master’s degree or above, VTIE, CTTIE, or train-the-trainer. Be aware that, per the LAC 10017 A 2, the RN Coordinator must be on site of both classroom and clinical instruction at least 50% of the time.

Proctoring / Test

Security (if any)

N/A

Certification Tracking

Credentialing

Documentation

The Louisiana Department of Health maintains a registry for individuals successfully completing the Nurse Aide program. For Nurse Aide Certification questions, click here. Paper certification cards are no longer issued. Schools have two documentation options for submitting proof of CNA Industry-Based Credential (IBC) attainment: The options are: 1) A print screen of the student’s certification, as provided in the electronic portal (LDH CNA registry; OR

Certified Nursing Aide – page 4

2) The school is required to issue a certificate of completion. The certificate is to be given AFTER the student passes the Prometric competency exam. The intention of the school certificate is for the CNA student to have proof of successful completion while waiting for their information to be placed on the registry so they may obtain employment. Providers must issue a certificate that contains the following information: a. The name of the Nurse Aide Training program or school; b. The date the program began;

c. The date the program ended;

d. The notation that this is a LDH Approved Program; e. The name of the instructor; and

f. The signature of the coordinator and the date signed. Employers are still required to verify status ONLINE. Certification

Tracking System

Online

Tracking

System?

Yes

Details

Schools must verify trainee has no finding on CNA or DSW Registry prior to admission to program. Employers must use the LDH registry to determine if prospective hire is a certified nurse aide. The nurse aide will track certification on either of these sites: Louisiana Registry System or CNA/DSW Lookup .

Other Details

Expiration

Timeframe?

The nurse aide must work at least eight hours in an approved setting every 24 months after attaining certification.

Upon work verification, certifications will automatically renew every two years. For a list of FAQs, click here .

Certification Costs / Funding Sources

Cost Details

Training programs, including proprietary schools, colleges and technical schools, vary in cost. There is no charge if the training program belongs to a nursing home. Re-test / Refund

Policies

If one part of the exam (written or clinical) is failed, only that portion must be retested. Student has 3 opportunities within 1 year to pass both portions of the competency exam. If unable to pass, must retrain.

Refund policies will vary from one training program to another. Funding Sources 2 CDF? Yes Perkins? Yes

Alternative Source

(other than General

Funds)

For More Information

Certifying Agency

Contact Info

Ash-Leigh B. Garcia, RN, MCSII

Medical Certification Program Manager

LDH-Health Standards

Telephone: 225-***-****, option 6, OR 225-***-**** adflyq@r.postjobfree.com

LDE Contact adflyq@r.postjobfree.com

Jump Start

Regional Team

Experts

There are several course providers offering the Nurse Aide certification. See the Course Choice Provider Directory. There are also many school districts with successful Nurse Aide programs. Please contact adflyq@r.postjobfree.com for referrals.

For a list of Nurse Aide Training Schools, click here . 1 – This table may not include all the graduation pathways this credential appears in. Please check the graduation pathway you are working with if you have a question as to whether or not this credential is part of that pathway. Always check with certifying agency for latest updates.

2 – CDF = Career Development Fund (Note that even though CDF funds may be spent on Health Care programs, nursing courses no longer qualify for generating CDF funds.)

Contact this candidate