CNAs in North Carolina have average earnings of $10.24 an hour. Keep in mind that there are certainly nursing assistants who earn more money depending on their experience, city where they work and facility where they work. Jobs for CNAs are increasing at a higher rate than many other careers. Therefore, it should not be too difficult to find work once you become a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Getting Started
North Carolina is different than many states in that they have 3 nurse aide disciplines: nurse aide I, geriatric aide and nurse aide II. There are different requirements for each.
Nurse Aide 1
You will need to sit for and pass a two-fold certification exam before you can be listed on the nurse aide registry. This test will have two sections and will make certain you can perform nursing assistant duties (skills portions) and that you understand the basics behind the nursing assistant duties (knowledge portion of the test).
Before taking the test, you need to complete a state approved training program. Some training centers are also testing sites. If yours is not, you can find testing options here:
http://www.pearsonvue.com/nc/nurseaides. The course includes the theory aspect of being a nursing assistant as well as providing hands on experience with day to day nursing aide skills.
Geriatric Aide
You can further your knowledge as a CNA by becoming a Geriatric Aide. You must first be certified as a nurse aide I. When applying to become a Geriatric Aide, your Nurse Aide I certification must be active and in good standing. Then, you must complete and pass a geriatric aide training course. Approved courses can be found by visiting: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/hcpr/pdf/gatprograms.pdf. Your employer will need to test your skills to make certain you are eligible to be a geriatric aide after you have finished the training.
Nurse Aide II
If you are already working as a Nurse Aide I, you might decide you want to learn more skills and take on more responsibility. If this is the case, you can start the process to become a nurse Aide II. You will need to start by taking a Nurse Aide II state approved training program. You can find one of these programs to become a nurse aide II by going here: http://www.ncbon.com/dcp/i/nursing-education-unlicensed-assistive-personnel-approved-na-ii-programs. You cannot complete a nurse aide II course unless you are already a nurse aide I in good standing. There is not an additional certification exam for this level of a nursing assistant.
Scholarships and Trainee Options
Durham Community College
1637 East Lawson Street-Durham NC 27703
If you are a lady enrolled in the Nursing Aide Diploma Program to become a nursing assistant, you could apply for scholarships like the Bonnie Vick Stone Scholarship to help receive the training at no cost to you. This scholarship is for students with completion of at least 9 credit hours. You must have a GPA of not less than 3.0. Those who apply must show leadership skills and will be very involved either on campus or in community service work. The Altrusa Club of Chapel HIll is another scholarship for women showing merit who live in Orange Country and who are looking to reenter the workforce.
Many other scholarships are available for men and women who show hard work and motivation to achieve success in school and later in their new career. You can apply for the scholarships by visit: Academic Works.com. You must also complete a FAFSA in order to be considered for any of the scholarships. You will need to maintain good grades to continue being eligible for any scholarships for which you receive approval. You can monitor the progress of any scholarship applications.
Alamance Community College
1247 Jimmie Kerr Rd-Graham, NC 27253
The nursing assistant program at Alamance Community College is 6 credit hours. Therefore, students in this course can apply for the North Carolina Community College Grant to help cover the cost since this grant is only for students who are taking at least 6 credits. An applicant will need to either have graduated college or passed their G.E.D.
Other grants and scholarships are also available for students who qualify when applying for financial aid. Students who apply for this grant will need to be residents of the State of North Carolina. To maintain the scholarship students, must maintain good grades. The amount of grant that a student will receive will be impacted by the total number of credits the student is taking.
A student is not eligible for this grant if they do not complete the Federal Application for Financial Aid. It must be completed by the deadline for a given semester. If a student needs help completely this form, they can contact the financial aid office at Alamance Community College. It might be necessary to complete forms specific to Alamance Community College for financial aid in addition to the federal forms.
CNA Schools/Programs
Randolph Community College
629 Industrial Park Ave-Asheboro, NC 27205
Randolph Community College Offers both a Nursing Assistant I and Nursing Assistant II course. The Nursing assistant I course teaches students the skills they need to become certified as nursing assistants in the state. They will learn about everything from taking vital signs and providing personal care to protecting the rights, privacy and safety of patients. Nursing assistant students will not receive only classroom instruction but rather will receive hands on instruction as well.
The Nursing Assistant II program is for those who are already listed on the State Nurse Aide Registry as a CNA. More advanced skills will be taught in this course. Some sample topics and skills that will be covered include: ostomy care, trach and wound care and catheterizations. Successful completion of the course can prepare a student to take the necessary steps to be listed on the North Carolina Board of Nursing as an NA II.
Cape Fear Community College
411 N Front St-Wilmington, NC 28401
The college offers a couple different nursing aide programs. One program is the Nursing Aide Diploma program. This course only accepts 15 students per year. Students will attend 3 semesters for a total of 39 credit hours. The course includes classes like Anatomy and Physiology, Nursing Aide courses, Medical Terminology and psychology.
The nursing assistant certificate program allows someone to train as a Nursing Aide I, Home Health Aide and Nursing Assistant II. Students can apply for the necessary testing to be listed as a Nursing Assistant I on the registry. They can apply to be listed as a Nursing Aide II on the registry after successfully completing that training semester.
To complete all certificates, a student will need to finish 18 credit hours. During the Nursing Assistant II segment, students will learn about more advanced nursing assistant skills such as wound and colostomy care. The three training courses are broken down into three different semesters: fall, spring and summer. Each semester will have a total of 6 credits. Before a student can begin the Nurse Aide II segment, they must show they have worked for at least 40 total areas as a Nursing Aide I.
Bladen Community College
7418 NC Hwy 41W-Dublin, NC 28332
Bladen Community College has a Nurse Aide I training course. Students will receive class instruction and lab classes. Of course, they will also need to complete clinical studies to receive hands on experience. Students will receive the foundations and practice they need to become skilled nursing assistants. Graduates of this course can sit for the certification exam and become listed on the nursing aide registry.
Current Nurse Aide I students can take the Nurse Aide II course. They will learn more advanced CNA skills and procedures. Graduates of this class will also be able to sit for a competency exam. IF they pass, they will then be listed on the nursing aide registry as a Nurse Aide II.
Nurse aide curriculum courses are also available in the form of a Diploma and Certificate program. The diploma program is 38 credit hours in total that musts be completed. It will take two semesters to finish. The nurse aide certificate program is a total of 12 credits. This is where a student can train to become both a CNA I and CNA II by completely two different semesters.
Out of State CNAs
In most cases, out of state CNAs must take a North Carolina approved training program and take the necessary certification exam to be a Nurse Aide I in North Carolina. Nurses, some nursing students and others with comparable training, might be exempt from the CNA course requirement but will still need to sit for the exam of certification.
Places to Work in NC
Bayview Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
3003 Kensington Park Drive, New Bern, NC 28560
Givens Health Center
600 Barrett Lane, Asheville, NC 28803
Jesse Helms Nursing Center
1411 Dove Street, Monroe, NC 28111
Life Care Center of Hendersonv
400 Thompson Street, Hendersonville, NC 28792
North Carolina State Veterans Nursing Home Salisbu
1601 Brenner Ave, Buildng #10, Salisbury, NC 28145
Shaire Nursing Center
1450 Shaire Center Drive, Lenoir, NC 28645
The Rosewood Health Center
8710 Cypress Club Drive, Raleigh, NC 27615
Trinity Grove
631 Junction Creek Drive, Wilmington, NC 28412
Windsor Point Continuing Care
1221 Broad Street, Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
CNA Training Center Reviews
Randolph Community College – Helpful instructors, the library staff are awesome, the administration is helpful and there is a wide variety of majors to choose from with affordable prices.
Cape Fear Community College – I was taking the online classes and teachers would respond quickly to any questions or concerns that I had. They have the best advising office.
CNA Training FAQs
Can you challenge the CNA test in NC? North Carolina is well known as a state in which individuals can challenge the CNA exam which means that individuals don’t have to have formal training to be listed as a nursing assistant, you simply just go online and pay a fee to take the test.
How do I study for the CNA exam? Various sample tests can be found online and other study materials such as practice books and textbooks.
How many hours do I have to work to keep my CNA license? A CNA license is valid for two years from the issue date. The requirements to renew it typically include working for an employer for a specified amount of time, however, these requirements vary by state.