How to Become a Certified Nurse Aide in Connecticut

The Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) provides patients in medical facilities, residents in long-term care facilities assistance and clients in their homes with services that meet basic care needs. They are the people who are most likely to have regular contact with those who are dealing with medical issues or the challenges of aging. CNAs are alert to changes in the client’s condition and serve as liaisons between the people under their care and other healthcare professionals.

• 6 Steps to Becoming a CNA in Connecticut
• How to Keep CNA Certification Active
• Salary and job outlook for CNAs in Connecticut
• Get CNA Certification in Bordering States

6 Steps to Becoming a CNA in Connecticut

Step 1: Select the Right Route

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DOPH) regulates the training and certification of Certified Nurse Aides. In Connecticut, there are seven eligibility routes to becoming a CNA. It is important to understand the routes because not all of them require taking or re-taking the CNA state exam.

Route 1 – First Time Nurse Aide

If the person completed a state-approved CNA training program within the last 24 months, it is necessary to take the CNA exam to get listed in the State Nurse Aide Registry (NAR). The training program must be state-approved.

Route 2 – Nurse or Student Nurse

If nursing students have completed a minimum of 100 hours of clinical and theory instruction in an approved registered nursing or practical nursing program within the last 24 months, it is necessary to take the exam to get placed in the Nurse Aide Registry.

Route 3 – Out-of-State Nurse Aide

If a person, 1) completed a state-approved nurse aide program in a state other than Connecticut within the last 24 months, and 2) the program was at least 100 hours of training, and 3) the person has not completed the out-of-state nurse aide examination, it is necessary to take the exam.

Route 4 – Nurse Aide with Lapsed Certification

A person who has let their Connecticut CNA certification lapse, and is not eligible for certification renewal, must retake and pass the CNA certification exam to be placed on the Registry.

Route 5 – Successfully Completed Nurse Aide Training and Passed the State Exam Within the Last 24 Months

A person who completed a minimum 100-hour CNA program within the last 24 months, and taken and passed the state competency exam, can apply to be directly placed in the Nurse Aide Registry. The program must be approved by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and governed by the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education.

Route 6 – Reciprocity for Out of State CNAs

If a person is in good standing on an out of state Nurse Aide Registry, it is not necessary to take the Connecticut CNA Exam. Send a completed Nurse Aide Registry Application to Prometric.

Step 2: If Necessary to Complete Training, Find and Select a State-Approved Training Program

There are well over a 100 state-approved CNA programs in Connecticut that are offered in a variety of educational and medical facilities around the state. Students can also train in nursing homes and long-term resident care facilities.

State Requirements

The State of Connecticut requires:

• The approved certified nursing assistant training program require at least 100 hours of training
• Training must include teaching basic theoretical components and clinical training in 25 competency skills
• Clinical component must be offered in a licensed Rest Home with Nursing Supervision setting or in a licensed Chronic and Convalescent Nursing Home
• Training program must be supervised by a Registered Nurse (RN) who meets state experience requirements; a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) may serve as a trainer while remaining under the supervision of the RN and able to meet state experience requirements
• A standardized training program has been developed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and every program will cover the material in the curriculum as a minimum

All state-approved CNA classes in Connecticut will teach the information and skills needed to pass the CNA Exam. Though there is a standardized curriculum, each school or program can require additional training hours as long as the program meets the minimum curriculum requirements.

Approved Certified Nurse Aide Classes in Connecticut by City

The school table includes 102 state-approved CNA classes in Connecticut. The table can be sorted by city, training program provider, contact phone and email. The list is updated in June 2017.

Which Factors to Consider When Selecting a Program

When researching state-approved CNA programs, consider factors like program location, program length, time of day the classes are held and costs. All costs mentioned are subject to change by the programs at any time.

For example, the American Red Cross and Gateway Community College (GCC) jointly offer a nurse aide training program in New Haven, CT that is held on the GCC campus. It is 100 hours of training offered as 4-weeks of day classes or 6-weeks of evening classes. The cost is $1,250 which includes textbooks and skills manuals. The student will have other expenses to cover like immunizations, drug screening and uniforms.

The Academy of Medical Training in Waterbury, CT offers CNA training. The program is 60 hours of classroom time and 40 hours of clinical training, for a total of 100 hours. However, a student going full-time can complete the program in 2 1/2 weeks. The cost is $1,200 for tuition, registration fee, supplies, textbook and two sets of scrubs. Other expenses the student must pay include professional liability insurance and drug screening.

St. Vincent’s College‘s CNA program in Bridgeport is 10 weeks long or one semester. There are 64 hours of theory education and 60 hours of clinical training for a total of 124 hours. The cost of the program is $1,500 which includes the textbook, workbook and Prometric testing. Once again, there will be other fees and expenses, like a fee for the health and security background clearance check and uniforms.

Online CNA Program

Taking an online CNA program is possible. For example, the Middlesex Community College in Middletown offers a hybrid CNA program which allows students to complete courses online and fulfill hands-on clinical training. The student completes six training modules online that covers the same information taught in the classroom. The clinical training can be completed at a local nursing facility.

Financial Aid

It is important to discuss financial aid opportunities with the school’s financial aid office. Some schools have workforce training scholarships available. If qualified, a student can apply for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) job training funds which will make the cost of training free.

Step 3: Meet Prerequisites

After selecting a CNA training program, the nurse aide student needs to review the prerequisites. Prerequisites will vary by CNA program. They usually include the following:

• High school diploma or GED
• Meet minimum age requirement
• Proof of English and Math minimum competency level
• Proof of current immunizations, PPD test for tuberculosis
• Pass a criminal background check
• Pass a health screening

It may be necessary to apply for entrance into the school first and then enroll in the CNA training program. It depends on the facility offering the Certified Nurse Aide training.

Step 4: Complete the CNA Training

Connecticut’s standard curriculum has a seven-module training program divided into 54 classroom instructional hours and 71 clinical hours which exceeds the total hourly minimum required by law. The clinic portion trains students in 25 competency skills.

What to Learn

Following are some of the topics covered in the training programs.

• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Infection control
• Safety
• Resident rights and independence
• Taking and recording vital signs
• Measuring height and weight
• Recognizing abnormal physical changes
• Patient bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, feeding and skin care
• Patient transferring, turning and positioning
• Responding to patient behaviors
• Addressing needs and behaviors of residents with Alzheimer’s or with cognitive impairments
• Using assistive devices for patient care
• Care and use of orthotic devices
• Promoting resident rights to be free from mistreatment, neglect and abuse

The daily work of a CNA is not routine because the needs of patients and residents regularly change.

Step 5: Take the Connecticut Nurse Aide Competency Exam

The Connecticut Department of Health has contracted with Prometric to administer the CNA state exam and maintain the CNA Registry. Applicants can test at Prometric Regional Testing Sites and in facilities like nursing homes or training program facilities where they do their training.

Two Parts of State Examination

There are two parts to the testing procedure. All the questions and skills testing concern information and skills learned in the training course.

• Written Test: This portion of the test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. The test is computerized, and results are pass or fail. An oral version of the test is also available.
• Clinical Skills Test: Five skills are tested. Handwashing and Indirect Care are scored concurrently with the three other skills that are tested. The Indirect Care skill concerns things like infection control and resident comfort. The exam taker must pass all five skills.

Step 6: Get Certified as a CNA in Connecticut

CNA Certification requirements say an applicant must pass both exam sections. After passing the written and skills tests, Prometric will add the applicant’s name to the Connecticut Certified Nurse Assistant Registry. At that point, the applicant is certified in the state. The name is never removed, even if certification is lost or expired. The status of the certification is shown in the Registry.

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How to Keep CNA Certification Active

CNA certification in Connecticut must be renewed every two years (24 months). Eligibility to renew CNA certification requires working as a paid CNA for at least eight hours within the prior two years. The certification two-year renewal period count begins on the last day worked as a CNA. The employer must submit one of the Employment Verification forms to provide specific employment information. The form is mailed or faxed directly to the CT Nurse Aide Registry Program.

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Salary and job outlook for CNAs in Connecticut

Certified Nurse Aides in Connecticut can work in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, nursing homes and long-term residential facilities. They can also work as a private duty professional. The Homemaker-Home Health Aide who has completed the required training is allowed to work in homes while working on getting CNA certification in Connecticut but has more limited duties than a CNA. In Connecticut, the designation indicates the person has completed the minimum mandatory Homemaker-Home Health Aide Training and Competency 75 hours of training. | See Job Openings

There is a projected 5.4 percent growth rate for the period 2014-2024 for Connecticut CNA jobs. The average annual CNA salary for the state CNAs, per the May 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, was $32,140. This is 16.2 percent higher than the national annual CNA wage for the same time period which was $27,650. | See Job Openings

CNA Salaries in Connecticut

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Get CNA Certification in Bordering States

• Massachusetts
• New York
• Rhode Island