How to Become a Certified Nurse Aide in Hawaii

(found 37 schools, updated in January 2018)

The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has contracted with Prometric to administer the Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Competency Examination process and to maintain the Hawaii Nurse Aide Registry. New CNAs will complete a state-approved training program and take the Competency Examination. Hawaii also offers reciprocity to out of state CNAs and will evaluate requests from healthcare workers who believe they have completed training equivalent to CNA training. An individual can become a Certified Nurse Aide in a short period of time by following the appropriate steps, enabling the person to seek employment and begin a fulfilling healthcare career.

• 6 Steps to Becoming a CNA in Hawaii
• Renew CNA Certification in Hawaii
• Job Outlook and Salary for CNAs in Hawaii
• Becoming a CNA in Other States

6 Steps to Becoming a CNA in Hawaii

No matter the status of the individual, CNA certification requirements require a person to prove he or she completed appropriate training and passed a competency exam. Following are the steps to achieve certification as a CNA in Hawaii.

Step 1: Review and Choose the Best Route to CNA Certification

There are several routes to getting CNA certification in Hawaii. New Certified Nurse Aides must complete a state-approved training program and pass the Competency Examination. However, there are other routes for people who have appropriate training.

Route 1: New CNA

New CNAs are required to complete a Hawaii state-approved nurse aide training program, and take and pass the Competency Examination.

Route 2: Out of State CNA

Individuals who are certified in another state as a CNA can request reciprocity in Hawaii. The individual submits an application to Prometric with a copy of their certification. If the certification is not active on the other state’s Nurse Aide Registry, the nurse aide must take the Hawaii Competency Examination.

Route 3: Lapsed Nurse Aide

Individuals who have allowed their nurse aide certification to expire can follow one of two paths to get recertified, depending on their circumstances:

1. Attended a current Hawaii state-approved training program: If certification is lapsed, but the person completed a Hawaii state-approved training program that is currently active, it is necessary to retake the Competency Exam.
2. Attended a training program in Hawaii that was not state-approved or is now closed: The individual must complete a Hawaii state-approved training program and take the Competency Examination.

Step 2: Select a CNA Training Program

Steps 2 through Step 4 apply to individuals who must complete a CNA training program. Hawaii’s laws require CNA programs in Hawaii to be a minimum of 100 training hours, of which at least 30 hours are clinical training. The remaining hours are a mixture of classroom and laboratory training. Each educational facility can set their own schedule, and many CNA classes in Hawaii require more than 100 hours of training.

Local CNA Classes in Hawaii

There are 37 CNA programs in Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. The school list is updated in January 2018.

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For example, Leeward Community College Waianae Health Academy in Oahu offers a Certified Nurse Aide training program. It is a 150-hour course that costs $2,075-$2,200 (subject to change). The fee includes the course fee, Heartsaver First Aid, CPR and AED training and certification, the Prometric CNA exam, uniforms, textbooks and blood pressure kit. It takes approximately two months.

The Hawaii Institute of Healthcare & Training Services in Hilo also offers a state-approved CNA training program. It is a 120-hour course. Tuition is $1,250, but the student must also buy a uniform with shoes, and classroom and medical supplies, plus pay for exam fees. The program is six weeks long.

Financial Aid

Qualified students have opportunities to receive financial aid. Funding is available through the Native Hawaiian Education Program and the Workforce Development Division’s Employment Training Fund (EFT). A Certified Nursing Assistant training course may qualify for state and federal grants and loans if it is a credit program.

Step 3: Meet the Prerequisites

The state does not require students to have graduated high school to enroll in a Certified Nurse Aide training program. However, some schools in Hawaii do have this as an admission requirement. Typical prerequisites include the following:

• Demonstrate a 9th grade reading level via a placement test or by providing proof of high school completion
• Demonstrate English proficiency via an assessment test
• Get a physical examination clearance
• Show proof of negative chest x-ray or TB test
• Show proof of immunizations for MMR 1 & 2, meningitis, hepatitis and varicella
• Pass a criminal background check
• Provide a copy of a CPR/First Aide certificate (may require before registration, but some programs include CPR/First Aide training in in the CNA training program)

To qualify to take the exam, the individual must be 18 years old or older. Some, but not all schools, require the student to be at least 18 years old.

Step 4: Complete CNA Training

CNA courses in Hawaii cover a variety of topics specifically related to the on-the-job duties of the CNA. They include, but are not limited to:

• Ethics
• Safety
• Working with a health care team
• Infection control
• Communication
• Protecting patient rights
• Activities of daily living
• Positioning and transferring patients or residents
• Assisting with client’s personal care
• Nutrition and feeding
• Restorative care
• Caring for people with specific conditions, like HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, TB, etc.
• Taking and recording vital signs
• Restorative care
• Death and dying
• Documentation
• Clinical

Step 5: Take and Pass the Competency Exam

The State of Hawaii has contracted with Prometric to administer the Competency Exam. Individuals must pass the exam within two years after the date of the first CNA test attempt. Each person is allowed three attempts to pass the exam. If unable to pass the exam within three attempts and within two years of the first testing attempt, the individual must retrain and retest.

The Competency Examination is made up of two parts.

Part 1: Written (Knowledge) Test

The Written Test has 60 multiple-choice questions. A passing grade is 70 percent or higher. Three attempts are allowed.

Part 2: Clinical Skills Test

The Clinical Skills Test requires completing five randomly selected CNA skills. While completing the skills, three of them will also be scored on Handwashing and Indirect Care. They are two skills a nurse aide regularly performs when delivering a variety of patient or resident services. Indirect Care skills includes activities like asking residents what their care preferences are and promoting the rights and safety of residents. All five nurse aide skills must be passed. Three attempts are allowed.

Step 6: Get Name Placed in the Hawaii Nurse Aide Registry

Prometric maintains the Hawaii State Nurse Aide Registry. The company enters the names of people who successfully passed the Competency Examination, or qualify for direct placement, on the Hawaii Nurse Aide Registry.

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Renew CNA Certification in Hawaii

The Hawaii nurse aide certification is valid for 24 months. Recertification requires working as a paid CNA for at least eight (8) hours during the 24-month certification period. The employer provides the verification.

Work experience can be in any licensed healthcare facility. However, if the work experience is in a licensed facility that is not funded by Medicaid or Medicare, it is necessary to include a copy of a training completion certificate with the recertification application in order to renew certification. There is a second option. An individual can provide verification that he or she completed a required number of continuing education hours (24 hours) or a 24-hour training course designed to assess competency.

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Job Outlook and Salary for CNAs in Hawaii

In Hawaii, a Certified Nurse Adie always works under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN). The CNA can work as a nursing assistant, personal care aide, home health aide, orderly or psychiatric aide in long-term care facilities, clinics, rehabilitation facilities, hospices and hospitals, and for home health agencies. A home health aide working for a Medicare funded facility must be a Certified Nurse Aide. | See Job Openings

For the period 2014-2024, Hawaii is expected to have a 17.2 percent increase in the number of CNA jobs. This is very close to the national projection of 17.6 percent. The average yearly salary for Hawaii CNAs is $31,990. That is an hourly wage of $15.38. This is 15.7 percent higher than the national average CNA salary of $27,650 or $13.29 per hour. | See Job Openings

CNA Salaries in Hawaii

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Becoming a CNA in Other States

Hawaii is completely surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. If you want to become a CNA in another state, visit the following guides:

• Arizona
• California
• Nevada
• Oregon
• Washington
• More states