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How to Become a Certified Nurse Aide in Kansas

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(found 29 schools, updated in November 2017)

The process in the state of Kansas for certifying a nursing assistant is administered by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) – Health Occupations Credentialing (HOC). To get certified, individuals must complete training and pass a competency test, or get training equivalency approval and then take and pass the test. Once all certification requirements are met, the person’s name is placed on the Kansas Nurse Aide Registry. In the following sections, the requirements to become a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) in Kansas are explained, beginning with a description of the state-approved routes through certification renewal.

SHOW ME SCHOOLS

  • 6 Steps to Becoming a CNA in Kansas
  • How to Keep CNA Certification Active
  • Salary and Job Outlook for CNAs in Kansas
  • Becoming a CNA in Bordering States

6 Steps to Becoming a CNA in Kansas

There are several steps an individual can follow to become a Certified Nurse Aide in Kansas. A new nurse aide will complete training at a state-approved facility and then take a multiple-choice exam. Some individuals can qualify for recognition of past training as being equivalent nurse aide training and request to only take the CNA test.

Step 1: Select the Appropriate Route Leading to Nurse Aide Certification

New CNAs

A new Certified Nurse Aide in Kansas completes a state-approved 90-hour training course at a state or private funded educational facility. A nurse aide enrolled in a training program is initially called a Nurse Aide Trainee I. After completing part 1 of a two-part training program, the person is designated as a Nurse Aide Trainee II by HOC and can work with residents while under supervision. The 90 training hours include 45 hours of clinical training. All nurse aide trainees and CNAs work under the direction of their supervising LPN or RN.

Another option is to complete CNA training at an adult care facility while employed. Kansas defines adult care facilities as including long-term care facilities, nursing homes and long-term units of hospitals. The individual can work for 120 days without certification, but Kansas requires getting a Nurse Aide Trainee II approval from HOC before working directly with residents. To get approval, the nurse aide trainee must complete part 1 of the training program and a competency evaluation checklist before providing hands-on resident care services.

CNAs from Other States

Out of state Certified Nursing Assistants who are in good standing on their state’s Nurse Aide Registry, and want to earn certification in Kansas, can challenge the Kansas Nurse Aide Test one time. Challenging the test means the out of state CNA wants to take the test without additional training. The CNA from another state can get permission from HOC to work at a long-term care facility as a Nurse Aide Trainee II for 120 days while waiting to test. The individual must have an “Approval to Test” letter from HOC and must successfully pass the exam within the 120 days.

Nursing Students & Mental Health Technicians

Nursing students (RNs and LPNs) and mental health technicians who can provide verification they completed basic nursing skills courses, and a minimum 45 hours of clinical training that included geriatric training while enrolled in a state-recognized training program in any state, can request to bypass nurse aide training and take the CNA state exam. Training must have been completed within the 24 months prior to application. The person gets one attempt.

RN or LPN

A Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in any state and with an active license can also apply to take the exam without additional training. The individual gets one attempt to pass the test within 12 months.

Other Applicants

Other people who can apply for training equivalency and request to take the examination without additional training include the RN, LPN or Licensed Mental Health Technician who have a license that expired in the 24 months prior to application.

Out of state CNAs, nursing students, graduate nurses, RNs, LPNs and Licensed Mental Health Technician whose training is endorsed by the state as equivalent to CNA training get one attempt to pass the CNA exam. If unable to pass, these individuals must complete a state-approved CNA training program and will get two more attempts to pass the exam. The 12-month period begins on the training course’s beginning date.

Kansas will consider any application for equivalency if the person has completed training or passed a test, or both, if the training and test are similar to the training and test that Kansas requires for Certified Nurse Aides. Military people trained in healthcare and foreign trained nurses should contact the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services to discuss potential training equivalency.

Step 2: Select a CNA Training Program

A new CNA, and others required to train based on their circumstances, will need to complete state-approved training and pass the state CNA test. CNA programs in Kansas are offered at community colleges, nursing colleges, technical schools, career institutes and adult care facilities. Individuals should only choose a state-approved training program because it has been evaluated to ensure it meets federal and state training requirements.

CNA Classes in Kansas by City

There are 29 state-approved Certified Nurse Aide programs in Kansas. You can find the best local CNA school in the following list. The school list is updated in November 2017.

SHOW ME SCHOOLS

CityCNA Program ProviderPhone
AndoverButler Community College of Andover
www.butlercc.edu
(316) 323-6072
AtchisonNortheast Kansas Technical Center of Highland Community College
highlandcc.edu
(913) 367-6204
ChanuteNeosho County Community College
www.neosho.edu
(620) 431-2820
Chanute (Hybrid)Neosho County Community College
www.neosho.edu
(620) 431-2820
CoffeyvilleCoffeyville Community College Technical Division
www.coffeyville.edu
(620) 251-3910
Council GroveButler Community College of Council Grove
www.butlercc.edu
(316) 323-6072
EmporiaHoliday Resort
www.holidayresorts.net
(620) 343-9285
Kansas CityDelores Homes Training Centerm, Inc.
www.deloreshomes.com
(913) 299-9534
Kansas CityDonnelly College
www.donnelly.edu
(913) 621-8700
Kansas CityKansas City Kansas Community College
www.kckcc.edu
(913) 288-7465
Kansas CityTrinity Career Institute(913) 299-6666
LawrenceNeosho County Community College
www.neosho.edu
(620) 431-2820
LawrenceTrinity Career Institute
www.trinitycareerinstitute.com
(785) 331-2025
LeavenworthKansas City Kansas Community College
www.kckcc.edu
(913) 288-7465
LenexaKansas College of Nursing
kansascollegeofnursing.com
(913) 248-2838
OlatheJohnson County Community College Health Occupations Department
www.jccc.edu
(913) 469-2350
OnlineAllen Community College
www.allencc.edu
(620) 364-1367
OnlineButler Community College
www.butlercc.edu
(316) 320-7375
OnlineColby Community College
www.colbycc.edu
(785) 462-3984
OnlinePRATT Community College Allied Health Department
prattcc.edu
(620) 672-5641
OttawaNeosho County Community College
www.neosho.edu
(620) 431-2820
Overland ParkMidwestern College
midwesterncollege.org
(913) 385-2144
PaolaFort Scott Community College
www.fortscott.edu
(913) 294-4178
PittsburgFort Scott Community College
www.fortscott.edu
(620) 768-2908
SalinaSalina Area Technical College
www.salinatech.edu
(785) 309-3100
TopekaWashburn Tech
www.washburntech.edu
(785) 228-6392
WichitaAllied Health Career Training LLC
alliedhealthcareertraining.com
(316) 854-3892
WichitaWe Care Online, LLC
wecareonlineclasses.com
(888) 932-2501
WichitaWichita Area Technical College
watc.edu
(316) 677-1500

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Program Length and Structure

Programs vary in length and structure. For example:

  • The Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) enrolls high school seniors in its program. The training program is one-semester in duration and classes are offered on-campus. It is a credit program, meaning the student can apply the five (5) credits towards a degree program at a later time.
  • Midwestern College offers on-campus CNA classes and CNA hybrid courses, meaning some classes are attended online and others are attended on campus. It also takes a semester to complete. The on-campus weekday class that requires full-time attendance takes approximately four weeks to complete. The CNA hybrid course, with Saturday only attendance, takes approximately eight weeks.
  • Washburn Tech offers a CNA training program that is 106 hours of instruction and accepts high school juniors and seniors, and post-secondary students. It is a five-credit course, and credits can be applied to a future degree program.

CNA Training Costs

The costs of training also vary for CNA classes in Kansas. KCKCC charges $86 plus a per-credit fee, tech fee and allied health special fee for a total of $331. The student must still buy uniforms and cover other expenses. Washburn Tech’s CNA program for high school students costs $164 for tuition, materials and technology fee, textbook, supplies and a certification fee. The program costs for post-secondary students are $794. Midwestern College charges $550 for tuition, textbook and testing fees. All students, no matter where they attend, will have to buy uniforms.

All the amounts mentioned are subject to change by the training facility. Generally, the cost of training can run from $500 to $1,000. Students should discuss payment options and potential funding sources with the school’s financial aid office. Some students may qualify for workforce training funds, and the financial aid office can direct them to the appropriate state agencies.

Free Training

Federal law requires employers in Medicare/Medicaid facilities to pay for all training costs for students who train in their facility. The free training applies to employed student nurse aides and people who have received an offer of employment from the facility on the date training began. If a Medicare/Medicaid facility makes an offer of employment within 12 months of the student completing any state-approved training program, the state, through the employer, will pay the training costs on a prorated basis.

Step 3: Meet CNA Training Program Prerequisites

Some CNA training programs in Kansas require the student to show proof of a high school diploma or GED before they will allow enrollment. There are also programs that allow high school students or people who did not complete high school to enroll. Other prerequisites to enrollment include:

  • Complete a health examination
  • Be at least 18 years with the exception of training programs enrolling non-high school graduates (must pass a reading and comprehension assessment)
  • Pass a criminal background check via the live scan fingerprint method
  • Pass a drug test
  • Show proof of immunizations
  • Show proof of a negative TB skin test or chest x-ray
  • Achieve a minimum on math and reading assessment tests, like WorkKeys

Step 4: Complete CNA Training

A state-approved CNA course in Kansas is a minimum of 90 hours which includes classroom, lab and clinical training. The program has two parts, and each part is required to consist of 50 percent clinical training that can take place in an adult care facility, school setting or simulated laboratory.

The curriculum guidelines are maintained by HOC. The training covers a variety of general healthcare topics and topics specific to nursing assistant duties and skills. They include:

  • Infection control
  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Safety and emergency procedures
  • Respecting residents’ legal and ethical rights
  • Promoting residents’ independence
  • The aging process
  • Basic human needs
  • Resident mobility and body mechanics
  • Transferring and positioning patients
  • Using mechanical assistive devices
  • Managing resident’s personal living space
  • • Client personal care and grooming

  • Nutrition and fluids
  • Measuring and recording vital signs
  • Working with healthcare team members
  • End-of-life care
  • Dementia and problem behaviors

Step 5: Take the Competency Evaluation Exam

The Kansas state exam consists of a Written Test that consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, and a minimum score of 75 percent is a passing grade. Testing individuals are allowed three attempts within 12 months. The 12-month period begins on the first day the training program began. If the individual does not pass the test within 12 months, he or she must retrain and retest.

Step 6: Get Name Placed on the Kansas Nurse Aide Registry

After successfully meeting state CNA certification requirements, the individual’s name is added to the Kansas CNA Registry. Once on the Registry, the person can use the CNA designation and accept jobs that require certification.

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How to Keep CNA Certification Active

CNA certification in Kansas is good for two years. To renew CNA certification, the nurse aide needs to work a minimum of eight (8) hours during the 2-year certification period. Nurse aides who have not worked, and their status becomes inactive, can reactivate their status in one of two ways:

  • Complete a 2-day refresher course at a community college, or
  • Have a hospital or RN in a long-term care facility administer a checklist

The checklist process involves a RN watching the nurse aide perform 18 skills to determine if the individual can perform the skills in a satisfactory manner.

CNA Refresher Courses in Kansas by City

The HOC maintains a list of state-approved training sites offering a CNA refresher course. There are 7 state-approved Certified Nurse Aide refresher programs in Kansas. The program list is updated in November 2017.

CityCNA Rrefresher ProviderPhone
CoffeyvilleCoffeyville Community College Technical Division
www.coffeyville.edu
(620) 251-3910
Great BendBarton Community College Adult Health Care
bartonccc.edu
(620) 792-9298
Kansas CityKansas City Kansas Community College
www.kckcc.edu
(913) 288-7465
Kansas CityTrinity Career Institute(913) 299-6666
LawrenceTrinity Career Institute Lawrence
www.trinitycareerinstitute.com
(785) 331-2025
SalinaSalina Area Technical College
www.salinatech.edu
(785) 309-3100
WichitaMidwestern College
midwesterncollege.org
(316) 684-5122

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Salary and Job Outlook for CNAs in Kansas

Certified Nurse Aides in Kansas can work in long-term care facilities, nursing homes and long-term units of hospitals, in addition to all other types of healthcare settings. It is necessary to get certified as a Home Health Aide to work for a Medicare-certified home health agency. Certification is not required to work in non-Medicare/Medicaid funded healthcare facilities, or in areas of the hospital other than the long-term unit of a hospital. However, many employers prefer certification, so becoming a CNA offers many more employment opportunities. | See Job Openings

CNA Salary in Kansas

The annual mean wage for Kansas CNAs is $24,530 or $11.79 per hour. The long-term projected growth in the number of Kansas nursing assistant jobs is 4.5 percent for the period 2014-2024. | See Job Openings

KS CNA SalariesEmpl.Hourly mean wageAnnual mean wageWage percent relative std. errorHourly 10th % wageHourly median wageHourly 90th % wageAnnual 10th % wageAnnual median wageAnnual 90th % wage
National144315013.29276500.29.6412.7818.22200402659037900
Kansas2331011.79245300.89.6911.4714.69201602385030550
Lawrence, KS55012.10251602.49.8011.7614.83203802446030850
Manhattan, KS78011.18232503.19.4710.9114.06197002269029240
Northeast Kansas nonmetropolitan area315011.38236701.39.6011.1714.18199702322029490
Northwest Kansas nonmetropolitan area167011.78245001.49.6311.5214.65200202396030480
Southeast Kansas nonmetropolitan area309010.62221002.08.4810.6712.93176402219026900
Southwest Kansas nonmetropolitan area159011.53239901.09.8011.3514.21203702361029560
Topeka, KS233012.29255701.89.8911.7615.56205702445032350
Wichita, KS447011.54240001.09.7911.2514.34203602340029820

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Becoming a CNA in Bordering States

  • Colorado
  • Nebraska
  • Missouri
  • Oklahoma

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