How to Become a Licensed Nursing Assistant in Vermont

(found 47 schools, updated in March 2018)

Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs) in Vermont are synonymous with Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) in many other states. As a LNA, employees will function as a nurse aide and will perform basic duties in that capacity. Responsibilities might include helping patients with dressing, bathing, or feeding. Licensed Nursing Assistants may also be required to take a patient’s vital signs or take samples. All LNAs in Vermont will work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

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• 3 Steps to Becoming a LNA in Vermont
• How to Keep LNA Certification Active
• Salary and Job Outlook for LNAs in Vermont
• Becoming a CNA in Bordering States

3 Steps to Becoming a LNA in Vermont

There are essentially three ways to acquire LNA certification in Vermont. The first is to be endorsed in Vermont with an out of state certification; this will be discussed at length later. The second is to use education through a nursing program to meet prerequisites for LNA testing. The third is to attend a Board of Nursing approved LNA program in Vermont to meet the prerequisites for testing.

Education as a Licensed Nursing Assistant is the most important step in obtaining certification; however, it is important to understand the cost of pursuing LNA education before deciding on a path through a university or state-approved program. Assessing the cost, then, is the first step in certification.

Financial Aid and LNA Certification Costs

Costs will vary depending upon where a student chooses to complete his or her LNA certification in Vermont. Some facilities will include the cost of materials, such as textbooks, scrubs and clinical requirements. Other LNA programs will insist that each student purchase his or her own materials. Tuition costs for an Licensed Nursing Assistant program through a technical school such as the Central Vermont Career Center or the Green Mountain Technology and Career Center will have tuition fees of around $1,200; however, these courses often charge more for testing and material fees.

Prospective Licensed Nursing Assistants should be cautioned that most LNA programs do not qualify for financial aid. However, in Vermont it is possible to utilize the education associated with a nursing degree to qualify for LNA examinations. For example, if a student chooses to pursue an education in Nursing at the University of Vermont, it is possible to qualify for financial aid or make use of grants and scholarships.

Once the costs of LNA classes in Vermont are taken into account, the next step is to choose the correct program.

Step 1: Completing LNA Training

LNA training programs in Vermont are required by law to meet certain standards. At minimum, LNA training is 80 hours of instruction; 30 of these hours are mandatory clinic hours. It is common practice for training programs to go over the minimum number of required hours. Programs are usually held during the week, over the course of several weeks. It is important to have hands-on training in order to qualify for certification in the State; therefore, attendance and clinic hours are mandatory.

Just to reiterate, training programs can be bypassed by transcripts proving an LNA certification applicant has completed fundamentals of nursing in their course of studies pertaining to a degree as a Registered Nurse.

If an applicant is not pursuing education as a registered nurse, the only option is to enroll in and successfully complete a LNA training program approved by the Vermont Board of Nursing.

Local LNA Classes in Vermont

The following table displays state-approved Licensed Nursing Assistant programs in Vermont. The school data is updated in March 2018.

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City	County	Program Provider	Contact	Email
Concord, NH	Windham	American Red Cross www.redcross.org	(603) 225-6697	flora.meyer@redcross.org
Barre	Washington	Berlin Health & Rehab Center www.genesishcc.com	(802) 229-0308	danielle.adamowich@genesishcc.com
Barre	Washington	Central Vermont Career Center www.cvtcc.org	(802) 476-6237	mebean5@yahoo.com
Barre	Washington	Tender Loving Homecare www.tenderlovinghomecareinc.com	(802) 622-1112	Butterfly.nurse@tds.net
Barton	Orleans	Maple Lane and Retirement Homes	(802) 754-8575	maplelane02@gmail.com
Bennington	Bennington	Southwest Vermont Career Development Center www.svcdc.org	(802) 447-3596	Patriciabossong63@icloud.com
Bennington	Bennington	Southwestern Vermont Healthcare svhealthcare.org	(802) 447-5067	Drew.totten@svhealthcare.org
Bennington	Bennington	Vermont Veteran’s Home vvh.vermont.gov	(802) 442-6353	Patricia.babcock@vermont.gov
Bradford	Orange	River Bend Career & Tech Center (Adult) www.rbctc.org	(802) 222-5212	bemerson@rbctc.org
Burlington	Chittenden	Birchwood Terrace www.birchwoodterrace.com	(802) 863-6384	Elizabeth.Derouchie@kindred.com
Burlington	Chittenden	Burlington Health & Rehab www.genesishcc.com	(802) 658-4200	Elizabeth.brown@genesishcc.org
Burlington	Chittenden	University of Vermont Medical Center website	(802) 847-2363	Karen.fragnoli-munn@uvmhealth.org
Burlington	Chittenden	Vermont Med Ed – Cathedral Square	-	mhfarms@gmavt.net
Colchester	Chittenden	Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden & Grand Isle Counties www.vnacares.org	(802) 860-4471	slagle@vnacares.org
Enosburg Falls	Franklin	Cold Hollow Career Center (Adult) www.chccvt.net	(802) 933-4003	showrigan@chccvt.net
Enosburg Falls	Franklin	Cold Hollow Career Center (Day) www.chccvt.net	(802) 933-4003	showrigan@chccvt.net
Essex Junction	Chittenden	Center for Technology www.go-cte.org/index.php	(802) 878-5559	showrigan@chccvt.net
Hyde Park	Lamoille	Green Mountain Technology and Career Center (Adult) gmtcc.info	(802)371-7409	manazoe@gmail.com
Hyde Park	Lamoille	Green Mountain Technology and Career Center (Day) gmtcc.info	(802) 851-1570	bweatherbee@gmtcc.net
Ludlow	Windsor	Gill Odd Fellows Home website	(802) 228-6860	oddmain@gofhvt.net
Lyndon Center	Caledonia	Lyndon Institute Technical Education (Adult) www.lyndoninstitute.org	(802) 626-6152	twila.perry@lyndoninstitute.org
Lyndon Center	Caledonia	Lyndon Institute Technical Education (Day) www.lyndoninstitute.org	(802) 626-6152	audra.sicard@lyndoninstitute.org
Lyndonville	Caledonia	Pines Rehabilitation & Health Center	(802) 626-3361	dianapines@yahoo.com
Middlebury	Addison	Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center (Adult) website	(802) 382-1042	jjacobs@pahcc.org
Middlebury	Addison	Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center (Day) www.hannafordcareercenter.org	(802) 382-1042	bthompsonsnow@pahcc.org
Middlebury	Addison	Vermont Med Ed - Helen Porter	-	mhfarms@gmavt.net
Morrisville	Lamoille	The Manor, Inc. www.themanorvt.org	(802) 828-8761	clambert@themanorvt.org
Newport	Orleans	North Country Career Center (Adults) nc3.ncsuvt.org	(802) 334-5469	Gwen.Bailey-Rowe@ncsuvt.org
Newport	Orleans	North Country Career Center (Day) nc3.ncsuvt.org	(802) 334-5469	celine.champine@ncsuvt.org
Randolph	Orange	Randolph Technical Career Center (Adult) website	(802) 728-9595	jjolls@randolphtech.org
Randolph	Orange	Randolph Technical Career Center (Day) website	(802) 728-9595	mcarpenter@orangesouthwest.org
Rutland	Rutland	Genesis Eldercare/Mountain View Center www.genesishcc.com	(802) 775-0007	andrew.minichiello@genesishcc.com
Rutland	Rutland	Rutland Health and Rehab Center www.genesishcc.com	(802) 775-2941	Racheal.dupuis@genesishcc.com
Rutland	Rutland	Stafford Technical Center (Adult) staffordonline.org	(802) 770-1033	william.lucci@rcpsvt.org
Rutland	Rutland	Stafford Technical Center (Day) staffordonline.org	(802) 770-1044	nhadeka@live.com
Shelburne	Chittenden	Vermont Med Ed - Wake Robin	-	mhfarms@gmavt.net
Shelburne	Chittenden	Vermont Med Ed- The Residence at Shelburne Bay	-	mhfarms@gmavt.net
South Burlington	Chittenden	TLC Nursing www.tlcnursing.com	(802) 318-4916	wendy@tlcnursing.com
Springfield	Windsor	River Valley Technical Center (Day) www.rvtc.org	(802) 885-8300	wreeves@rvtc.org
Springfield	Windsor	River Valley Technical Ctenter (Adult) www.rvtc.org	(802) 885-8300	wreeves@rvtc.org
Springfield	Windsor	Springfield Health and Rehab Center www.genesishcc.com	(802) 885-5741	Karen.alcorn@genesishcc.org
St. Albans	Franklin	Franklin County Rehab www.franklincountyrehab.com	(802) 752-1600	hshortvt@comcast.net
St. Albans	Franklin	Northwest Technical Center (Adult) nwtc.fcsuvt.org	(802) 527-6405	showrigan@chccvt.net
St. Albans	Franklin	Northwest Technical Center (Day) nwtc.fcsuvt.org	(802) 527-6517	jfaas@fcsuvt.org
St. Albans	Franklin	St. Albans Health & Rehab www.genesishcc.com	(802) 524-6534	Kari.orost@genesishcc.com
White River Junction	Windsor	Hartford Area Career & Technology Center (Adult) www.hactc.com	(802) 295-8630	reibelc@hartfortschools.net
Winooski	Chittenden	Our Lady of Providence www.ourladyofprovidence.org	(802) 655-3768	ebelkvt@comcast.net

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Step 2: Passing LNA Testing and Exams

Once a prospective Licensed Nursing Assistant has completed a state-approved training program, it is necessary to register for and obtain a passing score on both parts of the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP).

The first exam is knowledge-based; the second is a practical skills test in which a student will have to perform five nursing tasks.

LNA licensure applicants will have three attempts to pass both exams, unless the applicant is a working nursing aide in possession of a temporary license. In this case, he or she will have to pass the LNA exams on the first attempt.

Testing cost is $130 on the first attempt. To reattempt the written portion, the knowledge portion, the cost is $35. If an applicant wishes to reattempt the skills portion, the cost will be $95.

Both tests are administered through Pearson VUE with multiple testing sites statewide. Registration for exams should be done through the Pearson VUE website. Practice examinations and testing guidelines can also be found here.

Step 3: Applying for LNA Certification

There are two ways to apply for licensure: through examination or through endorsement.

Through Examination

If the applicant does not currently have LNA certification in another state, he or she will be applying for certification by examination.

Applications are completed online and require a $20 processing fee. Along with the complete online application, prospective Licensed Nursing Assistants should include a 2×2 headshot, copy of a current driver’s license or passport, and a sealed Vermont Nursing Student Verification form provided by the school which was attended for training.

Once the application and necessary documents have been submitted, the status of the application can be tracked through the Vermont Secretary of State website where license holders can also obtain verification of licensure.

Through Endorsement

If a person is already CNA certified in another state, he or she may qualify for endorsement by the state of Vermont. The requirements for this are listed below.

• The applicant for endorsement must be in good standing in the jurisdiction of their certification.
• LNA certification must be verified by the state in which applicant certification was obtained.
• He or she must have proof of 400 work hours as a Licensed Nursing Aide. This is equivalent to 50 days in a professional setting. These hours must have been worked no more than two years prior to submitting an endorsement application.
• If endorsement applicant cannot provide proof of 400 working hours with their current license, he or she can potentially qualify for LNA examination if the applicant has completed an 80-hour training program outside of the state of Vermont. The training program must have also included 30-hours of clinical practice. The training program must have been completed nor more than two years prior to the endorsement application.

If the out of state LNA meets these requirements, he or she may be endorsed by the state of Vermont’s Board of Nursing. This is achieved by sending all the necessary paperwork (copy of driver’s license, verification of licensure form, and 2×2 headshot) to the Board of Nursing in Vermont and completing an online application, for which there is a $20 processing fee.

Consider MNA Endorsement

Once a nursing assistant has obtained licensure, it is only a few more steps to becoming a licensed Medication Nursing Assistant (MNA) in Vermont. In order to qualify for an MNA endorsement, the following prerequisite must be met:

• Must hold LNA certification
• Must be at least 18 years old
• Must have a G.E.D or High School Diploma
• Must have at least 4,000 hours of experience working as an LNA. No less than half of these hours must be in a long-term care facility.
• Must complete an MNA training course approved by the Vermont Board of Nursing
• Must pass MNA examination
• Must complete and submit an MNA endorsement application.

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How to Keep LNA Certification Active

In Vermont, it is required that all LNA certified employees renew licenses every two years. In order to qualify for renewal, LNAs must have worked a cumulative 400 hours over two years under the same license. If the Licensed Nursing Assistant has not worked 400 hours in the two years prior to renewal, he or she will have to retake the NNAAP examinations.

Renewal of licensure requires completion and submission of the LNA renewal application available through the Vermont Secretary of State website.

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Salary and Job Outlook for LNAs in Vermont

Becoming a LNA in Vermont is an investment in the future, with potential to become endorsed as a Licensed Medication Nursing Assistant. Medical employment is a continuously growing field with new opportunities all the time to work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, adult care centers, and private homes. | See Job Openings

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be a national 17% growth in LNA positions from the years 2014 to 2024, which is a fully 10% higher growth rate than the average job market.

LNA Salary

The average salary for a Licensed Nursing Assistant in Vermont as of May 2016 was $28,620. This comes out to an hourly wage of $13.76. This hourly pay rate is $0.47 more than the national average of $13.29. | See Job Openings

VT LNA Salaries	Empl.	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage	Wage percent relative std. error	Hourly 10th % wage	Hourly median wage	Hourly 90th % wage	Annual 10th % wage	Annual median wage	Annual 90th % wage
National	1443150	13.29	27650	0.2	9.64	12.78	18.22	20040	26590	37900
Vermont	3290	13.76	28620	1.5	10.42	13.54	17.77	21680	28150	36970
Burlington-South Burlington, VT	1300	14.21	29560	2.5	10.87	13.94	18.16	22620	28990	37770
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area	630	13.20	27470	2.1	10.05	12.80	16.92	20900	26630	35200
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area	1350	13.57	28220	2.8	10.35	13.42	17.53	21530	27910	36470

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Becoming a CNA in Bordering States

• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New York