Nursing Aide Certifications Follow Both Federal and State Laws
Follow Steps Below to Transfer Your C.N.A. Certification to a New State
Nursing aide certifications varies slightly in each state but must follow the federal law that our lawmakers in Washington, D.C., named the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, commonly called OBRA 87 (lawmakers love to create nicknames for their laws).
OBRA 87 requires each state to establish a state-approved nursing aide training program to officially become a C.N.A. This federal law mandates a minimum of 75 hours of training, a state approved C.N.A. exam, maintance of a “C.N.A. Registry” which keeps track of nursing aides who are certified and in good standing and monitoring of adverse behavior which would remove a nursing aide from the ability to remain certified.
State laws can be passed to enhance the federal law training requirements for C.N.A.’s and because of this, your C.N.A. certificate may or may not easily transfer to a new state.
While OBRA 87 requires training programs to consist of at least 75 hours of classroom and clinical training, some states require 120 hours or more. This is why moving your certification as a nursing assistant from one state to the next will vary slightly, depending on state requirements.
To transfer your C.N.A. certificate to a new state:
Step 1: Check the Nurse Aide Registry for your current state to confirm you are actively listed in the registry and in good standing.
Individuals must be removed from their state’s C.N.A. registry if they have performed no nursing or nursing-related services for 24 consecutive months. If a C.N.A. has documented findings of abuse, neglect or theft, their name and this information cannot be removed from the registry.
Step 2: Know the criteria for maintaining your active C.N.A. license in your current state. You don’t want to check the registry to verify your name remains on it and then start the process of the transfer, only to discover a week later your certification expired. Learn this information to be prepared for deadlines to meet as you collect all of your documentation. Most states require the C.N.A. to show they have worked at least 8 hours in nursing care during the past 24 months by providing a letter from their employer’s human resource department, a W-2 tax form or pay stub from a recent paycheck. Many states also require nursing home employers of certified nursing aides to submit information about their employment to the state registry. Be aware of the 24-month cut-off if you are in the transfer process.
Step 3: Contact your State’s Registry to Verify Status and Learn How to Transfer Certificate
Go to your State C.N.A. Registry (Find a link to each state Registry in the State C.N.A. School Directory)
You may also contact a local C.N.A. school for guidance on transfering your certificate and obtaining additional training when required.
NEED TO GAIN MORE C.N.A. TRAINING HOURS: Get FREE C.N.A. CLASS INFO for schools near you
Remember, the number of nursing assistants needed in the next decade will more than double as seniors in America continue to live longer while needing caregiving for some of those years. Keep your nursing aide certification active as demand for C.N.A.'s will be on the rise, along with new senior care job opportunities.
