Certified Nursing Assistant

Certified Nursing Assistants provide direct resident care under nurse supervision, assisting with basic medical tasks and daily activities. A CNA must complete a state approved nurse aide training program, pass the state-approved competency evaluation consisting of both a written and a skills test, and be listed in good standing on the CNA Registry with the Florida Department of Health. Individuals must also clear the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) fingerprinting and Level 2 background checks and cannot be listed on the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities.

CNAs must undergo a minimum of 120 hours of combined classroom, lab and clinical training, with a total of 80 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on lab, and the final 40 hours in a supervised clinical experience working directly with residents. Students can apply for training at one of the many technical institutes, high schools, nursing homes, community colleges and private institutions around Florida. The training program must be approved by the Florida Board of Nursing.