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Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)

Get your foot in the door of a high-demand career in medical patient care with a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) certificate!

A Certified Nurse Aide is a valuable member of the healthcare team who provides basic care to patients and assists them with activities of daily living. This important care includes but is not limited to, observing patients’ conditions, recording vital signs, and providing help with dressing, grooming, exercising, and feeding. The Certified Nurse Aide program will prepare you for employment in both public and private healthcare agencies. You’ll learn how to care for people who need help in caring for themselves through a combination of classroom lectures, lab and clinical training at a local skilled nursing facility. Upon completion of the course, you’ll be able to perform basic nursing skills and recognize areas of safety for both patients and yourself. This course prepares you to take the State of Connecticut CNA Exam and you’ll become eligible for the Connecticut State Nurse Aide Registry.

Upon successful completion of this course, you'll receive a certificate of completion and your name will be placed on the State Certified Nurse Aide Registry. This is a CT state certification. If you plan on moving you can still take this program but need to go through the Prometric site to transfer your license to a different state.

Any person who has successfully completed a DPH-approved nurse assistant training program (CNA) (has the skills) meets the training requirements necessary to take the homemaker-home health aide competency evaluation and be certified as Home Health Aide. Licensed home health agencies can administer this evaluation. Find a list of licensed agencies here.

Employment Outlook

CNA is a growing field with flexible hours and shift differentials that offers an excellent gateway into the medical field via hands-on experience with patients.

According to the CT Department of Labor, the 2023 average hourly wage for Nursing Assistants was $18.43 an hour.

Check The CT Department of Public Health for up-to-date regulations and requirements.

In This Course You'll Learn To:

  • perform basic nursing and patient care skills
  • help patients maintain or regain everyday tasks including eating, bathing, dressing and toileting
  • communicate with patients and provide physical (including heavy lifting) and emotional support to them
  • make patient observations and report on them
  • participate in care planning
  • describe the role and scope of practice of the nurse aide in the healthcare system
  • demonstrate safe practice with regard to environmental safety, infection control, patient safety and safety of self
  • demonstrate proper methods for assisting residents with activities of daily living
  • describe vital sign parameters
  • describe the basic structure and function of the body
  • identify normal versus abnormal patient conditions and list those that must be reported
  • describe the role of the CNA when caring for a patient with special needs

Admission Requirements:

  • Students must be at least 16 years of age by the start date of class, and if under 18, a parent/guardian must complete a liability waiver for them to participate in clinical rotations. 
  • Completed health form, signed by your physician
  • Proof of COVID-19 vaccination, including booster
  • Reliable transportation to clinical sites
  • Criminal background check (may be required).

    Some training programs may require drug testing or background checks of students.

Upcoming Courses

Next Steps

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Find Your Course

Use our course finder to get info about upcoming classes including dates, times, locations, and more. (Select WFD/CE 2024-2025 for summer, fall and winter courses.)

Register

Registering for a course is easy and can be done in-person, online, or by mail.

Learn About Funding Options

Many of our courses have funding options available for qualifying students.

The Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) program is approved by the State of CT Department of Public Health, 410 Capital Avenue – MS# 12HRS, P.O. Box 340308, Hartford, CT 06134