In order to be licensed to work in a long-term care facility or a nursing home in the State of Florida, you need to sit and pass the official Florida CNA licensing examination. This exam is made up of combined written and skills performance tests and evaluations. Note that if you have attended an equivalent training program in a different state from Florida, you can still qualify to sit for the certified nursing assistant licensing examination. Additionally, if you have received licensure from another state, you can apply for reciprocity when in Florida i.e. applying in request to be added on the official registry of registered CNAs in Florida.
A full time CNA in Florida earns an average of around $28,000 per year inclusive of benefits and stuff, a figure which is a variable based on the experience of a CNA. The figure is also slightly above national average. What this therefore means is that CNA is a very lucrative opportunity in the State of Florida. Not to mention, there are many retirees and the baby boomers who are in need of constant health care, and as the health sector in Florida continues to grow, so is the demand for CNAs. CNAs typically work in long-term care facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and clinics, all great places to kick start a rewarding career in the health care industry.
Florida is one of the best states to start a career as a CNA and join the large health care fraternity if not for anything else because Florida boasts a very organized CNAs council under the State’s Department of Health. CNA training in the State of Florida is offered in almost every town and city, with over 800 accredited programs being offered at high schools, hospitals, and community centers. Your training as a CNA can take as little as 5 weeks and is very affordable since you can end up spending only $400 or less, not to mention that financial assistance is very much available.
It is also worth mentioning that one can receive sponsored training in CNA but with an obligation to work at the sponsoring institution for a set period of time after the training. The training basically takes 120 hours which are split between class work and hands-on supervised practical experience. In order to be certified as a CNA in the state of Florida, you will need to sit and pass the CNA examination which costs around $93 and covers both written and skills evaluation tests, and an extra $87.25 that goes into the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Federal Bureau Investigation screening.
CNA licenses in the US are renewable after every 2 years at a cost of circa $55. When renewing, you need to show verification of 12 hours per year of continuing education over the two years period of time. If you are looking to join any of the 800 programs offered for CNA certification, you can check with the Department of Health for a comprehensive list of the programs.