The state of North Carolina approved numerous CNA training programs through the Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) and goes ahead to maintain an official CNA registry of all graduates who pass the set North Carolina Competency examination for Certified Nurse Assistant aides. First things first, the licensure requirement in North Carolina are the same as those of other states. For you to be licensed to practice as a CNA in North Carolina, you must meet the following requirements:
- First and foremost you must have a clean criminal record as a criminal background check will be done on you;
- Secondly, you must complete a state-approved CNA training course;
- Thirdly, you must pass the North Carolina CNA competency examination upon successfully completing your training program.
One thing though that you should know about CNA in North Carolina is that unlike in most states, it does not offer reciprocity to students transferring from other states with CNA licensure. What this therefore means is that if you had undergone the training and were legally allowed to practice as a certified Nurse Aide in another state, when you transfer to North Carolina you will be forced to start and complete the North Carolina state-approved training program and sit for the state competency examination.
By the same token, if you are a licensed nurse though, you can be added to the North Carolina Official Certified Nurse aide registry without having to undertake any other form of training, hence if you are interested you should contact the DHSR to know the way forward. Because there are different state-approved programs, the training course may vary, although with slight margins, from one program to another. However, they all must offer the following basic components.
- A minimum of 75 training hours divided between classroom work and practicals in a typical clinical setting
- You will also be taught general nursing skills
- Basic diagnostic skills
- Restorative care
- Emergency care
- Patient’s rights and independence
- Interpersonal skills
- Infection control
All practicals in the clinical setting are supervised by a nurse educator, and will equip you with skills and hands-on experience on how the real working environment feels like. It will also prepare you for the forthcoming state competency examination, hence is an important part of CNA training. It goes without saying that once you complete your 75 hours of training, you will be eligible to sit for the competency examination administered by Person VUE.
The state competency examination is divided into two, the first part is where you will have an opportunity to prove that you have mastered the necessary skills to work as a competent nurse aide, which you do before a health care examination administrator, and the second part you will be required to sit a written examination of multiple choices. Once you pass both parts of the examination, you will then be placed on the official North Carolina CNA registry, and get the legal mandate to work in any setting across the state, be it a long-term care facility, a hospital, a community clinic, or a nursing home.