CNA (Certified Nurse Aide) most frequently asked questions

You will first need to take an approved CT DPH and CT OHE CNA program that is at least 100+ hours long. You will then received a certificate of completion from the school which will allow you to test at a Prometric Regional Testing Center! Northeast Medical Institutes Self-Paced CNA Program is a great option for you to complete the course not only at your own pace but also in the comfort of your own home. There are in class lab and clinical requirements in order to get your final certificate of completion.

An HHA can spend time with and get to know each client they work with individually. The responsibility of a certified nursing assistant is to support the patient’s well-being. They might be in charge of a large number of patients in a unit or on a floor at once.

Our self paced CNA login instructions are typically sent out the Sunday night/Monday morning when your class begins. Please check your spam and junk mail because the email will be labeled ” Enrollment Key Information”. Any questions about the enrollment key please email us at admin@northeastmedicalinstitute.com.

During COVID Lab and Clinical will be onsite at our campuses due to the restrictions we have had on us. You are provided scrubs which you may wear to class but it is not required. Please no OPEN TOE Shoes.

**Update** If you are going into the Long Term Care Facility for Clinical you will be required to wear non skid shoes and your scrubs. The Scrubs will be provided to you by Northeast Medical Institute.

You can visit https://cnaclassesnearyou.com/connecticut/cna-classes-stamford-ct/ to learn more about information in your local are!

I receive a lot of phone calls related to ” Do you offer the CNA Program in Spanish?”. I will tell you why this is the worst thing you could do for yourself to prepare for the CNA Prometric Testing. In the State of Connecticut, the testing company required by the Department of Public Health is Prometric. Prometric DOES NOT OFFER SPANISH TESTING TO CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS. When you see someone offering a Spanish Only CNA Class you should beware. Let us think about this for one minute- I am the student who goes to a Spanish CNA Course and then come test day I need to take a test in English? How does this make sense? As the student, you will be nowhere close to being prepared for a test when you take a test in English while you were preparing for the test in an entirely different language. I STRONGLY SUGGEST STAYING AWAY FROM SCHOOLS WHICH OFFER CLASSES WHERE TESTING IS NOT IN THE SAME LANGUAGE!

At Northeast Medical Institute we want all of our students to feel as if it was a family environment. When you come in you think- Well it is such a short class? I am not sure if I can grasp all the information that quick with so many students? However, our classes are small family size classes between 8-12 students max. We typically max it at 8 students depending on how many clinical locations we have. At other schools, we hear that you will be in class with at least 15- 20+ students. How can anyone learn like that? We like our classes to be as small as possible for more one on one time with our instructor. Our prices do reflect this, and I am positive you will come out of Northeast Medical Institute happy with the decision you made to come attend our 2 week and 2 day CNA course.

No! Not at all. This 2 weeks and 2-day course was designed for all students. We have students who are only 16 years old who get perfect scores and even college students who are currently in class in our evening 4 week and 2-day course who excel in our CNA course. Since Northeast Medical Institute utilizes online software which allows our students to look ahead of schedule it makes it easier for the student to grasp the information. To put it in easier perspective, if you repeat something that is new to you over and over and over during a short period you tend to remember it easier. Now since you test so quickly after you finish our course you remember exactly what the teacher taught on the first day of class. However, courses that are 5-8 weeks long you tend to forget what happened the first couple of weeks. The homework we have is not hard, our quizzes and tests prepare you for the Prometric exam. Don’t wait to long to compare us vs our competition because we will be full by the time you decide. Did I mention our class sizes are only 8-12 students? At most schools, they are well over that so you will have much more one on one experience with our instructor.

CNA stands for Certified Nurse Aide. It is also sometimes referred to as a Certified Nursing Assistant or simply a Nurse Aide. The abbreviation would stay the same, as an NA refers to a Nurse Anesthetist. There is an abbreviation, HHA, which stands for Home Health Aide. Completion of a CNA program (without state exam) is sufficient education to work as an HHA. This means a CNA program graduate can work as an HHA until they pass the CT state certification to be a Certified Nurse Aide.

No. A CNA can’t prescribe medications. A Nurse Practitioner (APRN) is able to prescribe.

No. Starting an IV is a sterile procedure. CNAs in CT are not trained to perform any sterile procedures.

No. CNA stands for Certified Nurse Aide. Even when one refers to a nurse aide, it is understood that they are certified. Certification can be obtained in less than 3 weeks. So, anyone looking to become a CNA should call Northeast Medical Institute today!

Yes, the term CNA and nurse aide and nursing assistant are all referring to the same position. Certified Nurse Aide is the term used by the CT Department of Public Health. The title can vary by employer, but the certification is standard and a necessity to perform the duties required in that role.

Yes, a felon can become a CNA. However, it will can be difficult to find employment . in some cases. Some employers will not even consider the applicant, but maybe a family member who has had an opportunity to know the person outside of work would if they had a need.

Yes. It’s not uncommon for Certified Nursing Assistants to work private cases and most of those are very high paying jobs. Often, word of mouth leads to a family member or friend in need asking for their services. This is also an opportunity for the CNA to negotiate salary. Private cases often pay CNAs higher rates than long-term care facilities.

There are many differences between a CNA and a Medical Assistant. There are differences in the training they receive and the work they perform. A CNA can be trained and certified within 3 weeks, with a minimum of 100 hours required. Most Medical Assistant programs are up to one year long. To qualify for the AMT exam, there is a minimum of 880 invested hours. The coursework covered in CNA is focused toward geratric care in a long-term care facility. Medical Assistant training is focused toward acute care and goes beyond direct patient care to cover administrative duties, as well.

The pay for a Certified Nurse Aide working in a hospital can be higher than the compensation for those working in another type of facility, but this is not a guarantee. Job compensation for a CNA can vary from one facility to the next, also factors such as experience can help an Aide get paid more. The 2018 national median for a Certified Nurse Aide is $15.00 per hour. According to Salary.com, the average CNA in CT is $17.00-22.00 per hour.

Schedule flexibility really varies with each job. A homecare case could be 24 hours per day for a completely dependent person or 4 hours per day for someone who needs minimal assistance. The flexibility also depends on how well an employer is staffed for that position. The more staff, typically, the more coverage when a CNA needs time off or a shift change.

Compensation for CNA jobs varies and depends on many factors. However, there are private cases that can pay significantly more than the average Nurse Assistant position. If a CNA has many years experience or speaks another language there is potential to negotiate for a higher salary.

Salary for a Certified Nurse Aide is at a national median of $15.00. It really depends on the employer and the CNA as to how much compensation each worker will receive exactly. Hospital pay varies, from one employer to the next. We would say Hospital and Private Pay jobs are the highest-paid positions. We have seen some very high paying private duty jobs especially in Fairfield County, CT

Nurse Aides are in such high demand that many students have job offers before they complete their CNA program. According to the US Deptartment of Labor, the job growth from 2018- 2028 is 14%, which is 9% greater than the average job. At Northeast Medical Institute we have companies come into the school near the end of CNA course to go over open positions they currently have in their facilities.

The level of difficulty working as a Nursing Assistant can vary based on the type of facility and the needs of each patient. In addition, the workload can be a factor; adequate staffing is crucial to balance the demand on the CNAs and allow for quality patient care. There are many different employment options available to CNAs. Being a CNA, no matter the workplace, can be very rewarding.

According to Ziprecruiter, New York is the state that has the highest average pay for Certified Nurse Aides. Massachusetts and Maryland follow for 2nd and third-highest average salaries for CNAs.

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-CNA-Salary-by-State

The fastest way to become a CNA is to complete an accelerated program which offers testing on site. Northeast Medical Institute offers an accelerated program to become a Certified Nurse Assistant and is an onsite testing facility. Students can register for the program and become certified in as little as two and a half weeks.

Online nursing programs are becoming more available. As this trend increases there may be more options to become a CNA. Because the role of a CNA is very hands-on with patient care, students are encouraged to find a hybrid program with adequate direct patient hours to gain the needed experience for working in the field.

To become a CNA in CT you must successfully complete an approved 100 hour CNA program and pass both sections of the Certified Nurse Aide Certification Exam offered by Prometric. The certification exam includes a multiple-choice section and a practical section, a CNA graduate must pass both sections within 2 years from their program graduation date to become CT state-certified.

Every CNA program in CT must be a minimum of 100 hours in length. Some programs are longer. The 100 hours can be done on a full-time basis or spread out of several months. Attendance is critical to successfully completing a CNA program, so consider the class schedule before you enroll. There are many schedule options available at Northeast Medical Institute. Our program is 2 weeks and 2 days long and we offer classes in both in New Haven and Stamford.