Prerequisite requirements for admission to a nurse aide school vary. Some schools require applicants to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent; others simply require applicants to prove proficiency in mathematics, English and communication. According to CNA-tips.com, some nurse aide schools require applicants pass the TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) exam, which tests mathematics and English. Age requirements vary as well, ranging from a minimum of 16 to 18 years old. Education-Portal.com reports that most programs also require students to receive (or prove they have received) vaccinations for infectious diseases before starting the program, as well as drug testing. Some courses also require students to have taken courses in medical terminology and human anatomy prior to admission.
CNA programs can typically vary in length from six to twelve weeks, depending on the course and whether students attend full time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal government requires nurse aides who will be working in nursing homes complete a minimum 75-hour course. Programs are offered at high schools, vocational schools, community colleges and nursing homes.
The curriculum offered at nurse aide programs prepares students to care for the basic needs of patients in nursing homes, private care facilities, hospitals and medical clinics. According to CNA-tips.com, coursework includes patient safety, providing basic care to adults of all ages, the prevention and controlling of infection, communication, body mechanics and mobility techniques, assisting patients with daily living, feeding, health issues, CPR and basic life support, techniques for moving patients, monitoring vital signs, client reporting and documentation, and basic hygiene. The curriculum consists of classroom instruction, as well as hands-on clinical practice on real-life patients.
Nurse aide programs prepare students to become state certified. State certification is required before working as a nurse aide in all 50 states. The certification exam, also known as the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP), has a practical skills portion and a written portion. For the practical skills part, certification applicants are required to correctly perform five skills randomly selected from a list of 25. For the written portion, applicants must correctly answer the majority of approximately 70 multiple-choice questions in order to pass.