In order to maintain eligibility to work in a federally certified nursing home, intermediate care facility for persons with mental retardation, home health agency or hospice, federal regulations require a nurse aide to:
- work at least eight (8) hours in a 24-month period,
- in a paid position providing hands-on care, and
- under the supervision of an RN or LPN.
Your registry status reflects your 24-month eligibility period to work in these federally certified facilities. The 24-month period is initially based on your competency test date. DHS changed the previous policy of extending employment eligibility 24 months from the last reported employment. A new eligibility period is created every 24 months.
If you have not worked as a nurse aide under the supervision of a RN or LPN, for more than 24 months, you are not eligible to work in federally certified:
- hospices,
- home health agencies,
- intermediate care facilities for persons with mental retardation, or
- nursing homes.
To regain eligibility to work in these federally certified facilities, you must retake and successfully pass a competency test, however, you may continue to work in:
- facilities that are not certified as Medicaid providers, including nursing homes, nursing homes that serve the developmentally disabled, home health agencies, or hospices, and
- hospitals, including critical access hospitals.
You may call the Wisconsin CNA registry toll-free at 877-329-8760 to verify this information or to get answers to other questions you may have.