Nurse Aide Training Programs in Pennsylvania

According to the rules and regulations of Pennsylvania, only qualified individuals are eligible for employment in licensed long-term care facilities throughout the state. Nursing assistant trainees who are enrolled in a CNA class may be employed in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility. If you are currently being trained as a nurse aide then you have every right to work in your facility. Certified nursing assistants who appear in good standing on the Pennsylvania CNA registry also qualify for employment in licensed facilities.

A licensed nursing facility is one being sponsored or receiving reimbursement from Medicaid or Medicare. These health care institutions are by law required to verify that a nurse assistant who may become their potential employee has the proper training credentials. Furthermore, employers will check a CNA status on the registry to ensure there are no records of client mistreatment, abuse, or theft. Resident safety issues are of utmost importance not only in Pennsylvania but in all other states. Screenings are not only employed for certified nursing assistants but for other health care professionals such as licensed vocational nurses, registered nurses, and therapists.

CNA Classes in Beaver County

Providence Health Care - Beaver Falls
900 Third Avenue, Beaver Falls, PA 15010

Rochester Manor Nursing CNA Training Course
174 Virginia Ave., Rochester, Pennsylvania 15074

Villa St. Joseph of Baden - Baden
1030 State St., Baden, PA 15005

Nurse Aide Programs in Bedford County

Bedford County Technical Center CNA Course - Everett
195 Pennknoll Road, Everett, Pennsylvania 15537

CNA Programs in Berks County

Berks Career and Technology Center - Leesport
1057 County Road, Leesport, PA 19533

Berks County Home Berks Heim Nursing Assistant Course - Leesport
1011 Berks Road, Leesport, Pennsylvania 19533

Reading Area Career Center "2" Nurse Aide Training Program
10 South Second St., Reading, PA 19603

Reading-Muhlenberg Career and Technical Center Nursing Assistant Program
2615 Warren Road, Reading, Pennsylvania 19604

Nursing Assistant Courses in Blair County

Allegheny Lutheran - Hollidaysburg
915 Hickory St., Hollidaysburg, PA 16648

Altoona Center For Nursing Care CNA Training Course
1020 Green Ave., Altoona, Pennsylvania 16601

Epworth Manor Nurse Aide Program - Tyrone
951 Washington Ave., Tyrone, PA 16686

Grtr Altoona Career and Technical Center CNA Course
1500 Fourth Ave., Altoona, Pennsylvania 16602

Penn State CNA Training Program - Altoona
1444 11Th Ave., Altoona, PA 16601

Presbyterian Home - Hollidaysburg
220 Newry St., Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania 16648

CNA Courses in Bradford County

Ashton Healthcare Nursing and Rehabilitation CNA Program - Athens
200 South Main St., Athens, PA 18810

Memorial Hospital Nurse Aide Training - Towanda
One Hospital Drive, Towanda, Pennsylvania 18848

Northern Tier Career Center Nurse Aide Program - Towanda
Rr #1, Towanda, PA 18848

Nurse Aide Classes in Bucks County

Attleboro Nursing and Rehabilitation Center CNA Class - Langhorne
300 East Winchester Ave., Langhorne, Pennsylvania 19047

Bucks County Community College Nursing and Allied Health - Quakertown
1020 South Main St., Quakertown, PA 18951

Bucks County Area Vocational Technical School C.N.A. Class - Fairless Hills
610 Wistar Road, Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania 19030

CNA Programs in Pennsylvania ( Page 3 )

Nursing assistant programs prepare individuals for challenging the nurse aide certification exam and for entry level positions in health care environments. Each state has the authority to decide how many hours of training a nursing assistant course must consist of, as long as the minimum federal requirement of seventy-five hours is met. Students interested in attending CNA classes have a wide array of choices when it comes to selecting a training facility.

Nursing assistant courses are conducted at nursing homes, vocational schools, private schools, and community colleges. Program length, admission requirements, and cost of training vary depending on the policies of every training facility. Several states have implemented legislation which requires licensed long-term care facilities to reimburse CNA employees for the costs associated with training. An individual who has paid for nursing assistant training classes and who becomes employed by a nursing home within a year of obtaining certification, is eligible for financial reimbursement. Compared to other training programs in the health care field, nursing assistant classes are relatively short and inexpensive. Obtaining state certification as a CNA is the main requirement for securing a nurse aide job at a nursing home, hospital, rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility.

CNA Training Schools and Programs

CNA classes, schools and programs by state.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

Susan R. on August 05, 2009 at 01:00 AM
I would like to take the Pennsylvania state test for CNA. Where do I begin?


Admin on August 05, 2009 at 05:40 PM
The CNA exam in Pennsylvania is scheduled through the American Red Cross. The nursing assistant competency exam cost is $102 if you choose to take the written and skills components, and $112 if you choose the oral and skills route. The first step is to complete a registration form which may be obtained by calling the American Red Cross, or from the school or facility which provided your nurse aide training. If you need assistance filling out this application, ask your program instructor or employer for help. Along with the completed exam registration form you must also send copies of your training certificate and the payment for the examination. All these documents must be mailed together in the same envelope to the American Red Cross at the following address: American Red Cross Competency Evaluation Program, PO Box 5875, Harrisburg, PA 17110. Phone: (800) 795-2350. The American Red Cross is responsible for scheduling your exam as soon as all the required documents are received. The nurse aide candidate handbook provides all the information regarding the scheduling, available test locations, exam fees, and eligibility requirements for taking the Pennsylvania CNA exam. You are encouraged to review the information in the nurse aide candidate handbook by visiting this link: Pennsylvania Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook.


Are there any free CNA programs or employer paid CNA classes in Philadelphia?

I live in Coatesville PA. I would like to know where I can take a CNA class, around Coatesville, West Chester, Exton, King of Prussia and Philadelphia City. Are there any CNA training programs that you know about in this area?

Is it possible to enroll in a CNA class without a high school diploma or GED?

How long do CNA classes take and what exactly do you have to do?

After becoming a CNA how much more experience, training or school has to be done to become a registered nurse?

CNA Resources

CNA Training Requirements

There is a wide disparity between CNA training requirements among the states. The difference lies in the mandatory number of total training hours necessary to complete state-approved CNA classes.


While according to federal law each nursing assistant course should contain a minimum of seventy-five (75) instruction and clinical hours, individual states have the liberty to mandate extra training requirements for certified nursing assistants. The majority of states exceed the threshold federal minimum requirements for nurse aide training programs because they are considered insufficient to result in an optimal and safe level of care for clients.


A review of nationwide state requirements for nurse assistant courses has found that the following states have mandated highest number of CNA program hours: Maine with a minimum of 90 hours of theory, 20 hours of laboratory skills and 70 hours of clinical instruction for a total of 180 hours; California with one hundred and sixty (160) training hours; Delaware and Oregon each requiring one hundred and fifty (150) hours; followed by the state of Alaska with one hundred and forty (140) hours; Virginia, Arizona, and West Virginia have a minimum of one hundred and twenty (120) training hours for state-approved classes.

CNA Training Programs

Nurse Aide Registries

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