Nurse Aide Training Programs in Massachusetts

There are many long-term employment opportunities in the health care field for motivated, well-trained, and qualified individuals. If you are looking to start a new career, then consider the benefits of becoming a nurse aide. There are several affordable, state-approved CNA programs in Massachusetts which require only a few weeks of training. Upon graduation students are eligible to challenge the state exam, become certified, and obtain employment. Certified nursing assistants are direct care workers involved in many levels of client care. They are responsible for attending to a patient's personal, medical and emotional needs.

A CNA usually holds an entry-level position in a nursing home or long-term care facility and must complete at least seventy five hours of nurse aide training. Becoming a CNA is a desirable occupation in the health care field due to the availability of training opportunities in a short period of time, the abundance of employment offers, and flexible work schedules with available overtime. The nursing assistant position is a great stepping stone for those interested in other health related fields such as nursing and respiratory therapy. Most nursing assistants in Massachusetts are women, ranging in age from twenty-five to fifty-five years old. The average annual wage for a full-time certified nurse aide job in Haverhill, Massachusetts is estimated to be $29,000.

Approved CNA Programs in Barnstable County

Cape Cod Community College - West Barnstable
2240 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable, MA 02668
Phone: 508-362-2131

Berkshire County

American Red Cross Berkshire County - Pittsfield
480 West Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone: 413-442-1506
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Bristol County

Bristol Community College - Attleboro
11 Field Road, Attleboro, MA 02703
Phone: 508-226-2484
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Bristol Community College - Fall River
777 Elsbree Street, Fall River, MA 02720
Phone: 508-678-2811
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Health Care Training Services - Fall River
657 Quarry Street, Fall River, MA 02723
Phone: 508-672-6800
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Bristol Community College - New Bedford
188 Union Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: 508-678-2811
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Essex County

North Shore Community College - Danvers
1 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923
Phones: 978-236-1200 and 978-762-4000
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Community Action, Inc. - Haverhill
145 Essex Street, Haverhill, MA 01832
Phone: 978-373-1971

American Red Cross Northeast Massachusetts - Peabody
85 Lowell Street, Peabody, MA 01960
Phone: 978-922-2224
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Hampden County

Holyoke Community College
303 Homestead Avenue, Holyoke, MA 01040
Phone: 413-538-7000

CNS Academy for Healthcare Professionals, Inc. - Holyoke
187 A High Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
Phone: 413-998-3176
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

American Red Cross Pioneer Valley - Springfield
506 Cottage Street, Springfield, MA 01104
Phone: 413-737-4306
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Springfield Technical Community College
1 Armory Square, Suite 1, Springfield, MA 01102
Phone: 413-781-7822

American Red Cross Greater Westfield
60 Broad Street, Westfield, MA 01085
Phone: 413-737-4306
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Middlesex County

American Red Cross Eastern Massachusetts - Cambridge
139 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-274-5200
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Academy for Health Care Training - Malden
77 Salem Street, Malden, MA 02148
Phone: 617-777-3644
Academy for Health Care Training is approved by the Department of Public Health and the Division of Professional Licensure and offers a dual certificate Nurse Assistant and Home Health Aide program.

Plymouth County

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Charities South - Brockton
169 Court Street, Brockton, MA 02302
Phone: 508-587-0815

Suffolk County

Bunker Hill Community College - Boston
250 New Rutherford Avenue, Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 617-228-2475
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston Labouré Center - South Boston
275 West Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127
Phone: 617-464-8545

Worcester County

American Red Cross Central Massachusetts - Leominster
20 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Leominster, MA 01453
Phone: 978-537-3339
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

Health Care Training Services - Milford
115 Water Street, Milford, MA 01757
Phone: 888-981-7178
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

American Red Cross Central Massachusetts - Worcester
2000 Century Drive, Worcester, MA 01606
Phone: 978-537-3339
This school offers Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) training programs.

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

C. Adams on November 8, 2014 at 11:22 AM
Is it possible to enroll in a CNA class without a high school diploma or GED?


Admin on November 8, 2014 at 05:34 PM
There are no federal regulations stating that individuals are required to have a high school diploma prior to attending nurse aide classes but some states such as Florida require a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to testing if you are under 18 years old and have not attended a training program. A program coordinator at the school or nursing facility which is offering CNA training classes may tell you if a high school diploma or equivalent (GED) is required in order to enroll in the nurse aide program. Some facilities do not require a diploma as long as you have completed a 10th grade high school education. In the state of Texas a high school diploma or a GED is not necessary in order to attend and complete a nursing assistant program.


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?

I am in the military and I do not have too much time to actually attend a regular CNA program. Who offers online CNA classes?

How do I sign up for CNA training? I am having trouble finding the shortest training program in my area. Can you help me?

How long does it take to get the CNA certificate itself while in school taking courses?

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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