Nurse Aide Training Programs in Montana

If you are looking for a good quality yet affordable CNA training program in Montana, then you might want to take a closer look at the Heart and Hands Training School. The total cost of a nurse aide course is $450, which includes the fees associated with CPR training as well as the CNA state exam. If you have been looking for an online nursing assistant course, this accredited, private school gives you the option to study from the comfort of your home. Students have the option to complete the classroom portion of the course either in class or on-line. Laboratory and clinical experiences require on-site attendance. The school has been approved by the state of Montana to function as a nurse aide training site. What happens upon graduation? Any individual employed as a full-time nurse aide in the state of Montana must become certified within four months of the date of hire.

This regulation is commonly known as the four-month rule and it applies to all nurse aides in the state. A long-term care facility may hire an individual for a nurse aide position even though the person is not yet certified as a nurse aide. The individual must complete a nurse aide training program and successfully pass the state examination within four months of being hired in order to legally maintain employment. The state of Montana allows candidates to challenge the CNA state competency evaluation without completing a nursing assistant training course. You will be granted certification if you have the knowledge and skills to pass the nurse aide exam without training on your first attempt. However, if you do not pass the exam on the first attempt, you are required to complete a state-approved nurse aide training course before retaking the CNA examination.

Valley View Health Care Services - Glasgow
1225 Perry Lane, Glasgow, MT 59230
Phone: (406) 228-2461

Heart and Hands Training CNA Class - Miles City
5336 Valley Dr. East, Miles City, MT 59301
Phone: (406) 234-1747

Montana Veteran's Home - Columbia Falls
P.O. Box 250 , Columbia Falls, Montana 59912

Wibaux County Nursing Home CNA Training Program
712 South Wibaux Street, Wibaux, MT 59353

St. John's Lutheran Ministries - Billings
3940 Rimrock Rd., Billings, Montana 59102

Pondera Medical Center LTC. Nurse Aide Training - Conrad
805 Sunset Blvd., Conrad, MT 59425

Broadwater Health Center - Townsend
110 North Oak Street, Townsend, Montana 59644

Liberty County Nursing Home C.N.A. Class - Chester
P.O. Box 705, Chester, MT 59522

Parkview Acres Care and Rehabilitation Nursing Assistant Course - Dillon
200 Oregon Street, Dillon, Montana 59725

Rosebud Health Care Center - Forsyth
P.O. Box 268, Forsyth, MT 59327

Discovery Care Center Nurse Aide Training Course - Hamilton
601 North 10th Street, Hamilton, Montana 59840

Pioneer Medical Center CNA Course - Big Timber
301 West 7th Street, Big Timber, MT 59011

Mountainview Medical Center - Sulphur
P.O. Box Q White, Sulphur, Montana 59645

Eagle Cliff Manor Nurse Aide Training Program - Billings
1415 Yellowstone River Rd., Billings, MT 59105

Faith Lutheran Home Campus Nurse Aide Course - Wolf Point
1000 6th Ave. North, Wolf Point, Montana 59201

Sidney Health Center EC Nurse Assistant Program
104 14th Avenue NW, Sidney, MT 59270

Colonial Manor of Deer Lodge
1100 Texas Street, Deer Lodge, Montana 59722

Benefis Health Care Nurse Aide Program - Great Falls
2621 15th Ave. South, Great Falls, MT 59405

Immanuel Lutheran Home CNA Course - Kalispell
185 Crestline, Kalispell, Montana 59901

HI Line Retirement Center Nursing Assistant Program - Malta
801 South 3rd Street East, Malta, MT 59538

Glendive Medical Center Nurse Aide Training Program
202 Prospect Drive, Glendive, Montana 59330

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

Name: Kathleen Date posted: August 12, 2013 - 10:07 AM
Message: I am just trying to get into a CNA program. I am trying to find some place to go and get training classes. Could I please get a website to where I could fill out the application? Thank you for you time.


Name: Admin Date posted: August 14, 2013 - 09:22 PM
Message: I found two training programs to which you can apply online. One of them charges tuition, the other does not. The CNA program offered by Heart and Hands Training school requires a tuition fee of $450. The theoretical portion of the course may be completed online, but clinical and laboratory practice require on-site attendance. You may review and sign-up for classes here: Heart and Hands Training. The second institution which provides an online application is the St. John's Lutheran Ministries. They are offering free CNA training classes to individuals who meet the enrollment criteria. An application as well as instructions are available here: St. John's Lutheran Ministries. Good luck!


Anita on August 05, 2009 at 02:02 AM
If I am licensed as a C.N.A in Montana and looking for the same work in Kansas, can I work until I get my license for that state?


Admin on August 06, 2009 at 06:12 PM
If you are looking to work as a nurse aide in Kansas but you are certified in Montana, you need to complete the interstate application form and send it along with all the other required documents to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Once the department receives all the documents it will schedule you for challenging the Kansas CNA exam and you will obtain a so-called "Approval to Test Notice". This notice allows you to work in any nursing facility as a nurse aide trainee for a period of four months only. You need to challenge and pass the state nurse aide exam to be eligible for work as a CNA after the four month period expires. The interstate application form contains instructions which you must follow closely. Include copies of all the documents they ask for and the required fee. If you have additional questions you can contact the Kansas Nurse Aide Registry at (785) 296-6877. Good luck!


I am currently certified as a CNA in Florida, and would like to transfer my license to Montana. How do I transfer my nursing assistant certification to Montana?

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?

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?

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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