New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry

New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry
NJ Department of Health & Senior Services - Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing
171 Jersey Street, Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: (609) 633-9051 or (866) 561-5914

What does it take to becoming a nurse aide or a personal care assistant in New Jersey? Those interested in obtaining employment as a nurse aide or as a personal care assistant must first complete a state approved training program and pass the state examination. A Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) is specifically designed to prepare nurse assistants and requires ninety hours of training. Fifty hours will be dedicated to classroom instruction while forty hours are for clinical practice only. Those interested in becoming a personal care assistant need to enroll in a Personal Care Assistant (PCA) class. A PCA course consists of eight five hours of training, from which sixty nine hours are spent during lecture and sixteen are for hands-on clinical practice. A nursing assistant or personal care assistant employed in a licensed long term care facility must be certified. New Jersey CNA and PCA certifications expire every two years and need to be renewed.

CNA Registries in the United States

Select an area from the map below to find addresses and phone numbers for Nurse Aide Registries in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia as well as links to online nursing assistant registries if available.

Nursing Assistant Registries

Should you know about your state's nursing assistant registry? Absolutely. A state's nurse aide registry serves important functions for any certified nursing assistant as well as for those looking to become certified. An individual who has finished a nursing assistant training program and has passed the state competency exam becomes listed on the CNA registry. Employers check the registry listings to confirm that a potential employee satisfies the training and testing requirements to obtain a nursing assistant job. To work as a certified nursing assistant, your status on the CNA registry must be active, without any charges of resident abuse, neglect, or misappropriation. It is important to update your name and address on the registry. By doing so, your information is current and you are able to receive important documents sent by the registry.

For example, renewal forms are mailed to the address you have provided to the registry. You will not receive the certification renewal forms unless your address on the registry is accurate. One of the most frequent questions we get is how to get a copy of a CNA certificate. The nurse aide registry is in charge of issuing a duplicate of your nurse aide certificate and to obtain a copy you need to contact them. A nursing assistant certificate is typically reprinted when the original has been lost, accidentally destroyed, stolen, or when the individual has changed their name. The nurse aide registry is also the entity in charge of revoking a nursing assistant's certification in cases of neglect, abuse, or misappropriation of a client's property. In such cases, an individual's name is permanently listed on the registry along with the specific findings.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

Camille on July 21, 2009 at 08:08 PM
Hi, I just recently took the CNA exam in California and passed. I am moving to New Jersey. My question is how can I transfer my California CNA certificate to New Jersey? Can somebody help me? Thank you so much...


Admin on July 22, 2009 at 9:45 PM
To transfer your CNA certification from California to New Jersey you need to apply for reciprocity. Contact the Pearson Vue Customer Center by phone and tell them you want to apply for nurse aide reciprocity. A representative will walk you through all the steps you need to take and send you the required paperwork. Make sure you are ready to take notes when you call for information. A detailed guide on how to apply for reciprocity is also available on our website under CNA License Transfer.


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CNA Resources

Being a Successful C.N.A

Besides knowledge and proficiency there are many qualities which define a competent CNA. Our list includes the answers of residents, families, and those of experienced nurse aides who have been in the health care field for an extended period of time. Most of the qualities listed below represent the reasons and motivational factors driving new individuals to become certified nurse aides.


A competent CNA shows support for others, as well as patience, compassion and empathy. To become a good nursing assistant one needs to understand the meaning of being a team player. An effective nursing assistant learns to become a good listener who cares about and understands the needs of the residents, has a helping nature and a positive attitude. Both patients and co-workers appreciate a smile, an upbeat personality, as well as someone who takes pride in their work. A nurse aide job requires good organizational skills, patience, good judgment, and effective communication.

CNA Training Programs

Nurse Aide Registries

Alaska Wyoming Oklahoma Washington DC Delaware Maryland Maryland Delaware New Jersey New Jersey Connecticut Connecticut Rhode Island Rhode Island Massachusetts Massachusetts Vermont New Hampshire Vermont New Hampshire Missouri Indiana Pennsylvania Alabama Maine New York West Virginia Wisconsin Ohio Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Louisiana Mississippi Florida Georgia Tennessee Illinois Michigan Michigan Minnesota Utah Kentucky Kansas South Dakota Arizona Idaho Washington State California Arkansas Texas Nebraska North Dakota Iowa Hawaii Nevada Oregon New Mexico Colorado Montana