Maryland CNA Program Basics
Over 100 certified CNA training courses all over the state have been approved by Maryland’s Board of Nursing. Each training course varies in duration and other requirements such as participant’s age. Majority of the training programs require that the student be at least 18 years old. Several courses however, allow 16-year old aspiring CNAs to finish up the training program. Upon hiring, nearly all employers require that their CNAs be at the legal age of 18. During the initial application, students must present proofs of all vaccinations they had received including titers. Applicants must also pass a criminal background check in order to be qualified. An applicant may be automatically denied from the program if a conviction of a violent crime is found on his or her record.
Maryland CNA Training Requirements
- All CNA training courses in Maryland consist of classroom studies and hands on training.
- CNAs in Maryland are categorized into several different types: certified nurse aide, medicine aide, geriatric nurse aide and developmental disabilities aides just to name a few.
- These nurse aide titles vary in their requirements for certification but all require an aspiring nurse aide to complete a state approved CNA training course first before moving on.
- Some titles may also require that the nurse aide have been employed and compensated for at least a year as a CNA.
- As long as the nursing assistant has been employed in a healthcare setting of some type, the training facility is not that important.
Maryland CNA Certification Reciprocity
- The state of Maryland permits reciprocity.
- Nursing assistants from other states may apply for reciprocity and will have a great chance of having their transfer request granted by the state of Maryland as long as the certification is still active and is in good standing.
- There should be no allegations or convictions of abuse or neglect of patients in their record.
- These convictions and other criminal records will result in denial of certification transfer.
Maryland CNA Examination Requirements
- Upon completion of the CNA training program, students must sit for the state assessment exam.
- The examinees must pass two portions of the exam in order to become certified – written test and manual skills evaluation.
- Failure to pass both parts of the assessment will require the student to retake the state examination.
- Those who failed to pass the exam after three attempts must take the training course again.
Maryland CNA Certification Renewal
- CNAs in Maryland must process their certification renewal every 2 years.
- Initial cost of certification is around $20 while renewal is about $40 for every 24 months.
- CNAs must prove that they have been employed as paid nurse aides during the past 24 months in order qualify for the renewal.
- In some cases, employers are required to submit the CNA’s job description and employment record for the purpose of completing the renewal process.
