South Carolina CNA Program Basics
South Carolina has approved numerous training programs for all residents who are interested in becoming a certified nurse aide. The state’s federal law demands that any person providing direct care to residents or patients in a long term care facility must first obtain certification. As with other states, South Carolina requires that CNA candidates go through a state approved program that meets federal standards of 70 training hours or more. These CNA courses have classroom studies and a clinical or hands on portion. Both sections must be completed within the set time frame of the training program or the trainee will be required to start all over. Moreover, those who have been hired or have been offered to work in a facility that is on the accepted Medicaid list may not be charged for any training or certification fees.
South Carolina CNA Examination Information
- Completion of the training program will allow applicants to challenge the South Carolina CNA final assessment.
- This assessment will rate the students’ classroom skills through a multiple-choice portion then, proceeding to the clinical skills evaluation after passing the written exam portion.
- This clinical portion of the assessment will involve the student demonstrating five hands on exercises on the person providing the test or on a classmate that has already completed the entire test with a passing grade.
- Students who do not pass the CNA assessment must leave the testing area.
- Like in other states, students will be given three chances to pass the CNA exam.
- Those examinees who are unable to pass the exam after three attempts must retake the entire training course.
South Carolina CNA Certification Reciprocity
- The state of South Carolina participates in reciprocity.
- Certified nurse aides from other states that are moving to South Carolina and wish to work as a CNA may file a petition to have their certification validated.
- Reciprocity allows nurse aides to maintain their certification in their home state and in South Carolina, unlike certification transfer which removes the CNA from the nurse aide registry of the former state.
South Carolina CNA Certification Renewal
- As with all other states in the United States, South Carolina nurse aides must renew their certification every 24 months.
- The state suggests that nurse aides keep their address and phone number updated in the nurse aide registry to prevent a lapse of their certification due to missing their renewal form.
- If a nurse aides certification expires, he or she must retake the training and the final assessment.
