Tennessee CNA Program Basics
In the state of Tennessee, CNA training courses are provided according to federal standards. All training programs must be at least 75 hours in duration and include classroom studies and clinical skills training. Tennessee is abided by the rules set forth in the 1987 Federal Omnibus regulations. The state allows nursing students that have completed certain course requirements to take the CNA final assessment without undergoing a CNA training program. The same rules apply for all students who failed to pass the state examination after three attempts wherein they will be required to retake the entire CNA training course. Also permitted to challenge the exams are Military personnel that served or received medic training.
Tennessee CNA Training Requirements
- CNA applicants except for those mentioned above must complete a CNA training program.
- At the end of course, a final examination will be administered to all students who have completed all of the required training hours.
- Any student that has missed hours may make up the time prior to the exam but will not be allowed to take the final assessment until all hours have been completed.
- The written portion of the assessment is given first and students that failed to obtain a passing grade will not be permitted to take the manual skills evaluation.
- Like in other states, the person giving the test will select at least 5 hands on exercises to be demonstrated by the student.
- Both portions of the CNA examination must be passed in order to become certified.
Tennessee CNA Certification Reciprocity
- Nursing assistants from other states who have received a training course which is compliant with the state’s federal regulations may apply for reciprocity.
- These CNAs will not be required to complete a training program or take the assessment.
- For reciprocity to be processed successfully, the transferring aide must have an active certification with no accusation or conviction of patient neglect or abuse from the state they are moving from.
- The state of Tennessee does not offer reciprocity to CNAs transferring from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and North Carolina.
- Nurse aides from Alabama, Illinois, and Georgia should present proof of training from their home state so they can challenge the Tennessee CNA test.
- CNAs from North Carolina and Florida may not – these nursing assistants must be retrained in Tennessee under an approved training program.
Tennessee CNA Certification Renewal
- Renewal of certification must be processed every 2 years.
- The nurse aide must have been paid for his or her employment in any health care facility to be eligible to renew their license.
- Tennessee, unlike some states, does not consider any private care or companion care setting as eligible.
- The minimum required employment time is 8 hours.
- Although in-services may be required by some employers, it is not mandated by the state.
- Should a nurse aide failed to renew his or her certification before the expiration date listed on the registry, the CNA must undergo training again and retake the final examination.
- The state of Tennessee does not offer a grace period for lapsed licenses.
