Generally used as a gateway to other positions in the health industry, the CNA position offers the opportunity to work with some of the best professionals in the state. A nurse aide on the way to certification in the state of Nebraska must follow a set path of guidelines in order to receive their cna certification. Certification also means being listed on the Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry as required by federal law. Part of these guidelines is that the aide must attend and finish a program that is pre-approved and under constant scrutiny by the Nebraska Department of Health. The other guidelines involve being proven competent by passing a Nebraska state evaluation back ground check, as well as meeting age and health requirements within the state.
In order to enroll in CNA training in Nebraska, the aide must meet the age requirements of being at least Sixteen years old. Additionally, they must be proficient in the English language, clear of criminal history and be in good physical and mental health. Once attending the program, the aide has two options. The first is if they wish to be certified to work as an assistant in any medical establishment, they will need to attend a course that includes not an bit shy of 75 hours and also efficiently complete the state evaluation testing. The other option is if the aide only wishes to be employed at a low level care center for those who are mentally impaired and by-pass the state evaluation, a general class curriculum of 21 hours would need to be met. The state also mandates that 16 of the 75 hours be training hours of on-the-job practice and that in addition to the 75 hours, an extra hour be appointed to teaching the aide what to do in the case of suspicion that a patient is being mistreated or not properly cared for.
The subjects taught during the length of the courses approved by the state will go over things that the nurse aide will be required to perform such as job tasks, patient advocacy and patient care. The basics of nursing aides’ duties as well as the more difficult and technical duties will be discussed in this course. The curriculum involves being able to recognize an emergency and react to it, taking and recording things such as pulse, weight, temperature, caring for the patients basic needs like changing clothes, fixing hair and brushing teeth and, knowing about what measures are in place to keep a patients’ rights confidential. Extra courses include being able to give life saving techniques such as CPR.
After finishing the CNA classes in Nebraska, the nurse assistant is ready to begin the evaluation issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. Given on a monthly basis there are 7 places in which the test can be taken in Nebraska. The person taking the test must pass with no less than 70 percent accuracy on the written questions and 5-10 active skills which will evaluate the aide on skill competency such as how to properly brush hair or change clothing. If a passing score is achieved, the newly certified nurse assistant will be added to the Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry and be eligible to work in any nursing establishment located in the state of Nebraska.
The yearly median CNA Salary in Nebraska is listed at The Nebraska Department of Labor as being $22,900. The growth rate is expected to be at 23% between now and 2016 as specified by the Labor Workforce Development.
For additional information regarding cna certification in Nebraska visit:
Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry
NE Department of Health & Human Services – Regulation and Licensure Credentialing Division
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509
Phone: (402) 471-0537
License Verification: (402) 471-0537
Fax: (402) 471-1066
