Becoming a nurse aide is one of the most popular choices among the allied health care careers. One reason is that earning CNA certification in New Mexico can be achieved within a few short weeks, and another is the high level of personal satisfaction that many people receive from helping others live a better life. In fact, this job is one of the most in-demand careers in the nation due to the overwhelming number of elderly people choosing to live an independent lifestyle in retirement communities.
To become a CNA in New Mexico, you need to enroll in an accredited institution that offers CNA training. Only programs that meet specific criteria concerning the number of hours you need to be in classes will qualify you to take the state issued licensing exam, so that you can legally work within the state. To enroll, there are a few prerequisites that you should be prepared for.
You generally need to be 18 year old and have a high school diploma. If you are currently in high school and enrolled in a CNA program within your school, there are exceptions when it comes time to take the test. Because of the nature of working in a medical environment, be prepared to under a full background check, mental evaluation, and physical check up before enrolling. Make sure to take a look at our information concerning how to qualify for free CNA training or secure funding for your education.
Your CNA classes should offer you no less than 75 hours of training in a classroom setting and a minimum of 16 hours of hands-on experience within a medical setting. Your CNA training attendance will cover the paperwork aspects of nursing like taking, recording and documenting patient status reports, knowing what rights the patient has and learning the language of the medical field. When you train actively, you will learn CPR, how to assist a patient with his or her daily grooming, as well as how to assist with changing their clothes and bedding linens. Handling emergencies in an essential skill of nurse aides, so take a look at some of our scenario training and practice tests.
When you go to take the theory and skills test after completing your classes, you will sign up through Prometric and pay fees around $95. You’ll get further testing instructions in the mail to tell you where and when you should go. You should expect to spend a minimum of 3 hours in testing. Each section will require something different in the form of your skills assessment exam and your theory test. You will know your score right away when you have finished and if you pass, you will get a certificate in the mail. You can then find yourself certified on the New Mexico Nurse Aide Registry.
Government reporting from the Department of Workforce in New Mexico lists the annual CNA Salary in the state being $22,580 on average, and predict drastic increases in demand for the field over the next decade.
