To practice actively as a nursing assistant in Texas, the qualified individual should enroll in a CNA training program that is viewed by the Texas Department of Health as being eligible. It is essential that you choose an accredited and approved program in order to qualify to sit for the state licensing examination so that you can be officially certified. Nurse aide training programs that do not minimum guidelines set by federal and state laws could later discover that their efforts were for naught.
People that choose to pursue CNA certification in Texas will need to meet a few prerequisites before they are eligible to complete theenrollment process. First, most schools require nurse aide candidates to have earned a high school diploma or GED, and students also need to be at least 18 years of age. These requirements will vary by school; however, you will be required to undergo a criminal background check and a full health screening before taking classes. This is typical of all medical careers in efforts to preserve the safety and well being of any patients under the care of nurse aides.
Texas CNA classes will typically require student to be present in training for no less than 75 hours in total studies. Around 51 of these hours of training will take place in the classroom, and an additional 24 hours will be spend in a medical facility receiving hands-on training and experience. These skills will be on the final exam for licensing, so get the most education out of your training as possible.
You will get your CPR training certificate as part of your curriculum in addition to learning and recognizing:
- Resident foul play or abuse recognition
- Sanitation procedures and infection control
- Mentally ill patient communication
- How to handle emergency situations
- Helping residents cope with impending death
- Proper grooming procedures of incapacitated patients
When your training is over, you will have to test on what you have studied in your classes. The Texas National Nurse Aide Assessment Program will be taken with Pearson Vue and will consist of a theory portion and a practical portion. The practical portion is passable with a score of 4 out of the tested 5 skills performed correctly. The theory portion has 70 multiple answer questions.
You will need to preregister for testing, and you will be assigned a date to appear before the testing board. Fees associated with testing are around$83, and these are often due at the time you register to test. If you complete the exam successfully, you can use the Texas State Nurse Aide Registry as a reference to your certification. Paper proof will be mailed to your home, or you can print your certificate out on the Internet.
There is a foretold growth in the demand for CNAs in Texas of 28 percent statewide over the next decade. On average, the CNA salary within the state is $22,000 annually; however, salary can depend on where you live in Texas.
