CNA Recertification

CNA Recertification is the process of renewing your nursing assistant certification. All states require the renewal process to be done every two years. The renewal has to be done before the last day of your birth month.
Criteria for Recertification

You must have worked for a minimum of 150 hours in the duration of the last two years. This number varies across states and you must find out from your state board. This is in place to ensure that CNA’s have kept up with the changes in the field. If you’ve been out for a longer period there may be certain changes.

A document certifying that you are a US citizen or are eligible to work in the country. This is a normal verification procedure in most working boards.

A declaration of felony convictions has to be done to the state board of nursing. Failure to inform the board of any convictions will lead to immediate removal from the register.
The Application for CNA Recertification

You have to fill in your personal information in the first section. The second section has to be filled by your employer. This is easy if you are currently employed. If you’ve been out of work currently, you’ll have to find your last employer for whom you worked for more than 150+ hours during the last two years.

After you fill it out, you will have to mail it your state board. Be prepared to wait for at least two weeks for the renewal process to get completed.
What if I haven’t worked as a CNA for over two years?

This is where it gets a little tricky. States differ on how this situation is handled.

Some states will require you to undergo your CNA training again. This means that you will have to go for a hundred or more hours of nurse aide training followed by the CNA certification test. This can be expensive. This is why you have to ensure that you work the required amount even if it’s just part time every two years to make it easy for renewal.

Other states will simply ask you to do the certification test again. You’ll have to brush up on your studying and get it over with. You will have to pay the state fees for the test as well.

We have a whole section on CNA License information which you can check out should this article not give you the answers you require. Alternatively, you can even send us a question using the form below and we’ll do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.