CNA Certification in Maryland

How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Maryland

The Maryland Board of Nursing, Nursing Assistant Certification Program is contracted with Pearson VUE to provide CNAs with their examinations. The candidates, however, will also have to meet the other Maryland guidelines for eligibility before they can enroll for the exam. This means they need to take their training from an approved program and be prepared to locate an American Red Cross location when it is time to actually sit for the exam. They must also go through an employability check before they can enroll in a program, take the test, and appear on the state registry.

It is also the state Board of Nursing that administrates the state registry, and before anyone can appear on the list as a GNA or other type of nurse aide, they must obtain their CNA certification.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for enrollment in a CNA training program in Maryland requires the following:

You will submit to background screening that looks at any adverse actions against previous licensing, child support arrears; and taxation issues;You must be 18 years of age or older;You must have proof of high school graduation or a GED; andYou will seek to enroll in a program already approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing (a list is found here).

Applying for CNA Certification in Maryland

There is more than one way that a student can obtain their certification (if they do not require training). And these include:

Those who have already completed training in the past year;Those who are student nurses in active standing;Those who are student nurses with inactive standing but who have been employed in the past 12 months;Graduate nurses with degrees from U.S. institutions;Graduate nurses with degrees from foreign institutions and with current foreign licenses;Expired CNAs with less than 24 months since their last renewal; andReciprocity options for CNAs with licenses from other NNAAP states.

Programs approved in the state will have around 100 to 120 hours divided between classroom and hands on training, and will take around three months to get all of their studies done.

Costs

The cost for CNA certification in Maryland is going to average $1000, yet that does not include the costs for testing.

The exam is actually divided into two separate sections – a written and a skills test. The Pearson Vue website makes a handy sample test available at the following link: http://www.asisvcs.com/publications/pdf/072100.pdf.

The costs for the exam vary according to the style in which the tests are taken, and include:

Written and Skills: $95
Skills and Oral: $115
Written Only: $40
Oral Exam: $60
Skills Only: $55

FAQ

The following details are invaluable to those seeking certified nursing assistant certification in Maryland:

If you are currently enrolled and approved in a training program, you can work in a nursing home or healthcare facility for 120 days before you must complete the training and take the exam. If you are not enrolled in a program you cannot work as an aide in Maryland;You have up to 12 months to take the exam after completing the training. If you fail a portion of the test you have 24 months, and four separate attempts before you must redo the training;All candidates will require background checks at the State and Federal level. The cost is $57.25 and paid directly to Maryland’s Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS). Complete instructions are available at this link; andYou will receive an application in the mail roughly two months prior to your license expiration. The license is valid for 24 months, but if you are inactive (meaning not employed as a CNA) for the 24 month period, you will need to pay a reactivation fee of $40.

Helpful Resources around the Web

Maryland Board of Nursing
Nursing Assistant Certification Program
4140 Patterson Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21215
(410) 585-1990
Web: http://www.mbon.org/main.php?v=norm&p=0&c=cna/cna_methods.html

Maryland Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA) Registry verification
Phone: (410) 585-1994
Web: http://www.mbon.org/main.php

American Red Cross
Maryland NNAAP
PO Box 5875
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: (866) 257-6470

Pearson VUE ®
Maryland NNAAP
PO Box 13785
Philadelphia, PA 19101-3785
Phone: (888) 274-7070
Web: http://www.pearsonvue.com/