CNA Certification in New Jersey

How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in New Jersey

If you would like to become a CNA in New Jersey you will have to work directly through the Department of Health and Senior Services. This is the agency that approves training programs and manages the state CNA registry. They have partnered with PSI Services to conduct the assessment exams and to grade and report them as well.

Eligibility Requirements

In New Jersey you must first prove eligibility for a training program before you can apply. The criteria that all candidates must meet are:

Age 18 or older;Has proof of high school graduation or a GED;Has evidence of immunizations, including the hepatitis B vaccine series;Has undergone a drug and TB screening along with a full physical; andHas a complete background check and fingerprinting done.

Applying for CNA Certification in New Jersey

When qualified to enroll in a program, the candidate may find that they don’t actually have to take training. If they have never done any CNA work or taken any sort of formal training they will need to enroll in a state approved program, but the following exceptions can skip the training and either test or apply for registration:

Student nurses or graduate nurses;Reciprocity candidates in good standing;Military nurse aides;New PCAs (personal care assistants); orLapsed CNAs who have been off the registry for more than five years;

When approved training is required, the Department of Health has a full list organized by county. Courses will provide 90 hours of training that is split between 50 in a classroom and 40 in a medical setting under the supervision of a nurse. Once this is done, the student can register to take the exam at a PSI facility.

All candidates have to submit an examination application to PSI, including fees for all parts to be taken. The instructor for the training program will schedule any skills examinations needed. The skills test has to be passed first, and then the student can sit for the written exam. If you fail either test three times, you are obliged to re-train in an approved program.

Costs

Approved programs vary in price, but range from $800 to $1000, not including books and test fees. Federal law stipulates that a CNA hired, or offered employment, by a skilled nursing facility with Medicaid approval will be reimbursed for their testing fees, and may even receive reimbursement for their training program fees as well.

Currently the testing fees are:

Written and Skills: $78
Oral and Skills English/Spanish: $93
Written retake: $53
Oral only retake: $68
Skills Exam only retake: $25

A list of the examination sites is available in the PSI testing handbook for New Jersey CNAs.

FAQ

Below are some useful facts for those training as CNAs:

To be eligible for re-certification, a current license in good standing is required. The CNA must have completed at least of 7 hours paid CNA work within the last 24 months, and an updated criminal background check is needed;The candidate has to take the both parts of the exam within 24 months of the training, and pass, or will need to re-train; andYou cannot take a failed exam again on the same day.

Helpful Resources around the Web

New Jersey Department of Health
Division of Health Facilities Evaluation & Licensing

Office of Program Compliance – Nurse Aide Registry
PO Box 358
Trenton, NJ 08625-0358
Phone: 866-561-5914 or 609-633-9171
Verification: http://njna.psiexams.com

PSI Services, LLC
3210 E Tropicana
Las Vegas, NV 89121
Web: WWW.PSIEXAMS.COM