OBRA 1987 mandates all of the California state guidelines involved in governing the training and licensing of Certified Nursing Assistants. This insures that there’s only high quality care provided in long term healthcare facilities as well as any other facility that provides healthcare to patients.
Due to this stipulation, CNAs in California must meet stricter requirements than other states. The Department of Health Services Office monitors, maintains and approves all of California’s qualified CNAs.
The California CNA training program requires that you have a minimum of 150 hours in both the classroom and clinical instruction. These hours may vary a little depending on the state training program you’re taking. If you’ve been licensed in another state and have relocated to California, you can work as a CNA there without having to become certified once more. You simply need an active license and a good work record. You can skip the 150 hour training requirement.
When you’ve successfully passed the training program, you must then sit for and successfully pass the California State CNA Exam. This exam consists of a written section made up of multiple choice questions and a skills performance section. In addition, you must have a good work record as well as be certified to work in the state.
The amount of money you earn as a CNA in California will vary depending on how much experience you have. Generally, you can make between $19,991 and $35,647 annually. This translate to an hourly rate of around $8.66 to $10.87. As you gain more experience, you’ll make more money.
Schools offering CNA training in California include:
- Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria offers CNA training courses for $312 plus other fees.
- American River College in Sacramento has a CNA training program that costs $156 for residents, $1,296 for non-residents, with $1,404 charged to international residents. These courses consist of 63 classroom hours and 135 clinical instructions hours.
- Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington offers courses for $556, which includes all associated fees.
- Antelope Valley College in Lancaster and Palmdale has a CNA training program that charges $130 for residents and non-residents pay $305 in addition to other associated fees. This program consists of 50 classroom hours and 112 clinical hours.