If you want to become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Connecticut, you must first successfully complete an approved training program taught through the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Your licensing examination must be taken within 24 months of your training completion.
It’s easier to find a good training course in Connecticut than in other states. There are more than 155 approved CNA training courses in this state. So you’ll be able to locate a training course at nearly any community college, hospital and nursing home. They’re also offered through adult educational facilities and high schools.
For those that can’t afford to pay the tuition of the course, there are facilities that will either train you while you work for them or pay the tuition of your classes as long as you’re working for them. Typically, you’ll be required to contract with the facility, agreeing to work for them for a specific amount of time. This method of training works out great for everyone.
CNAs working in Connecticut are required to master basic skills regarding residents’ rights, communication, safety, interpersonal skills, emergency procedures and resident independence. You’ll need to know the Heimlich maneuver and infection control as a part of the safety and emergency skills. In Connecticut, you must have at least 16 hours of training in these areas as well as 25 additional hours in clinical training, specifically competency skills. You should be prepared for at least 5 of these skills to turn up during your evaluation exam along with other things you’ll need to know.
According to the Connecticut Department of Labor, the state’s highest job growth over the next 10 years will be in the area of medicine. Due to the opening of more hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Connecticut, a good CNA can get in on the ground floor and work up to a medical assistant very quickly. Typically, a qualified CNA can make around $30,500 yearly.
For information on training programs, contact:
- The Winsted Community College at Northwest CT
- The Willimantic Community College at Quinebaug Valley Community Tech
- The Waterbury Community College at Naugatuck Valley Community Tech
- Torrington Vo-Tech Adult Education at Oliver Wolcott Vo-Tech School
- Stamford Vo-Tech Adult Education at J.J. Wright Regional Vo-Tech
- A.I. Vo-Tech School Adult Education in Hartford