CNAs are direct care workers who work in nursing homes and centers for Medicare and Medicaid services assisting elderly, chronicle and disabled residents with ADL (activities of daily livings), personal assistance and daily routine cares under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse or a physician . Nursing assistants must meet federal OBRA and state requirements to perform as an entry-level nursing assistant. The OBRA-87 and the 1989 Amendments also mandate the states in the US to develop state approved Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) for nurse aides employed in the long-term care facilities and other licensed facilities in order to improve the quality of care.
In accordance to OBRA law, the state of NC also requires all individuals to complete the following requirements to work in an entry-level nursing aide position:
- Complete 105 hours NC Nurse Aide Training Program I consists of 30 hours theoretical classroom education / lab training, and 75 hours clinical hands-on experience.
- Pass Competency Evaluation Test featuring independent Written Test and Skills Test.
- Be registered as a certified nursing assistant in the NC Nurse Aide I Registry.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has deputed Pearson VUE, a national testing agency to develop, score and report the test results to the state Nurse Aide I Registry. Pearson VUE working with NC Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation Service schedules and administers the Certification Test.
Benefits of NC CNA Certification
There are a number of career advantages for CNAs possessing a Certification in NC including:
- The Health Care field of the state is highly developed and offers massive employment opportunities to nursing aides.
- 13.2% of the total NC population consists of elderly people 65 years and over.
- NC locates more than 120 hospitals and clinics.
- The state ranks as top-10 among the most populous states of the US.
- Similar to other states, NC is also passing through acute nursing shortages.
- The unemployment rate of the state has reached a staggering figure of 8.9% (p) in April 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment report.
- NC also comes among the top 10 states with highest new nursing assistant jobs.
The growing number of the aging population, higher number of health care units, nursing shortages and dense population significantly enhance the employment and career advancement opportunities for nursing assistants in the state. In addition, the alarmingly high unemployment rate and mass layoff by the service sectors and establishments due to the economic slow-down have also made nursing field an ideal destination for job seekers because healthcare industry of the state is still untouched by the economic upheaval and offering massive career options.
