CNA classes in Maryland | 10 Great Programs to Get a Nursing Assistant Certification

Becoming a CNA in Maryland requires a lot of training and effort to succeed. Anyone who puts forth the effort and demonstrates their skills and knowledge can become a qualified nursing assistant. Any candidates for CNAs will have to take CNA classes in Maryland and complete an examination to receive their licenses.
There are many options available for CNA schools and training locations if you are interested in following that career path. CNAs are responsible for the welfare of the public, so it is essential to know the basics of becoming a CNA in Maryland.

Who is the Regulatory Body for CNAs in Maryland?

Regulatory bodies are essentially responsible for ensuring that proper legal, ethical and safe care is being provided to patients by licensed CNAs. The public’s welfare depends on proper regulation that is maintained by the regulatory bodies in each state, and they must make sure that the CNAs are fulfilling their tasks as caretakers while they are on duty.

Nursing is regulated to protect the public from malpractice and to make sure that the CNAs are qualified and capable of taking care of sick and disabled patients. The regulatory body for the CNA registry in Maryland is the Maryland Board Of Nursing.

Who Administers the CNA Exam in Maryland?

The CNA Exam is administered throughout the state of Maryland by the testing vendor known as Pearson Vue. Pearson Vue is a computer-based testing website for IT, government, professional, and academic programs. With over 10 million tests administered worldwide, Pearson Vue is a global leader in computer-based testing.
 
It is also one of the world’s largest and most secure test center network, with more than 5,000 testing centers located across 175 countries. The rest centers are properly proctored environments that will prevent any chance of distractions and provide a secure testing environment to CNA conditions all around the world.

Maryland State Requirements for CNAs

The CNAs, or GNA (Geriatric Nursing Assistants) in Maryland, are required to attend CNA training in Maryland at a program approved by the Board Of Nursing to obtain their Maryland CNA license. They must go through 100 hours of training, including clinical experience at a Maryland Licensed Nursing Home. Students are required to have CNA certification in Maryland to go through the training process.

Future and current student nurses, along with graduate nurses, will also be able to apply as a GNA as long as they fulfill proper documentation requirements. After a background check and exam completion, the candidate’s name will be sent to the Board of Nursing for complete registration.

Maryland CNA Exam Details

To take the NNAAP exam, the CNA candidates are required to get in touch with the nurse aide/nursing assistant CNA programs in Maryland. They must reach their educational and training requirements to receive their test dates and times from either the educational program or testing sites.

The NNAAP exam has 70 multiple choice questions, a skills evaluation, a written section, and an oral section. In the skills evaluation section of the exam, five skills are selected by the administrator to be demonstrated by the examiner. There are free CNA practice tests available online to use for exam preparation.

How Much Does the Maryland CNA Exam Cost?

The total cost of the Maryland CNA exam is $105. The section that requires CNAs to demonstrate five selected skills will cost $70. The written and oral sections of the exam will cost $35. Each candidate will register for the full assessment which requires each section to be fulfilled completely.

Candidates who are employed by a nursing home can typically get the facility to cover the cost of their exam.  

They must pass within 24 months and can retake the exam up to four times without having to go through training again. The results are usually ready the same day of testing.

Where Can I Take the CNA Exam in Maryland?

The CNA exam for Maryland can be taken monthly in each available testing location. The CNA exam locations in Maryland are Cumberland, Hagerstown, Leonardtown, Hyattsville, Salisbury, Gaithersburg, and Baltimore. You will be able to receive more detailed information about each testing site from the Pearson Vue website, or by calling the number of the American Red Cross.

The exam is scheduled by the American Red Cross after they obtain the envelope with your fees and required documents, which they must have by the 15th Of month before your test has been scheduled. They must have your admission ticket ten days before the examination.

How Much Does a CNA Get Paid in Maryland?

The typical CNA salary in Maryland is $12.80 an hour and the tenure is less than one year. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the yearly salary equates to $30,470 and meets the estimated national average. The average amount for additional compensation for factors such as overtime is $4,312 a year.

Different CNA jobs in Maryland offer different salaries depending on the workload and location. Once candidates have completed training and CNA classes in Maryland, they can apply for a position as a nursing assistant at a nursing home or any medical facility in the state.

CNA classes in Maryland

Howard Community College, Columbia

When you attend Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland, you will be prepared to become a Certified Nursing Assistant within six to eight weeks. Students learn and grow by learning under local highly qualified and professionally trained nursing instructors. HCC’s CNA training fulfills the Maryland Board Of Nursing regulations, and students will be able to obtain their licenses after completing their training program.

The training program offered by HCC lasts for a total of 145 hours (45 for clinical and 100 for theory training), where students receive 14.5 if you pass the course. The training will prepare students for the GNA examination that will complete their qualifications to become a nursing assistant. You will be taking clinical and theory at the same time, and they both require full completion.

Frederick Community College

The CNA program at Frederick Community College is a Continuing Education & Workplace Development programs that will allow students to register online, usually without requiring an application.

Some courses offer training that will allow students to earn their CNA license upon completion where they will be recognized on a state and national level. The courses offered by FCC fulfill the State of Maryland CNA eligibility requirements, and the Geriatric Nursing Assistant Exam.

For the training program, you will have to have a complete background check and drug test. The fees are included are part of the enrollment into FCC’s training program. To qualify for the training program, all students must be 16 or older, receive placement into ENGL75 or ESOL72, register in person, and provide their SSN or Tax ID number.

Anne Arundel Community College

At Anne Arundel Community College, you will be able to receive proper training and attend a variety of courses that will help you qualify to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. 

Students who complete the courses and training will be able to move on to apply for a CNA license that is recognized by the Maryland Board Of Nursing. Earning this qualification will ensure that students will be more than prepared to work in a nursing facility.

AACC does have a few requirements for students that are interested in enrolling in their CNA training program. The students are required to pass a reading placement test before they become enrolled in the training program and they must pass all tests before clinical training. Background checks are also required for AACC for proper identification.

Harford Community College

The training program at Harford Community College teaches CNA students to learn how to provide more hands-on care to patients in need of assistance while being supervised by a certified nurse. It has been approved by the Maryland Board Of Nursing and will prepare their graduates to apply for the Nurse Aide Assessment Program to become fully certified as a GNA. Students who participate in this training program are highly likely to succeed in their career paths.

The courses that you will be required to take at HCC are Nursing Assistant Theory and Nursing Assistant Clinical. The program will cost approximately $2,028, which includes MBON certification and the GNA exam but does not include textbooks or other materials. You will also be required to wear navy blue scrubs.

Hagerstown Community College

The training program at Hagerstown Community College is highly recommended for CNA students who plan to complete the LPN or RN program after entering the workforce. Students who complete their CNA certification before earning their RN or LPN degrees will be able to receive the healthcare experience that they need for their future careers while simultaneously receiving their education at HCC.

After completing the program, you will be able to take the NNAAP exam to become a qualified CNA.
To be able to enter HCC's training program, you will be required to have a CNA/GNA Letter of Recognition. Upon being accepted into the program, HCC will provide you with admission packets, fact sheets, technical standards, and the estimated cost that you will need to pay to enroll.

Carroll Community College

Carroll Community College has an employer partnership program known as Earn While You Learn that allows students to get a head start in their nursing career by working while they are in training. By enrolling in this program, you will be able to receive part-time work while you are in training and you will be guaranteed to receive full-time work once your training has been completed. You will also have the opportunity to receive employer-paid tuition and fees for CCC's CNA/GNA training.

This partnership program will be able to provide you with amazing benefits for your career path and it will help employers see that you are qualified to be working in their facility. Attending this program will lead to the future success of your dreams.

College of Southern Maryland, La Plata

The College of Southern Maryland in La Plata, Maryland has a workforce training certificate program where you will learn the basic duties of being a Certified Nursing Assistant. The two classes that you will be required to take for this program are HTH-6270 Nursing Assistant Fundamentals and HTH-6290 Nursing Assistant Practice. 

Upon completion of these classes, you will be eligible to become a qualified CNA recognized by the MBON.
Participating in this program will allow you to demonstrate what you learned as a CNA student to receive your certification. You will also take the GNA competency exam and do a review of your GNA skills, which will prepare you for the NNAAP exam. The cost of the NNAAP exam will be included in the cost of the program.

Chesapeake College, Wye Mills

Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Maryland has a high growth rate of CNAs that attend in their region alone. This college has a 150-hour training program that consists of classroom and clinical training at medical sites. Passing the exams will allow students to qualify to become a CNA and obtain AHA Health Provider CPR certification. The test preparation and exam fees will be completely included in the training costs.

To enrol in this training program, you are required to attend a mandatory Healthcare Orientation and receive a score of at least 230 upon completion of the accuplacer placement exams for reading comprehension. You must also attend a career planning course and go through a drug test and criminal background check so you can qualify for certification.

Coppin State University

One of the main goals of Coppin State University is to bring out the full potential of their students and help them succeed in their future career paths. The nursing programs are focused on helping their students and teaching them about proper healthcare that will improve the lives of many people. 

CSU’s School Of Allied Health consists of Health And Health Education, as well as Health Information Management. The College Of Health Professions has two health centers that are managed by two nurse practitioners. They provide high-quality accessible healthcare at an affordable cost to the residents of CSU, along with the entire neighborhood.

If you are aiming to increase your knowledge and skills in the field of nursing, CSU may be an excellent start to nurturing your full potential.

Allegany College Of Maryland, Cumberland

Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland offers an affordable high-quality training program for CNA students to help give them a step ahead in the nursing field. CNA students are in noticeably high demand and ACC is aware that students need all of the skills and hands-on training they can receive to become certified.

The training program lasts for one semester and it teaches students the necessary skills they will need to know when they begin working for health agencies.
By participating in this program, you will learn basic medical knowledge and techniques that will help you give proper care to patients, bedside care for elderly patients, and safe, legal, and ethical work practices.