Certified Nursing Assistant Training in Hawaii

What is a CNA?

There are many ways to get involved in the field of healthcare, depending on how much time you want to put into your education and how much you want to be involved in patient care. For many aspiring nurses and home healthcare providers, becoming a nursing aide is a quick and convenient way to get involved. As a nursing assistant, you may work closely with patients to keep them comfortable, fed, and healthy.

How Can I Become a Nurse Aide (CNA) in Hawaii?

Each state sets specific training and certification requirements for nurse’s aides, so you must abide by Hawaii laws and standards. The process is fairly straightforward in Hawaii, and everything is outlined on this site. At this site, you can also l earn more about salary potential and job duties in healthcare. After some classroom time and clinical hours, you may be ready to jump into life as a certified nurse aide. Contact CNA classes in Hawaii to learn more about getting certified in this state.

What Kind of CNA Training Do I Need in Hawaii?

Nurse’s assistants fill an entry-level role in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. For that reason, training is short-term and based in practical skills. At local CNA programs, you may be able to get certified in a matter of weeks. Are you ready to start providing personalized care to the people of Hawaii? Reach out to nurse assistant training programs to get started.

Getting Into a Certified Nursing Assistant Program in Hawaii

Once you start looking into CNA programs near you, you should discover that the admissions process is much shorter than it is for other healthcare programs. Since this is an entry-level role that doesn’t require you to give independent medical care to patients, you do not have to meet strict GPA and experience requirements. If you are not yet done with high school and you are below 18 years of age, you must have a parent’s approval to enroll in training.

While there aren’t tough academic restrictions in this field, you do have to prove that you can handle the physical demands of a healthcare career. This involves taking a physical exam that tests your ability to bear weight, lift weight, and use proper lifting techniques.

CNA Admissions Requirements in Hawaii

High school diploma recommended but not required
Clear criminal history
Ability to pass a drug screen, physical exam, and TB test

CNA Training in Hawaii

Hawaii is home to many approved training programs that prepare you to take the licensing exams required for certification. Programs tend to be concentrated in urban areas, so you may have more options for CNA training in Honolulu, Hawaii than in a more remote area. However, even outlying rural areas often have nursing homes and hospitals that provide affordable nurse assistant training.

To be able to take both licensing exams, you must take a course approved by the Hawaii Nurse Aide Registry. Your training must focus largely on clinical work. You may begin your education in the classroom before moving quickly to the laboratory, and then to clinical rotations. Clinical rotations are often completed at nursing homes, although your options depend on where you are in Hawaii and what connections your school has. You should get to work with patients with different diagnoses and care needs. This helps you develop your communication skills and tailor your care to each resident’s unique needs.

Each school uses a specific curriculum to outline what students learn and what competencies they have to develop by graduation. By law, Hawaii nurse assistant programs must cover topics included on the certification exams.

Commonly Required CNA Classes in Hawaii

Nurse aides’ role in healthcare
Safety in the workplace
Safety and comfort of residents
Personal care skills, including feeding, bathing, and grooming
Promoting circulation and skin integrity
Sleeping needs
Elimination of the bowel and bladder
Cognitive changed
Psychosocial resident needs
Routine situations in assisted living situations
Specialized care for residents

CNA Certification as a Prerequisite for Nursing School in Hawaii

For some students, CNA certification is the end goal. You may want to become a certified nurse aide, find a CNA job, and start earning money. For others, CNA programs are simply a stepping stone to nursing school.

Nursing schools require that students complete CNA certification in Hawaii for several reasons. First, nurse’s assistant training tests your passion for the field of nursing. If you can make it through the physical difficulties of CNA work, you may have what it takes to become a nurse. If you cannot handle the fast-paced nature of healthcare, you can find out in a CNA program instead of putting years into your education first.

Second, the skills you learn in CNA training in Hawaii are directly applicable to nursing school. Throughout your nursing career, you may be expected to provide assistance with daily care and take on physically challenging tasks. The skills you build as a nurse’s aide may help you learn advanced nursing courses more rapidly.

Paying for a CNA Program in Hawaii

Like many students, you may be wondering how you can afford certified nurse aide education. To start, nurse assistant programs tend to be much more inexpensive than other healthcare training options. They only last 4 to 8 weeks, minimizing the amount you have to spend to become certified. Beyond that, you may offset your expenses with nursing assistant scholarships.

Some local organizations offer patient care tech and CNA scholarships, in addition to the national groups that support healthcare assistants.

To start, find out if you qualify for any federal financial aid. This includes grants, subsidized loans, and unsubsidized loans. You can find out if you qualify for aid by filling out the FAFSA.

There are several ways you may go about applying for private scholarships. Peterson’s is a popular resource for students, since it allows you to search thousands of scholarships by deadline, application requirements, and area of study. You can maintain a list of scholarships you’d like to apply for to stay on top of deadlines. As a Hawaii student, you may also apply for aid through the Hawaii Community Foundation.

Working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in Hawaii

CNA Requirements in Hawaii

You’ve finished your training and you’re now ready to apply for CNA certification in Hawaii. What’s the next step? Your goal is to get listed on the Hawaii Nurse Aide Registry.

When you have completed your approved CNA training program, you may register to take your licensing exams. You must take a multiple-choice written exam and a physical skills exam. There are dozens of skills that are fair game for the skills test. The test administrator randomly chooses which skills to test you on, so it’s essential to practice all skills as much as possible.

When you schedule your exam, you pay an initial $25 fee. The written testing fee is $200 and the practical testing fee is $210.

After you are placed on the Nurse Aide Registry, you may work as a nurse’s assistant for up to two years. You must then apply for renewal to remain on the registry. If you do not renew, your status will change to “inactive.” To remain active, you simply have to spend at least 8 hours working as a nurse aide every two years.

Where are the Best CNA Jobs in Hawaii?

You can answer “What is a CNA?” and “What do CNAs do?” Now you may put your knowledge to work by applying for nursing aide jobs in Hawaii. You may find that many facilities advertise for CNAs or patient care techs, since the duties of these roles overlap substantially.

Many nurse assistants work in assisted living. This may put you in a nursing home, group home, hospice agency, or home care facility. Your goal in this setting is to make patients feel as comfortable as possible and duplicate the home experience. Depending on what your facility needs, you may work day shifts, night shifts, or overnight shifts. CNAs are required for weekends and holidays; healthcare is an industry that never stops.

Quite a few clinics and hospitals also hire CNAs for various shifts. Increasing CNA staffing is a cost-effective way for facilities to provide more evidence-based, personalized care to their patients.

It’s important to explore job postings before you start the application process. This gives you an overview of what healthcare facilities are looking for and how you may meet their hiring standards.

Hiring Requirements for Nurse Aides at Hawaii Facilities

Ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays
Ability to handle high-stress, fast-paced situations
Empathy and compassion for residents
Ability to work 8 to 12 hours at a time

What Does a Nursing Assistant Do in Hawaii?

You should be well-versed in a nurse assistant’s duties by the time you become certified. This helps you be prepared for whatever responsibilities you take on in your work. Each facility runs in a slightly different manner, and you must be able to shift your work habits to fit their culture. In some facilities, you work on a strict schedule to administer medications, sit with patients during mealtimes, and run organized activities. In other facilities, you work as float staff. This entails going wherever you are needed, constantly changing your task list to prioritize certain duties, and responding to requests from physicians and nurses.

Certified Nursing Aide Duties

Ambulating clients with gait belts
Changing bed linens
Dressing and grooming residents
Record vital signs
Provide hand and nail care
Provide oral care
Conduct range of motion exercises

How Much Does a CNA Make in Hawaii?

Your salary may vary throughout your career. You may find that you earn more in an urban area like Honolulu. However, demand for nursing assistants tends to be higher in rural settings. If you accept an overnight or weekend position, you may be paid slightly more for taking on shifts that others turn down. This isn’t offered at all facilities, so you may want to apply to multiple facilities and weigh your options.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hawaii nursing assistants earn an average salary of $31,990 per year (2017). From 2014 through 2024, job openings for nursing assistants are expected to increase 17% (O*Net, 2017). At many facilities, administrators have difficulty keeping shifts fully staffed. If you take on overtime, you may be able to significantly boost your earning potential.

Important CNA Resources in Hawaii

While attending CNA programs and building your career, it’s important to make the most of resources available in your community. National and state associations provide support to working nursing professionals. The contacts you make in these groups may help you adjust to the demands of a healthcare career and develop more efficient ways of carrying out important tasks. You may also be able to attend training seminars and meetings that keep you on top of new techniques and legislative changes. It’s crucial to build your professional network of CNAs, nurses, physicians, and healthcare administrators.

Becoming a nurse assistant may be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. The field of healthcare is one of the most important in society. The work you put into your nurse assistant career may positively change the lives of people around you and open the door to other nursing careers down the line.

Demand for nursing professionals may continue to grow in coming years. In response to a shortage of nursing staff in Hawaii, legislators recently created a bill to keep more healthcare professionals in Hawaii (Big Island Now, 2017).

Take advantage of this opportunity and explore educational programs near you today. With our list of CNA programs in Hawaii, you can easily request information from the schools that interest you.