How to Get Your Certified Nursing Assistant Renewal Certification

As the elderly population grows, so does the need for qualified caregivers. Certified Nursing Assistants, commonly referred to as CNAs, provide hands-on care to those who can't bathe, dress, feed and toilet themselves. CNAs are usually supervised by a nurse, carrying out duties that a nurse assigns them. Most states require CNAs to take a training class and to be certified. Before you can be certified, you must pass a written and clinical test. In most states your certification is valid for two years, after which it must be renewed. It's therefore important to know how to go about renewing your certificate. So here we go.

• You must renew you certification prior to the expiration date. It's advisable to renew it a month in advance, as it can take up to three weeks for the renewal to be issued.
• You must prove that you have worked as a CNA during the last two years for the minimum number of hours set forth by your state's Nursing Aide Registry. However, you don't have to be currently employed.
• You must take the certification exam again if you have not worked as a CNA in the past two years.
• You must get a renewal application from the Nursing Aide Registry office. Carefully fill out the first section, making sure you answer all the questions. The second section must be filled out by your most recent employer.
• You must mail the application form, renewal fee and any documents requested, to the address specified on the form.
• You may be required to take the certification exam over again if you fail to renew your license on time.
• You may be able to track your application's status online, if your state's Nursing Aide Registry office has a website.