In Georgia, all individuals who want to become certified nurse assistants must meet course requirements prior to sitting for the state certification exam which is necessary to obtain employment. Prospective students need to understand these requirements before entering into a program.
In Georgia, all approved certified nurse assistant training programs must provide students with comprehensive instruction on the requirements to work in all types of licensed health care facilities including nursing homes, home health agencies, hospices, hospitals, and intermediate care facilities.
Programs require a minimum of 85 hours in course work and are comprised of lecture, laboratory, and at minimum 16 hours of supervised clinical experience in an approved clinical setting. At least sixteen 16 hours of classroom instruction are required before direct involvement with residents at a health care facility. The concepts and skills must include the following topics: Communication, interpersonal skills, infection control, safety & emergency procedures, promoting residents’ independence and respecting residents’ rights.
A newly trained nurse aide candidate taking the examination for the first time must successfully pass both parts of the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) examination within one 1 year of successfully completing a training program in order to be placed on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry.
For those transferring from another state, they must not provide care in a facility until being placed in the registry. A nurse aide’s employment eligibility status will be determined by the training provided by that state’s instructional program. These individuals must complete the nurse aide registry out-of-state application to determine eligibility for reciprocity.
