Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are integral players within America's healthcare system. These direct-care health professionals can be found employed at assisted living facilities, in doctor's offices, and hospitals around the country. In fact, LPNs, RNs and physicians wouldn't be able to do their jobs as effectively without them. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that nurse assisting is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the entire U.S.
Individuals in Florida seeking careers as CNAs need to be compassionate, patient, and effective problem-solvers. These same individuals should always research thoroughly the very best certification program available to them in the state.
Individuals looking to pursue a career as a CNA in Florida should always do extensive research into the programs that are available to them to ensure success. Prospective CNA students are advised to take the following measures into consideration when researching top programs:
The most direct pathway to become a fully certified CNA in the state of Florida is to first complete a state-approved training program. Florida CNA candidates are required to pass dual sections of the Prometric Nurse Aide Examination – skills and knowledge. During the skills test, students are evaluated on a handful of techniques and skills involving care behavior and duties. Students can take the knowledge portion of the exam in different formats. The knowledge portion can be carried out in a written or written/audio format in either English or Spanish and consists of 60 multiple choice questions.
Candidates receive exam results for both sections on the same day as the exam. Those that have met all requirements and that have passed both exam sections can then apply for state licensure.
With CNA programs located all across the state, students have their pick of quality educational choices. Not all schools are created equally, however. We’ve compiled a list of the most prolific CNA programs in Florida to help students find the right fit.
RIVEROAK Technical College
Located at the north of the state in Live Oak, RIVEROAK Technical College is a post-secondary technical training institution which offers over 20 technical and career program options to students.
ROTC currently offers a 5 to 6-month, 600 contact hour Patient Care Technician CNA program that meets Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 3:30pm. After 3 weeks of initial classroom instruction, students move to various nursing facilities to learn clinical skillsets. The program is specifically designed to prepare novice students for entry level careers in providing care to patients. Course content includes the following: nutrition, phlebotomy, EKG reading, hospital and at home nursing care, as well as home health aide and nursing assistant skills.
The institution boasts a 93% pass rate of the state licensing exam. In recent follow up surveys with students who had been through the course, 80% of surveyed graduates reported employment.
Healthcare facilities near Live Oak currently hiring CNAs
- Community Health Systems
- Signature Healthcare
Tuition
Students interested in attending RIVEROAK Technical College’s program can count on paying an approximate total cost of $2,923.
Technical Education Center – Osceola
The Technical Education Center –Osceola is a postsecondary institution located in Osceola County founded in 1999. TECO’s vocational training programs are designed to ready students for entry-level employment and improve job skills for already employed students.
TECO’s certified nursing assistant program is composed of two courses totaling 165 contact hours. The two courses are Basic Health Care Worker (90 hours) and Home Health Aide (75 hours). The program’s content covers medical terminology, interpersonal skills, gerontology, nutrition and other fundamental nursing aide skills. Classes meet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7:00am to 2:00pm.
Healthcare facilities in near Osceola County currently hiring CNAs
- Osceola Regional Medical Center
- HCA Healthcare
Tuition
Students enrolled in TECO’s CNA program pay a total cost of $1,169.
Orange Technical College – Mid Florida Campus
Orange Technical College – Mid Florida Campus is a publicly financed, adult vocational college located in Orlando that was originally founded in 1963. OTC-Mid Florida has two campuses focused on offering a wide array of certificates and programs to ready students in a wide variety of fields.
OTC-Mid Florida offers a CNA program that prepares its students for the state CNA certification exam. Their training program focuses on 22 essential nursing skills. In total, the program is composed of 165 contact hours: 90 hours of in-class training and 75 of clinical and lab skills training.
Healthcare facilities in near Orlando currently hiring CNAs
- Conway Lakes Health and Rehab
- Life Care Center of Orlando
Tuition
OTC-Mid Florida’s nursing assistant nursing program will run students approximately $1,142.
Withlacoochee Technical College
Withlacoochee Technical College is a private, post-secondary learning institution and career training institute that originally opened its doors in 1968. The school is located in the city of Inverness in Citrus County.
WTC offers students a state approved, 165 contact-hour nursing assistant program. The program teaches future CNAs infection control, record keeping, pre and post-operative care, anatomy and physiology and CPR. The program is comprised of two courses: Heath Careers Core – Basic Health Care Worker and Nurse Aide and Orderly.
Healthcare facilities near Inverness currently hiring CNAs
- Citrus Health and Rehabilitation
- Citrus Memorial Hospital
- Consulate Health Care
Tuition
In-state students who are interested in attending WTC’s nursing assistant program can expect to pay an approximate total cost of $736, while out-of-state students can expect to pay $1,932.
Manatee Technical College
Founded in 1962 and located in the city of Bradenton near Tampa, Manatee Technical College is a private, postsecondary career and technical education institute. The college provides quality training for adults seeking various high-demand careers.
MTC offers students a 5-week, 165 contact hour CNA program. The program meets five days a week from 8:00am to 2:30pm. The school’s website boats an 87% job placement rate for students who successfully complete the program.
Healthcare facilities close to Bradenton currently hiring CNAs
- Consulate Health Care
- Westminster Point Pleasant
- Braden River Rehabilitation Center
Tuition
The cost of attending Manatee Technical College’s CNA program is approximately $1,216.
Sheridan Technical College
Sheridan Technical College is a diploma and degree granting polytechnic institution located in Hollywood. It was founded in 1967 and currently serves 18,000 full-time students and 35,000 continuing students.
STC offers a special Patient Care Technician program which teaches students a broad foundation of skills and knowledge and is meant to expand the traditional role of the CNA. Individuals who successfully complete the program are able to take the Florida State Nursing Assistant CNA Exam and the certification exam for Patient Care Technicians.
Healthcare facilities close to Hollywood currently hiring CNAs
- Palmetto General Hospital
- VITAS Healthcare
Tuition
Individuals interested in attending STCs CNA program can expect to pay $2,152 in tuition and fees.
Santa Fe College
Santa Fe College is a state-funded college located in the city of Gainesville in central Florida. It was established in 1965 and currently serves 22,000 students.
The nursing assistant program is offered to students in a 165-contact hour, 6-week format that’s offered 5 times per year. The program is composed of two separate sections: in-class lecture which prepares students for employment in extended care facilities, and a clinical skills portion that’s conducted at nursing homes in the area. After successfully completing the course, students are eligible to take the state certification exam.
Healthcare facilities near Gainesville currently hiring CNAs
- Parklands Care Center
- University of Florida Health Shands Hospital
Tuition
In-state students who are interested in attending Santa Fe College’s CNA program can expect to pay an approximate total cost of $1,564, while out-of-state students can expect to pay $2,744.
Lorenzo Walker Technical College
Lorenzo Walker Technical College is a pubic, post-secondary education institution located in the city of Naples. The college is named after the former legislator, James Lorenzo Walker, who played an integral role in securing original funding for the school in 1974. LWTC seeks to provide its students with job-preparatory instruction which will allow them to obtain specific careers.
LWTC’s nursing assistant program is specifically designed to prepare its students for careers as direct healthcare workers in a wide variety of long-term healthcare facilities. The program course, Nurse Aide and Orderly, is comprised of a total of 120 contact hours and meets Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 2:30pm.
Healthcare facilities near Naples currently hiring CNAs
- Landmark Hospitals
- Physicians Regional Healthcare System
- Knoxville Medical Center
Tuition
LWTCs nursing assistant program has an estimated total cost of $1,023.
Robert Morgan Education Center & Technical College
Located in Miami, Robert Morgan Education Center & Technical College is an educational institution that provides both vocational training and classical instruction to its students.
The school’s Patient Care Technician CNA program is 290 contact hours in total and allows students as young as 16 years old to begin earning their nursing assistant certificate. After completing RMEC’s certified nursing assistant program, students have the option of going on to become certified LPNs.
Healthcare facilities in near the Miami metropolitan area currently hiring CNAs
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Miami Jewish Health Systems
Tuition
In-state students who are interested in attending Robert Morgan Education Center’s CNA program can expect to pay around $742, while students coming from out-of-state can expect to pay around $2,972.
