CNA Classes in Nevada (Top Schools)

The Nevada State Board of Nursing (NSBN) regulates and certifies the state’s Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA).

They require nursing assistants to meet the following in order to become a CNA:

• Complete a state-approved Nursing AssistantTraining Program (NATP)
• Undergo a criminal history background check
• Pass the Nevada Nurse Aide Competency Exam (NV-NACE)

Once you meet these, you’ll then be added to the Nurse Aide Registry (NAR)

Taking on a CNA Training Program in Nevada

The first step toward becoming a Nevada CNA is to enroll and complete an NATP.

Being in one ensures that you’ll receive the appropriate CNA education that meets the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act’s (OBRA) requirements.

During the program, training facilities will make you undergo at least 75 hours of training.

Then after completing NATP, you’ll be a nursing assistant capable of performing basic patient care for residents.

Here’s a list of CNA training facilities that you can check out.

Fingerprint-based Background Check

As mentioned, a criminal history background check is a requirement for aspiring CNAs.

The NSBN accepts both electronic fingerprint and fingerprint card (FD-258) submission.

But do note that an electronic fingerprint is only available if you’re in Nevada

You can submit the Fingerprint Submission Form, which you can download at NSBN’s website, in three ways:

• Electronic submission at NSBN’s office
• Electronic submission at approved private Nevada fingerprinting facilities
• Fingerprint card submission mailed to NSBN

Should you opt for the third method, here’s the NSBN’s address you can mail the form to:

Nevada State Board of Nursing
5011 Meadowood Mall Way #300
Reno, Nevada 89502

How much you’ll pay for the fingerprint varies by fingerprinting vendor, so you should inquire with them about the fees.

But for the other two methods, NSBN will charge you a $40 processing fee for each.

Here are other details that you should take note of:

• You don’t have to submit fingerprints again if you’ve already sent one to NSBN within the last six months.
• Fingerprints previously completed in another state or for your employer won’t be accepted by NSBN.
• It takes at least four months for NSBN to receive the results from the Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
• Until NSBN receives the results, you won’t be issued a permanent CNA certificate.

Evaluating a CNA Candidate

Nevada has two ways to certify a nursing assistant:

• CNA by examination
• CNA by endorsement

We’ll discuss each one below.

For the application fees, NSBN requires that you pay the following, whichever is applicable:

• Initial application fees
  • CNA by examination – $50
  • CNA by endorsement – $50
• Renewal application fees – $50

Do note that should you get certified, NSBN will not mail the hard card license to you.

You can only get it by printing a copy from NSBN’s website.

Certification by Examination

You can only receive a CNA certification if you meet these requirements:

• Duly accomplished application form via the Nevada Nurse Portal
• Proof of training completion:
  • Certificate of Completion from the NATP training facility
  • If you’re a nursing student, a transcript showing you completed the fundamentals of nursing
• Pass the NV-NACE
• Have read and understood the following documents:
  • CNA Skills Guidelines
  • CNA Hours of Employment for Renewal Advisory Opinion
• Completed Fingerprint Submission Form

Now that you’re aware of the certification by examination requirements, let’s discuss NV-NACE.

Taking the Nevada Nurse Aide Competency Exam

Update: D&SDT-Headmaster replaces Prometric as the testing vendor for NV-NACE.

The NV-NACE has two test components: a knowledge test and a manual skill test.

Here’s what you need to know about each test component:

Knowledge test

• It consists of 75 multiple-choice questions.
• You have 90 minutes to complete the test.
• Questions are taken from NSBN’s approved test plan, including questions defined in OBRA.
• It’s usually a written test, but you can opt for an oral test upon request.
• In the oral test, questions will be read to you over the headphones.
• You can’t bring a translation/bilingual dictionary to the exam room.
• Passing rate is 77%.

Manual skill test

• Its purpose is to evaluate your nursing assistant skills in completing relevant tasks.
• You will perform one mandatory task and three to four randomly selected tasks.
• You have 35 minutes to perform all tasks assigned to you.
• An additional five minutes will be given to your last task if you have yet to complete it.
• Passing score is 80% on each task, with all key steps completed accurately.

Exam Fees

You will pay the following exam fees to D&SDT-Headmaster:

• Knowledge test – written – $52.50
• Knowledge test – oral – $62.50
• Manual skills test – $97.50

Note that you’ll pay the same amount should you have to retake any of these tests.

Exam Results

After your tests, you will receive your results on the day the tests are scored.

You can view them online at the NSBN’s Candidate Forms web page.

Or you can wait for the email from D&SDT-Headmaster to send the official exam results to you.

If you pass…

Should you receive favorable results on both tests, D&SDT-Headmaster will send your results to NSBN.

On your part, you will complete the requirements mentioned above to NSBN to receive your CNA certification.

If you fail…

In the event that you fail a test or both, you must retake it or them within 12 months of NATP completion.

NSBN gives you three attempts to pass both knowledge and manual skill tests.

If you maxed these three out, then you’ll need to retrain in the NATP in order to retake NV-NACE.

Certification by Endorsement

This certification path is usually taken by out-of-state CNAs who have active status and are in good standing at their state’s NAR.

If you have both, then you will complete these requirements to become a CNA in Nevada:

• Duly accomplished application form via the Nevada Nurse Portal
• Copy of your active CNA certificate with the expiration date in another state
• Proof of training completion:
  • Certificate of Completion from the NATP training facility
  • If you’re a nursing student, a transcript showing you completed the fundamentals of nursing
• Proof of employment as a CNA in the past 24 months, either:
  • Payment stub
  • W-2 form
  • Letter from the employer
• Duly accomplished CNA Endorsement Form, which you can download at NSBN’s website
• Have read and understood the following documents:
  • CNA Skills Guidelines
  • CNA Hours of Employment for Renewal Advisory Opinion
• Completed Fingerprint Submission Form

Note that not all states are required by NSBN to submit the CNA Endorsement Form.

So if you belong to any of these states, you can skip submitting the endorsement form:

• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

However, you are still required to accomplish the other requirements.

Potential Salary

Every aspiring CNA wants a stable job with a highly competitive salary.

Currently, you can expect to receive an average of $32,479 annual salary in Nevada.

To know how much income you can get in the state, take a look at the salary table below.

CNA Schools by City

• Las Vegas2 Schools
• Reno2 Schools