CNA Classes in Ohio (Top Schools)

In Ohio, Certified Nurse Aides are called State Tested Nurse Aides (STNAs).

It’s the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) that holds jurisdiction over STNA regulations.

So for you to become an STNA, you must successfully complete the following:

• State-approved nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (NATCEP)
• Ohio STNA exam

Once you do, you’ll be placed on the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry (NAR).

Taking on an STNA Training Program in Ohio

Your journey toward becoming an STNA starts with enrolling in a state-approved NATCEP.

Only by doing so can you receive nurse aide education that adheres to state and federal standards.

Throughout the program, you will spend a minimum of 75 hours of training, consisting of:

• 59 hours of classroom instruction
• 16 hours of supervised clinical training in long-term care (LTC) facility

If you’re in a facility-based program, you have four months to pass the Ohio STNA exam to be able to continue working.

The table below lists some of the approved facility- and non-facility-based NATCEPs that you can check out.

Evaluating an STNA Candidate

After training, you will now sit for the Ohio STNA Exam, which is administered by D&SDT-Headmaster.

This exam evaluates your nurse aide knowledge and skills to ensure you can safely provide nursing care to residents.

Read on to know more about the exam.

STNA Candidates Eligible to Take the Ohio STNA Exam

ODH only allows certain candidates to take the Ohio STNA Exam, which D&SDT-Headmaster follows.

These candidates are as follows:

• Newly-trained Ohio nurse aides who completed NATCEP training within two years of application
• In and out-of-state nursing students currently enrolled in an approved pre-licensure nursing program
• Individuals who have worked as hospital aides within the past five years
• U.S. military-trained medic with at least 1600 hours providing direct patient care

Additional documentation is needed for the last three candidates.

For nursing students, you must:

• Submit a school transcript showing competition in nursing fundamentals
• Have your instructor fill in the Nursing Student Training Verification section on the application form

Meanwhile, hospital aides and military medics must:

• Submit a work verification letter on company letterhead as proof of your employment/service
• Have an authorized representative fill in the Hospital Nurse Aide or Orderly Employment Verification section on the application form

Temporary Nurse Aide Testing Waiver

Effective October 2021, temporary nurse aides can now sit for the Ohio STNA exam if they:

• Have worked for at least 75 hours in LTC facilities
• Have worked as a nurse aide under the COVID-19 Pandemic Waiver by the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

The Ohio STNA Exam

Before everything else, you’re required to schedule your exam online at D&SDT-Headmaster.

You can do this anytime within two years after completing NATCEP.

Once that’s set, you will take the two-part Ohio STNA exam: the knowledge test and the skills test.

Below you’ll find some important details about each test.

Knowledge Test

• It’s a 79 multiple-choice test that covers the subject areas approved by ODH and within the federal regulations.
  • Basic nursing skills
  • Care impaired
  • Communication
  • Data collection
    • Disease process
  • Infection control
  • Mental health
  • Older adult growth and development
  • Personal care
  • Resident rights
  • Role and responsibility
  • Safety
• You have 90 minutes to answer all the questions.
• You can take the knowledge test either as a written test or an oral test upon request.
• The oral test consists of 59 knowledge and 20 reading comprehension questions.
• You can bring a paperback bilingual dictionary for the oral test, which must be shown to the RN Test Observer at check-in.
• Passing rate is 75%.

Skills Test

• You will perform three to four tasks with the corresponding scenarios read to you by the RN Test Observer.
• Task assignments are as follows:
  • One mandatory first task involving hand washing:
    • Bedpan and output with required hand washing
    • Catheter care with required hand washing
    • Changing an adult brief with perineal care for a male with required hand washing
    • Empty a urinary drainage bag with the required hand washing
    • Perineal care for a female with required hand washing
  • One task involving personal protective equipment (PPE)
    • PPE and bed bath (partial – whole face and one arm/Hand/Underarm)
    • PPE and denture care
    • PPE and feeding a dependent resident
    • PPE and mouth care (Brushing teeth)
  • Two tasks chosen at random from the Skill Task Lists
• You have 35 minutes to complete all tasks.
• If you commit any mistake, you can repeat or correct that step anytime during the time limit.
• Passing rate is 80% on each task, with all key steps correctly performed.

Exam Results

You can get your exam results for both tests once it’s been double-checked by D&SDT-Headmaster.

Usually, it’s available the business day after your test date.

If you pass both, you will:

• Have your name listed on NAR
• Receive your laminated STNA card and official results via mail

But if you don’t pass, you must retake the failed test/s.

You’re given only three attempts to pass the two tests within two years of training completion.

If you still don’t earn a satisfactory score on the third attempt, then you have to retrain in NATCEP to retake the Ohio STNA exam.

Exam Fees

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

• Written knowledge test – $26
• Oral knowledge test – $36
• Skills test – $78

Note that you will pay the same amount if you happen to apply for a test retake.

Potential Salary

In Ohio, an STNA’s salary depends on several factors, such as:

• Education
• Skill level
• Experience
• Work location

Currently, you can expect to receive an average salary of about $30,000 annually.

Take a look at the table below for the salary information across the state.

Annual Salary Range:* Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Nursing Assistants, OCC Code 31-1131, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

CNA Schools by City

• Cincinnati4 Schools
• Cleveland4 Schools
• Columbus5 Schools
• Dayton4 Schools
• Toledo3 Schools