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State Tested Nursing Assistants (CNA) who wish to maintain their eligibility to work in long term care facilities, assisted living facilities, palliative or hospice care facilities or within a home health care agency, must meet all the requirements defined by the Ohio Department of Health for certification.

In Ohio, there are four steps you must complete to maintain your CNA certification.  The steps are as follows:

1. Provide documentation that you completed at least seven and one-half consecutive hours, or eight hours in a 40-hour period, of nursing-related services during the previous 24 months.
2. Provide documentation confirming all necessary in-service or continuing education requirements have been completed in the previous 24 months.
3. Provide documentation of physical exams and tests, including the Mantoux (TB) skin test.
4. Submit a completed renewal application to the Ohio Department of Health, along with all the supporting documentation, as mentioned above, as well as the correct specified payment.

It is very important that you submit your completed application and documentation early enough so that it is received and processed before your CNA certification expiration date.  Always better to be safe, than sorry!

The Ohio Department of Health requires all individuals pursuing CNA certification to providing nursing and nursing related services for monetary compensation within 24 months after he or she last met the requirement for being listed on its eligibility registry.  If the above requirements are not met, the individual must, unfortunately, go through CNA training again, as well as be retested and pass the test, in order to be eligible to work as a CNA.

Maintaining your CNA certification is a wise investment, an investment which opens the door to a long-standing career offering job security, stability, as well as personal satisfaction in providing a needed service to a diverse population within a long term medical setting, assisted living facility, home health care or hospital.  For more information regarding maintaining your CNA certification eligibility, contact Premier Choice Health Services (PCHS) or the Ohio Department of Health, Nurse Aid Program, at NAR@odh.ohio.gov.