There are ways to get CNA training for free in the United States
. With the recession having an impact on job security it might be time to get ready for another in-demand career. Becoming a Certified nursing Assistant means you will be a part of the health care industry, one that rarely gets affected by unemployment problems.
Nursing assistant training can be completed in less than 100 hours depending on the state you live in. It includes both theoretical and hands on training which helps you get acquainted with the various duties a CNA performs during the course of her daily routine. While the training costs around $600 to $2500 across the United States, there are ways of getting it for free.
The most common method of getting free CNA classes is to approach nursing homes in your area. Most nursing homes are severely understaffed. They will give you the classes for free if you agree to work for them for a further three months after getting certified. You will obviously be paid a smaller than par salary during the duration of your work there, but you won't have to fork out a lump sum for your training.
If you've been recently unemployed your state might offer to pay for your training. This is part of the displaced workers rescue program. It obviously depends on the state you live in. With the current unemployment numbers taking a toll on the economy the government has no choice but to offer free career retraining to qualifying individuals.
Hospitals may offer an in house CNA program. Usually, they would not give it for free but if you agree to work for them after completion of the training, most hospitals will give you extremely low rates for their training packages.
Start working for a nursing home. Even if you're not certified you can work for a nursing home in a nurse aide capacity. You will get a slightly lower salary than certified nursing assistants but you can use the opportunity to get trained for free by the nursing home. The nursing home may even agree to pay for your certification test.
Making the decision to work for a nursing home in return for free CNA classes could be the best decision you make. Not only are you getting permanent employment, you are entering a medical profession without the barrier of an extremely high cost of training.