The state of California is rapidly ageing and this means that the demand for Certified Nursing Aides will only continue to rise. So, if you are interested in starting a career of your own in the rapidly booming healthcare sector, becoming a CNA is a great places to start! In order to stay competitive in today’s job market, students should turn to these affordable programs to gain bit of an edge.
But what exactly are CNAs and what do they do? CNAs or nursing assistants are primary caregivers that take care of patients by performing tasks such as bathing, changing bed linen, administering medication, and providing basic care. While these positions don’t require a lot of skill or knowledge, they do require a keen understanding of medical terminology and a great deal of patience.
In order to become a CNA in Los Angeles, you must enrol in an accredited CNA training program, complete both classroom and clinical training, and the pass the written and skillset sections of the state competency exam in order to get your license.
Below is the list of some of the best CNA training programs in Los Angeles which will help you learn about the different types of programs offered in Los Angeles and their pros and cons.
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How Long Does it Take to Become a CNA in Los Angeles?
You must complete at least 150 clock hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical training sessions at a state approved CNA training facility in order to get your license. This can be done in four to twelve weeks depending on the nature of your classes and training institute.
How Much Do CNA Classes Cost in LA?
Although the training fee will vary from institute to institute, you can expect to spend approximately $1600 on average to complete your training. This cost may or may not include the state competency exam fee or other course related costs
What is the Average Salary for CNAs in Los Angeles, CA?
In Los Angeles, CNAs can make almost $18.28 per hour on average. While, the salaries can range from $19,000 to $37,000 on an average. The salary can also vary from place to place and is affected by experience and the workplace.
CNA Classes in Los Angeles, California:
Los Angeles Career College
Many short courses, online lessons and onsite campus training programs are available at Los Angeles Career College in California. Among these programs is the Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training course with a whopping success score of 98%. Other than regular weekday classes, the training program is offered on weekends as well to facilitate people with weekday jobs or any other responsibilities. Course fee is around $1600 that includes uniform costs, textbook costs and state testing fee as well.
Upon successful completion of the training, students are also given a CPR certification. If you can’t afford paying for the training, financial aid is available as well Also, you do not need a high school diploma or GED certification to get admission into the program unlike other states such as New York where a high school diploma or equivalent is must for an admission into the CNA training program. Course spans over a period of 3 weeks and students can opt out for the online classes too, but they still might be required to attend the classes physically if it involves something practical.
The CNA course is also approved by the California department of public health.
Los Angeles Red Cross
The American Red Cross offers various nurse assistant training programs throughout the United States in multiple places. These courses are often free and if you are looking to enter into the healthcare sector at an entry level position, you can join these programs for free and prepare for a career as a licensed or certified nursing assistant (LNA or CNA). Every year more than 5000 people apply for this course, with almost 90% completing the training and 80% successfully passing the state exam to become a certified nursing assistant.
These hands-on comprehensive classes last from four to eight weeks and contain three modules that must be positively completed in order to graduate. The first part of the course is theoretical where a student learns about various ethical and legal issues of dealing with people in need as well as they are given instructions on safety training, recording vital signs and human anatomy and physiology.
The second part is lab training where students are trained to carry out practical activities such as bathing, feeding and grooming a patient. Last part of the training is a clinical trial, where students work directly at an elderly home, care home or at a hospital under supervised guidance in order to complete their training.
Westchester College of Nursing and Allied Health
With a dedicated team of leading industry experts that are committed to utilizing innovative techniques to prepare the students in the best way possible for their lives ahead, Westchester College of Nursing and Allied Health offers many quality programs and training courses that prepare the seeking individuals with adequate skills to enter into an array of professions in the healthcare sector. Among these programs is the six-week long CNA training program that consists of 159 clock hours of classroom activity, lab training and clinical rotations.
Financial aid is also available to those who cannot meet their educational costs on their own. There’s a range of loan, federal grants and tuition financing options that students can choose from in order to complete their training. The course training involves the students to learn about patient rights, body mechanics, patient care skills & procedures, vital signs, nutrition, emergency procedures, rehabilitation in a diverse array of classroom and clinical settings. After completing the training, students are well prepared to enter and pass the state certification exam for becoming a CNA.
The CNA Resource Center
The CNA resource center, Los Angeles CA offers a completely online CNA training course. The course is not also completely online but you can register for it online as well for as low as $50. The total cost of the complete training is $699 and there is an optional pharmacology training with it as well which costs around $499. If you are interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare field, you should definitely check them out and do it as soon as possible because only a handful of students are accepted into the program for each session.
Not only they offer the CNA training but recently they have also started a LVN/LPN equivalency program as well, which helps experienced CNAs (with more than 5 years of experience) to obtain a vocational nurse license in California. You need to have a high school diploma, GED certificate or equivalent, a clear criminal background check and also provide a complete health/physical exam test certificate in order to qualify for the program.
American Medical Careers
At the American medical careers, anyone who is interested and dedicated enough can earn the critical skills to start at an entry level job in the healthcare industry as a licensed or certified nursing assistant (LNA or CNA). Not only they offer CNA training to the seeking individuals but promising candidates are also offered job opportunities to start their new career.
The training costs around $2200 but if you cannot afford to pay for your classes, there are many financial aid options available as well as many in-house payment plans that start for as low as $199. The training takes only five weeks to complete and it includes 100+ hours of classroom instructions, hands-on patient care as well as an actual hands-on experience at a local healthcare facility.
The program is completely in line with the state of California CNA training guidelines and ensures success in the certification exam, once students successfully complete their training. You need to complete a background check, pass a physical/health test in order to qualify for the program. A high school diploma is not necessary but if you have one, you can receive a 25% discount on the course fee.
St. Jude Nursing School
St. Jude Nursing School is an approved provider of CNA training by the State of California. So, if you are interested and think you have what it takes, you should register yourself today. There’s no requirement of a high school diploma, many payment plans are available as well, if you cannot afford to pay the $1700 course fee, and there’s never a waiting list.
That’s not all, they have a success score of well over 98% in state certification. The program contains 160 hours of instructions in a variety of classroom, lab and clinical settings. The CNA training curriculum covers both theoretical and practical aspects of the job and skills needed to function as a nursing aide. Upon successfully completing the training, graduates are able to perform many activities including but not limited to, noting the vital signs, performing CPR-first aid, collecting vital patient data, preparing the patients for routine checkups as well as help the nurses and other medical staff with any array of tasks related to patient care.
So, if you want to be a part of the rapidly growing healthcare industry and make a living, you just need to be 16 years of age, pass a physical exam, clear a criminal background check and enroll in the program to start your training.
West Los Angeles College
With a campus that spreads over 70 park-like acres, West Los Angeles College serves well over 15000 students and offers many health and nursing related programs. With a surge of demand for healthcare workers, this is the best time to start a career in the medical and healthcare industry and West Los Angeles College offers a CNA training that could land you an entry level job in a growing field of healthcare industry.
Admission in the program is granted on a first come, first serve basis and you need to complete a full physical test, provide a negative drug test, clear a criminal background check in order to get an admission. Moreover, you are also required to provide an American heart association CPR card for the healthcare providers as well. The training lasts almost 12 weeks and contains 72 hours of classroom instructions and 128 hours of clinical work under professional supervision. Classes take place only on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and students must complete all the required training hours in order to sit in the state certification exam.
The training costs around $1000 and it does not include the state testing fee and other course-related material costs.
Los Angeles Southwest College
Nurses and aides are vital to a healthcare system. Being a nursing assistant requires a lot of attention, compassion, and patience. You constantly meet people that are at a vulnerable moment in their life and need someone attending to their needs. So, if you are someone who wants to help these people and also wants to start a career in the rapidly growing healthcare industry, Los Angeles Southwest College is offering you a 10-week training program for $1200 that will prepare you to pass the state exam for becoming a certified nursing aid and start your career.
On completing the training, you are awarded a certificate of achievement as a nursing aide that shows your academic knowledge and clinical experience for carrying out your duties. The program is approved by the California Department of Public Health and involves learning about interpersonal skills, healthcare emergencies, patient care skills and procedures, patient rights, infection control, body mechanics, nutrition, long-term and elderly care, observation and charting of the vital signs and patient rehabilitation.
Los Angeles Mission College
To become a CNA (certified nurse aide) in California, you have to pass an accredited training program and pass the state certification exam. Amid this recent growth boom of the healthcare industry, Los Angeles Mission College is offering you a chance to become a CNA and be a part of this rapidly growing healthcare community. The program costs almost $2700 including the state certification testing fee and other material costs of the training but financial aid and various payment plans are also available for those who cannot afford to pay for their education.
Students are required to complete 50 hours of classroom instructions as well as 100 hours of supervised clinical visits in order to complete their training and be eligible for the state certification test. Moreover, they must be of 18 years age, pass a complete physical/health test, have an up to date vaccination or immunization record and clear a criminal background check in order to sit in the state exam.
Once they pass the state test, they are listed in the state CNA registry and are ready to join the forces with the nurses and other medical staff to help the people in need and start a career of their own.
Critical Care Training Center
For less than $99 a week, you can also become a certified nursing assistant at Critical Care Training Center, Los Angeles CA. But before you start, you should know that the $99/week cost does not include the state testing fee and other material costs of the training but on the plus side, training only takes five weeks to complete and is approved by the California department of Public Health.
But if you do not want to go through the headache of getting everything on your own, you can pay a full fee of $1500 that includes all the costs of the course and free you from all the hustle of running behind the different things. During the training, students spend a total of 160 hours learning about the responsibilities, duties and skills of a CNA in 60 classroom hours and more than 100 hours of internship in clinical settings under supervised guidance.
Selected candidates for the training program are required to complete a criminal background check, a physical/health test, provide a healthcare provider CPR certificate as well as provide a complete immunization record. Classes are offered in morning, evening and weekend sessions to facilitates the students according to their own needs.
NIU College, Los Angeles
A truly no-cost chance of starting your career as a certified nursing assistant. The course is sponsored by businesses who are looking to hire diligent CNAs and has no out-of-pocket cost to you, if you qualify for the program. No high school diploma is needed, you just need to be 18-24 years old, pass a health test, provide a complete immunization record and pass a criminal background check in order to enter the program. During the 4-week training program, you are trained on a number of topics and skills including patient rights, patient care, interpersonal skills, nutrition, elderly care among many other things.
Both weekdays and weekend classes are offered and students are also provided with relevant course materials such as books, scrubs, stethoscopes and other lab material as well. Students only have to pay the state certification exam on their own, once they complete the training successfully. After completing the training and passing the state certification exam, promising candidates are offered jobs as well, while the rest are also guided through the job seeking process. So, if you’re interested, you’d hurry up as only limited seats are available for each session.
Angeles College
At the city of industry campus of the Angeles college, seeking individuals have an excellent opportunity to enter into the rapidly booming healthcare sector by training to become a CNA and start at an entry level position at a healthcare facility. The course is only 8 weeks long, costs around $1900 including all the material costs and in 2 months you will be ready to sit in and pass the state certification exam. Unlike most of the CNA training programs in Los Angeles, this one requires the candidates to have a high school diploma or equivalent in addition to completing the other requirements i.e., pass a physical/medical test, provide a complete immunization record and have no criminal background whatsoever.
The training consists of 164 clock hours of classroom and clinical training during which students are given instructions on a variety of topics such as patient rights, patient health, elderly care, body mechanics, CPR, vital signs, nutrition, rehabilitative nursing along with a sharp focus on grooming their interpersonal skills that are more than vital for such a demanding job. You can check their website to find out the exact dates of the program in session as well as the timings and days at which the classes take place.
Zero-Max Career Institute
At Zero-Max Career Institute of Los Angeles, there’s an excellent opportunity awaiting to be availed to complete your training of becoming a certified nursing aide in less than two months. The training fee is $1750 that includes the costs of Clinical externship, uniform, tuition, books and relevant equipment. State certification testing fee is not included in the package and students have to pay it by themselves when they want to sit in the exam. Moreover, students are required to complete a background check, provide immunization records, pass a physical examination and have an age of 16 years or more in order to sit the test.
During the five-week training program, students spend a total of 160 hours in classroom and clinical rotations to learn about various theoretical and practical skill sets that are needed to carry out their duties and fulfill their responsibilities in such a demanding job. The program is approved by the California department of public health and not only trains the students well but also offers them assistance with resume building, job interviews and job placement opportunities as well.
Hellen School for CAN
Are you looking to start a career by working at a good-paying entry level position in the healthcare sector and help the people in need? You can start your journey by enrolling in the 4-week CNA training program at Hellen School for CNA. The program’s cost is around $2000 that covers the $100 state exam fee, a set of uniforms, books, relevant study materials and a healthcare provider CPR card as well. There’s no financial aid options and a one time $250 registration fee is non-refundable. Moreover, students are asked to pay $1750 on the first day of school.
You need to be only 16 years old in order to enter the program but a high school diploma or GED certification is not needed. Classes take place 7 day a week and are offered in both morning and evening sessions to facilitate the students according to their schedule. In addition to the CNA training, an option HHA training is offered as well. Once you complete your training, you need to sit in the state certification exam in order to get into the state registry of certified nursing assistants.
East Los Angeles Skills Center
If you are someone who is interested in starting a career in the rapidly growing healthcare sector, you should definitely check out the CNA training program at East Los Angeles Occupational Center, which has been providing high-quality, low-cost education as well as many training programs to upgrade the skills for an existing job since 1969. The program cost is around $1100 and it includes all the material costs and state testing fee as well. Classes are offered both on weekdays and weekends to facilitate the students, students are offered career counseling as well.
During the 14-week training period, students are taught about medical instructions, setting up testing or treating equipment, transporting the specimens, taught about pharmacy and laboratory items, safety principles, ensuring a safe and sanitary working environment and infection control among many other things. In addition to secure an admission into the program and sit in the state exam, candidates must be 18 years old, pass an assessment test, provide a CPR certification, have a GED certification, complete a medical terminology class and have no criminal background whatsoever.
The Academy by Educate Simplify
Do you want to help people? Are you looking to start a career in the healthcare sector? If you are one of those, you should definitely take a look at the CNA training program at The Academy by Educate Simplify in Los Angeles. Program in offered on both weekday and weekend shifts, so you will never have to worry about keeping up with your classes and a busy routine. The whole training cost is nearly $1300 which does not include the separately payable $30 book costs, $20 uniform fee, $55 background check fee and a $100 fee for state exam.
During the five-week training and 16-module long course, students are taught about the theory and principles of nursing supplemented with clinical instructions under the guidelines and requirements of the state. Students learn to perform nursing responsibilities as well as handle ethical nursing issues, communicate effectively and be prepared for emergency situations among many other things. This training ensures that students are well prepared to begin working as a health care worker in a care setting, long term healthcare facility and in home care settings. Upon successfully completing the training, students are ready and eligible to sit in the state certification exam.
Allied Medical & Health Services
At Allied Medical & Health Services, Los Angeles CA, seeking individuals are offered an opportunity to train as a nursing assistant and start a career in the healthcare sector. The course is almost 3 months long in duration and contains 152 clock hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical training. Classes are offered only on weekends and are specially designed for the people with existing jobs and a busy schedule. The course is designed to teach the students the fundamental knowledge and basic skills that are necessary to perform various assisting duties for patient or elderly care at a long-term care facility or at a hospital. Successfully completing the training is often an initial step towards a long-term nursing career for many.
A lot of people go on to study more in related fields such as Allied Health Technological, Radiology and Physiotherapy. Upon successful completion of the 152-hour training program, students are evaluated on their competency by the school and eligible candidates are allowed to sit in the state certification exam. In order to sit in the state certification exam, candidates must have a high school diploma or a GED certification and have no criminal background whatsoever.
Trident School of Nursing
Are you looking to become a CNA? Then, you must check out the 5-week training program offered by the Trident School of Nursing in Los Angeles. No high school diploma or GED certification is required, you just need to be 16 years old, have no criminal background, be physically fit, and have a complete immunization record to enter the program. Classes are offered in only evening sessions to facilitate the people with regular daytime jobs or school.
The course fee is $2000 that must be paid on the first day of the school and it includes a $250 registration fee that is non-refundable. All material costs other than that state exam fee is included in $2000. The state exam fee has to be paid separately. In addition to the classroom activity and clinical visits, students are also required to complete a CPR training without which they cannot be certified for having completed the clinical training hours. For the next available class and dates, you can call them or visit their website.