CNA Classes in Pennsylvania

If you are searching for CNA classes in Pennsylvania, you won’t have far to look. There are plenty of great training programs offered at community colleges and vocational schools around the state. There are even some hospitals and nursing homes that provide CNA certification training. For those more tech savvy, you may consider some of the approved online classes that will fit even the busiest of schedules.

CNA classes in Pennsylvania are split up between the classroom and a hands-on clinical environment so you can understand the duties of a certified nursing assistant better. You should expect to spend at least eight weeks in class attaining 75 hours of training. After passing your CNA classes in Pennsylvania, you can then take the next step – certification examination.

Name City Type Graduation Rate
Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center Altoona < 2-year, Public 74%
Great Lakes Institute of Technology Erie 2-year, Private for-profit 76%
Commonwealth Technical Institute Johnstown 2-year, Private not-for-profit 62%
Forbes Road Career and Technology Center Monroeville < 2-year, Public 57%
Pittsburgh Technical Institute Oakdale 2-year, Private for-profit 57%
Everest Institute-Pittsburgh Pittsburgh 2-year, Private for-profit 41%
Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology Pleasant Gap < 2-year, Public 90%
Antonelli Medical and Professional Institute Pottstown < 2-year, Private for-profit 94%

The state of Pennsylvania requires that one must successfully pass the Pennsylvania approved competency test for nursing assistants before they can work in this field. The exam is most multiple choice questions and there will be some hands-on demonstration of learned skills such as taking vitals, helping move a patient, etc. The exam should be fairly simple if you studied and paid attention in your CNA classes in Pennsylvania.

Maintaining Your Certification

Your certification is active for two years (24 months) before it must be renewed. Renewal process is simple as showing that you have worked as a CNA for at least 8 hours for pay in the last 24 months. You will need to perform this type of renewal every 2 years.

The growth of CNA positions is expected to continue over the next decade and potentially more after 2020 as the nation continues to get older. For a look at the percentage growth of CNA positions in Pennsylvania, look at the chart below.

State 2010 2020 Percent Change Projected Job Openings
Pennsylvania 78,080 86,470 1,850 11%

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

It is a little known secret that certified nurse aide positions are fairly well compensated, especially when you consider that a CNA does not need a college degree. For a comparison of the annual and hourly mean wages for a CNA both nationally and in Pennsylvania, please look at the table below.

Type Bottom 10% Bottom 25% Median Top 75% Top 90%
Hourly $10.01 $11.37 $13.14 $14.95 $17.57
Yearly $20,800 $23,600 $27,300 $31,100 $36,500

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Workforce Statistics

Resources: Pennsylvania Department of Health, CareerOnStop, Pearson Vue

Click Here To Start Your CNA Career Today