Becoming a CNA in Ohio

With the intent of increasing the standards in long term care facilities, Congress added the Nursing Home Reform Act to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of ‘87 (OBRA ‘87). The law states that there is a certain outline that must be followed for any nurse aide training program so that the nurse aide gets the correct knowledge and skills they need to meet a certain standard of quality. In the state of Ohio, the OBRA regulated nurse aide training program is overseen and approved by the Ohio Department of Health.This approved CNA training in Ohio must be completed before the nurse aide can proceed to the nurse aide certification exam and be placed on the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry.

The Ohio Department of Health governs the area of CNA training in Ohio. This training has to be completed successfully before you can take the required nurse assistant competency examination and be officially state certified.CNAs in Ohio are also known as State Tested Nurse Aides, and you can expect a very exciting career in the field, as it changes from one day to the next bringing you new experiences.

Enrollment and Completion of CNA Classes in Ohio

Step 1:

Find an approved program in your state.  Ohio CNA training programs must have at least 75 hours of training, which will be a mix of classroom learning and hands-on training in a clinical setting.

Nurse aide candidates must also possess a diploma or GED and be at least 18 years of age to enroll in a program for CNA certification in Ohio. You will also need to undergo a complete health screening and pass a criminal background check.

Step 2:

Complete your Ohio CNA training.

Ohio CNA training will  teach you how to help a disabled patient with their daily cleaning and feeding requirements, as well as how to perform tasks like patient monitoring, emergency prep and record keeping as delegated by the supervising nurse within the facility.

Some of the things you will learn during your training may include:

• Understanding patient rights and how to protect them
• Dealing with emergencies
• Communication with patients and supervising nurse
• Spotting neglect or abuse
• Providing comfort to patients
• Overall cleanliness and sanitation

CNA Testing Procedures and Applying for CNA Certification in Ohio

Step 1:

The Ohio State Nurse Competency Test is conducted by D&S Diversified Technologies. You will need to preregister with a signed photo ID to take the test. Once you have registered, you will be given a testing date.

Step 2:

Prepare for your CNA certification exam by reviewing what you learned in your training program and taking practice tests.

Step 3:

Pass the Ohio CNA certification exam.

This exam consists of a written portion and a skills assessment portion. During the written portion of the exam, you must complete roughly 70 multiple-choice questions. The skill assessment portion of the test requires you to successfully complete five randomly chosen nurse aide tasks.

Step 4:

Create your resume and find a CNA job.

CNA job growth in Ohio is expected to be 14%. The median salary for CNAs in Ohio is said to be at $24,274 a year.

For Additional Information regarding CNA certification in Ohio visit:

Ohio Nurse Aide Registry
Ohio Department of Health
246 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215
License Verification: (800) 592-5908 (in-state) or (614) 752-9500 (out-of-state)
Fax: (614) 564-2461
E-mail: