You can start a rewarding career as a certified nursing assistant in Ohio by enrolling in a state certified nursing assistant training program. These programs are designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to work successfully as a nursing assistant.
Training Hours and Requirements
The state of Ohio requires a minimum of 75 training hours before an individual can sit for the nursing assistant certification exam. You will need to have at least 16 hours of training in the classroom before you can begin working directly with patients. A large portion of your training will be spent in a clinical setting.
If a training program does not have at least 75 hours of instruction, it does not meet state or federal guidelines and therefore will not qualify you to become a certified nursing assistant. Training courses will be taught by professional nurses with two or more years of experience in their field. It is necessary to successfully complete the course before taking the certification test.
CNA Certification by Reciprocity in Ohio
You can apply for CNA certification reciprocity if you are listed as a nursing assistant with an active certification in another state. You will need to be listed in good standing with no crimes or misconduct against patients.
It will be necessary to provide the following information to the Ohio Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry:
- Your full name
- Copy of your driver’s license
- Copy of your social security number
- Date of birth
- Current home address
- Daytime phone number
- Name of state(s) where you are registered
Submit all the requested information above to:
Ohio Nurse Aide Registry- 246 N. High Street-Columbus, OH43215
Or fax to: (614) 564-2461 or (614)466-8692
If you have additional questions you can call the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry at: (614) 752-9500
The Ohio Nurse Aide Registry will verify your certification with your former state. Once the registry has verified that your certification is active and in good standing they will place you on the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry. Once placed on the registry, they will mail a nurse aide card to you.
CNA Certification Renewal in Ohio
It is necessary to renew your certification every 24 months. Your certification materials will reflect the date that your license expires. You should receive paperwork in the mail to renew your license several weeks before it will expire. There will be instructions with the form to help you complete the renewal process.
You must work at least 7 ½ consecutive hours in Ohio over a 24 month stretch or have worked for a minimum of 8 hours within a 24 hour period in order to renew your license. If you have not completed this requirement, your license will lapse. The renewal process will be different if you have been unable to work for the past two years prior to the expiration of your certification.
FAQ’s
Q: I am a certified nursing assistant in New Jersey. However, I recently had a baby and have not worked as a nursing assistant for the past three months. Our family is now moving to Ohio. Would it be possible for me to work as a nursing assistant in Ohio without again taking a CNA training course?
A: You would be able to apply for CNA certification through reciprocity in order to be listed on the nursing aide registry in Ohio. You will be eligible to apply as long as you worked for pay at some time within the past two years. It does not matter that you did not work for three months as a CNA as long as your certification is still active and in good standing on the nursing assistant registry in New Jersey.
Q: How would I go about the process of applying for reciprocity?
A: If you are applying to transfer your nursing assistant certification to Ohio, you can contact the Nursing Aide Registry in Ohio by calling 800-582-5908. You can request an application for reciprocity. The application will require you to answer a variety of questions truthfully and in their entirety. You will need to submit information to the nursing aide registry where you are certified. They will provide verification to the state of Ohio that you have an active CNA certification in good standing. You will need to provide a copy of your social security card and Photo ID to the state of Ohio. It will be necessary to provide documentation verifying that you attending a state approved CNA training course in your former state and that you were employed as a nursing assistant.
Helpful links: Accredited CNA training in Ohio and Free CNA training programs in Ohio
do you still have to have 8hrs in 24months worked in a skilled facility to renew your certification. we work in a acute hospital setting but have a skilled facility attached to us. The aids I work with also state they never seem to get anythig in the mail related to recertification.
I’ll have to check that out for you. I’ll email you when I get some info on it.
Whats the youngest age that you can start CNA training in ohio? i have looked on the internet but they aren’t telling me the answer. can you please help me…
The age of CNAs isn’t regulated by the federal government, some state governments set age limits, typically 18. In every case a person has to be a certain age to enroll in the CNA class. The age for Wisconsin for example is 16 to take the class and begin working as a CNA.
Im a nursing graduate from the philippines and had work in pennsylvania as a nursing assistant for almost 2 years and i moved in ohio. In pennsylvania its not really a big requirement if you are certified nursing aide or not as long as you had the necessary training in the past. I would like to get a job as a CNA in Ohio and would like to get certified because i know the same principle do not apply. how would i be able to get certified and just take the test i needed.
Hi Deserie,
You’ll have to take the training as well as the certification test. Doing the test alone isn’t an option unless you’ve undergone formal training within the last two years.
I was certified in Indiana and moved to Ohio. I transferred my certificate with Ohio so that I could start working as a Home Health Aide. Well there have been a turn of events causing me to lose hours so I am currently looking to find me a new job. A few weeks ago I received a letter from Indiana Department of Health telling me my license was to expire on April 30th of this year. So I renewed them thinking that it just rolls over to Ohio. Well I checked my status on the Nurse Aide Registry and it says my certification expired in 2010 and that my work has not been verified for 24 months. With this said, I have worked as a Home Health Aide since 2008..and NEVER received papers for my Ohio renewal. I did receive papers this year for my Indiana renewal which when I check the status of it, it still says I am active. Do I just need to switch my Indiana certificate back over to Ohio or am I going to have to get re-certified? I am so stressed over this and according to the registry I have worked without my certificate for over a year. Any help or advice is appreciated.
Hi,
You’ll need to have documentation to prove you’ve worked as a CNA in the last two years(in Indiana). That’s part of the process for transferring your license. If you have… then you can simply submit an application to the board in Ohio and they’ll process it for you. I believe there’s a transfer fee as well.
Please not that working as an HHA does not count as viable work experience (for your license) unless you were under the supervision of a registered nurse.
Hi, i live in Ohio and my CNA certification expired August of 2010. Do i still have to retake the class and clinical over? Or can i just retest?
You won’t have to do either. As long as you have your CEU’s done you can simply apply for renewal and pay a late fee if applicable.
hi i took the class and did the clinical time while i lived in nc but am not certified yet. do i need to retake the class when i move to ohio or am i able to just take the certification test?
You will need to check with the Ohio nursing board. Most states have differing requirements with regard to the minimum number of hours for training. You might need to retake the training course again.
I’ve been looking everywhere to find a place where I can get certified as a cna near steubenville ohio and I am stumped. Will I ever find a class? can you please help me?
Hi, I’ve been a CNA since April, 2011. How long do I have until I can’t take my STNA test anymore and I’d have to retake classes?
Have you taken the test before? If not, you have a year from the training to be eligible to take the test. After a year, you have to retake the training.
I am certified in Indiana as a CNA, I am thinking about moving to Ohio. Do I have to retake the whole CNA course in Ohio, or is there a written test I can take?
You don’t need to do either. As long as your certification was up to date in Indiana, you can apply for certification in Ohio via a reciprocity process. Contact the Ohio CNA registry for the relevant forms you will need to fill out.
thank you very much.
I am moving to ohio and i requested the papers as needed for my CNA to transfer.. WHAT IS THE DIFFERANCE IN CNA AND A STNA IF ANY,seems like no one there highers CNA’s
No difference State Tested Nurse Aide(STNA) is the same as certified nurse assistant (CNA)
I am a recent nursing school grad waiting to take my boards in Ohio (roughly 4-5 weeks). I have a job waiting for me as a aide until then, but I never got my stna. I thought being a medical assisant would be just as good. Basically…..I want to know if there is a way to bypass taking a class for stna since I already have training as a nurse. I keep running into information saying i have to be a nursing student currently in school.
Please help… I don’t want to miss out on this job opportunity because I’ll have a place as a nurse when I pass my state boards.
I was wanting to know if I can be certified in Ohio and Kentucky
How long does the process usually take to get reciprocity? I plan to mail it first thing Monday but was wondering how long it would take to get it back. I live in Ky. I just got my letter today saying I passed my state test here.
I work for a home care agency that does all skilled visits in Ohio. Do i still have to do 8 hrs in a nursing care facility to keep my STNA?
I am a 4th year nursing student and CNA in Indiana; however, I have only completed clinicals and not worked as a CNA for employment. Can I still transfer my Indiana CNA to Ohio?
My certification expired in 2011 what do I need to do? Do I have to take the whole class over?
I did not receive paper work to renew my Ohio STNA licenses. Can you please send me a number or web site to renew.
Nancy
I am working at a hospital as a Patient Care Assistant and my STNA license expired in 2012. I am wondering if I have to take the class over again or can I just pay the fee to retake the test and take the test over again? I am doing everything that they test you on in the test.
hi I’m currently living in Illinois and have been working as a cna since I got my certifacation. I’m in the process of moving to ohio and was wondering if I would have to take more classes or clinical hours or if I could just take the test for ohio
I am a stna n ohio. I have been working for the past 2 yrs home health my license will expire the end of feb. Is there any way to keep license active out side of a facility?
I am a NAR in WA state and have my HHA – but NOT my CNA … Am I eligible for reciprocity?
I’ve been working at a nursing home for 5 months. I passed my skills on the state test. But not my written. Do I have to retake classes again?
I have a pa cna license but was thinking of looking for work in Ohio. Do you have to live in Ohio or can I get an Ohio license? Also will the Ohio license cancel out my pa license?