CNA Certification in Montana

You can work in the healthcare industry proving basis nursing care (non-medial) to patients in Montana by seeking employment as a certified nursing assistant.  Nursing assistants help patients with activities of daily living, monitor vital signs and help to keep patients comfortable and safe.  You must attend a nursing assistant training course before you can sit for the necessary certification exam.  Certification will be granted when you complete training and pass the test.

Training Hours and Requirements

There are various nursing assistant training programs throughout the state of Montana.  You will need to enroll in and complete a program that has been approved by the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services.  Training course must cover a minimum o0f 75 hours of training.
Both clinical and classroom training must be completed.  Once a course is successfully taken and passed, students can sit for the nursing assistant competency exam.  This exam will have a written and skills portion-both of which you must pass.

Nursing Assistant Renewal in Montana

It will be necessary to renew your license every two years in order to continue working as a certified nursing assistant in the state of Montana. You will receive a renewal form in the mail a few months prior to your certification expiring. The renewal form can also be found at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services website at: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/cna/index.shtml.

The renewal form will be used to verify your employment. All sections of the form must be completed. Any requested documents or fees must be sent back to the appropriate address along with the renewal form. In order to renew your license, you must be in good standing with the registry and cannot have been convicted of a felony or other serious crime. If you have let your license expire, your options are to take a CNA class or challenge the test.

Certification Transfer to Montana via Reciprocity

The state of Montana does offer certification reciprocity with many other states. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services will accept applications for reciprocity if you hold a certification in another state. Your certification cannot be expired. You must have worked at some point during the past two years as a nursing assistant or providing nursing related duties and be in good standing with your former state’s nurse registry.

If for some reason your application for reciprocity is not accepted, you will need to enroll in a training program for nursing assistants through the state of Montana. You will also need to challenge the nursing assistant certification course and to receive a passing score.

The full procedure is as follows:

1. Obtain the Interstate Endorsement Form by visiting: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/cna/index.shtml.
2. Verify with the state where you hold certification that your certification is still active and in good standing.
3. Provide all information requested on the form including your name, social security number and states where you hold a nursing assistant certification.
4. List your previous employers for which you have worked as a CNA for the past 24 months.
5. Copy your nursing assistant certification card from the state where you are currently certified and submit a copy with your application. You can also request a letter verifying your active certification to send if you do not have a certification card. The letter must verify your license number and that you are currently certified.
6. Submit the application and proof of your certification to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services- Quality Assurance Division- Nurse Aide Registry- P.O. Box 202953- Helena, Montana 59620.