CNA Certification in South Dakota

You can become a certified nursing assistant in South Dakota in a few ways.  If you have not prior related education or experience, you will need to attend a nursing assistant training course in South Dakota.  You can apply for certification through endorsement if you were a certified nursing assistant in another state.  You can also request to waive training if you have equivalent training.  This typically applies to nursing students or graduates.

Training Requirements

When you are searching for nursing assistant training courses in South Dakota to become a certified nursing assistant, you will need to find one that has been approved by the state.  State approved programs can be found throughout South Dakota.  A training course will need to be at least 75 hours in length which is the same as federal requirements.

A training class for certified nursing assistants will offer classroom and clinical instruction.  You will learn the skills you need to work as a nursing assistant in a variety of healthcare settings.  Training courses will prepare you well to pass your necessary exam for certification.  When you have completed an entire course, you can then sit for the certification exam.

Application for Endorsement

You can apply for endorsement if you hold a nursing assistant certification in another state and wish to transfer it to South Dakota. An application can be obtained from the South Dakota Board of Nursing website at: http://doh.sd.gov/Boards/Nursing/NurseAid.aspx. There are sections of the application that will be completed by you and others by your employer in your former state. The application will verify that you received the proper training in your former state.

In order to apply for reciprocity, you must be listed as active and in good standing from your former state. If you have let your certification lapse, you must first follow the process to renew your certification in your former state before attempting to transfer your certification to South Dakota.

Steps for Transfer:

1. Obtain an application for endorsement at: http://doh.sd.gov/boards/nursing/assets/FormCNAEndorsement.pdf.
2. You will need to complete the applicant section of the Application for Certified Nurse Aide Registry by Interstate Endorsement form.
3. Your former state registry will need to complete the bottom portion of the form.
4. Once your former nurse aide registry has completed their portion, they will mail it directly to the address listed on the form.

For additional questions regarding the reciprocity process you can call the South Dakota Board of Nursing at: 1-800-362-2760.

CNA Certification Renewal

Do not forget that once you become certified in the state of South Dakota, you will need to renew the certification every twenty-four months. During that time, you will need to have maintained a positive record as a nursing assistant. You will have had to work as a nursing assistant or providing nursing related duties for a minimum of 8 hours during the 24 month certification period. Your employer will be required to complete the Employment Verification portion of your renewal form. Once your form is completed in it entirety, you will need to submit it to the address listed on the top of the form.

You have the option of completing the renewal process online at: https://ifmc.sd.gov/. Follow the links provided to set up your registration.

Helpful Resources: Free CNA training programs in South Dakota and Accredited CNA training in South Dakota