Becoming a CNA in Ocala, Florida
If you have already completed a state-approved certified nursing assistant program in the state of Florida, then you have the right to practice and hold a CNA certification in the state. However, if you have not yet completed the training requirements, then your decision to do so is but the first step in becoming a certified nursing assistant in Florida. Nursing assistants must understand that their certification expires every two years and if one wishes to continue working as a certified nursing assistant, certification renewal is a must. Florida legislation has established that all certified nursing assistant certification expires on the last day in the month of December, every odd-numbered year. The reason the state of Florida (as well as other states) require such recertification is quite simple: to ensure that all CNAs remain up to date with respect to the many changes that develop in the world of medicine and caring for patients. Because the field of medicine is so fluid, many careers in the field of medicine are set up in a similar fashion – and that is to ensure that continued education is received by all personnel who practice medicine in one fashion or another.
What should a CNA in Ocala, Florida expect to do?
Similar to a lot of the other states, a certified nursing assistant works directly under registered nurses and other medical staff. There are many community colleges in Florida that offer CNA classes that take as little as eight weeks to complete and prepare the students to take the Florida certified nursing assistant exam. Similar to the job description found in other states in the country, a Certified Nursing Assistant performs such duties as taking care of the immediate needs of the patient, ensuring that the patient receives his or her baths once a day, changing the bed linen on a daily basis, assisting the patients with their activities of daily living (or ADLs), and performing other ancillary duties that fit the general job description as required by the supervising nurses or the hospital administration. Simply put, a CNA assists the registered nurse in preparing the patient(s) to take on the challenges of the day or the immediate future. To accomplish this goal, the CNA helps the registered nurses with the needs of the patients at any given time during the day or night.
How long does it take to complete the CNA courses in the Ocala?
Generally speaking, the standard course, which includes the classroom instruction and the clinical training, usually takes up to eight weeks to complete. According to federal law, all courses must offer at least seventy (70) hours of instruction to each of the students before they can graduate from a state-approved training program. However, in the Ocala area, the courses sometimes take up to eighty (80) hours to complete, depending upon the institution that one attends. All of the courses are designed to accomplish at least two things: prepare the student to perform in the field with competency, and prepare the students to pass the state exams before they are allowed to practice in the state of Florida.
Cost of a CNA training program in Ocala, Florida
Nursing assistant courses in the Ocala area generally cost between $400.00 and $800.00, depending upon where the instruction is held. If one attends the courses found in vocational colleges, the courses are generally more competitive than if one attends one of the private courses. Before choosing a certified nursing assistant program, one should investigate everything about the program as well as the associated costs. While some schools list their program costs and the associated expenses, other programs may require the purchase of additional materials in order to take the courses. The CNA refresher courses held in the Ocala area generally run between $100.00 and $200.00. These are designed for those who wish to take such courses before completing recertification.
How much can a Certified Nursing Assistant earn in the Ocala Area?
The average salary for a Certified Nursing Assistant in Florida as of January, 2011 was about $30,230.00 The middle 50 percent of the earnings scale was a wide range at $24,550.00 to $41,720.00. The average nationwide salary for the CNA was a bit higher, at about $32,510.00; but some of this is due to the differences in the cost of living in the state compared to other areas of the country. It might also behoove the student to realize that the salaries generally vary significantly between cities; because Ocala is not a very large city, one might expect to earn a little less than if he or she practiced in Miami.
