• Vermont has several requirements for CNA certification.nurse chris image by John Keith from Fotolia.com
  
  Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA's) help patients to maintain their normal routine by assisting them in dressing, grooming, eating, going to the bathroom and other daily activities. CNA's work under the supervision of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in hospitals, nursing homes and patient residences. In Vermont, CNA's are referred to as Licensed Nurse Assistants (LNA); the state has specific certification requirements.
  
  

High School Diploma or GED Equivalent

• Certified nurse assistants in Vermont are required to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Recommended courses are health, biology, anatomy and English.
  
  

Licensed Nurse Assistant Program

• Federal law mandates that individuals seeking to become licensed nurse assistants successfully complete an LNA course lasting a minimum of 75 hours. The Red Cross, Vermont Chapter offers a 100-hour LNA course that lasts only three weeks. Graduates from this program have been reported success in passing the LNA certification exam and obtaining employment as nurse assistants. The Vermont State Board of Nursing certification application requires verification that an LNA applicant has successfully completed a 3-credit class on nursing fundamentals; the class must include information on basic nursing skills, personal care skills, basic restorative skills, mental health and psychosocial skills, communication skills and nursing team member skills. Students also must complete 30 hours or more of supervised clinical experience in a hospital or long-term health care facility.
  
  

Vermont LNA Certification Exam

• Upon completing a LNA course, applicants must submit a completed application, including education verification, passport sized photo and $20 application fee to the Vermont Board of Nursing. Once the information has been reviewed and processed, applicants will be sent approval to register for the certification exam. The test has a written portion and a skills portion. The written portion asks 72 multiple choice questions on the following subjects: safety, infection control, personal care, mental health, care impaired, resident rights, communication, data collection, basic nursing skills, role and responsibility, disease process and older adult growth and development. The skills portion tests applicants on five skills; two of the five skills are hand washing and fluid intake, and feeding a patient. The other three skills will be chosen at random from the following list: ambulation with gait belt, ambulation with walker, blood pressure, bedpan and output, denture care, dressing a patient with left side weakness, oral care of comatose patient, nail care, partial bed bath, female care, positioning a patient on the left side, range of hip and knee motion, range of one shoulder motion, transferring a patient from bed to wheelchair with a gait belt, transferring a patient from wheelchair to bed using gait belt, taking patient weight and vital signs.
  
  

Examination Day Requirements

• On the day of the certification exam, candidates are required to bring a current, signed, government issued photo I.D. and several sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers. Clinical attire is required.