CNA Classes in Kentucky (Top Schools)

The Board of Nursing, together with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Department of Medicaid Services), maintains the Nurse Aide Registry in the state of Kentucky.

Qualifying individuals become part of the Registry, as “State Registered Nurse Aides” (SRNAs), but they also go by another, more common name CNAs (Certified Nurse Aides).

CNAs can only become part of the Registry by going through the training process, and successfully passing required exams.

Educating a CNA in Kentucky

There are strict training requirements, made both on state and federal levels.

This training is mandatory, unless an equivalent education has been obtained from some other institution (for example, nursing school).

Already during training, various background checks (most importantly, abuse and criminal history) are made to ensure the suitability of the candidates.

Also, a note of caution: home schooling is strongly discouraged by The Department of Medicaid Services.

Candidates who finish nurse aide courses in other states are not automatically eligible for exams in Kentucky, but the option of certification is there for CNAs from other states.

As required by federal jurisdiction, Kentucky CNA programs must take at least 75 hours to complete, with minimally 16 hours of executing practical nurse aide tasks while under supervision by a nurse

In the listing below, you can get a quick overview of the available schools to help you make an informed decision.

CNAs Examined

In Kentucky, there is only one approved vendor of the testing materials: the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

Even if training is done outside of the regular channels, all aspiring CNAs must go through the same testing process.

The knowledge part of the test is taken in a written form (with the option of taking the test orally in special circumstances); 70% is the minimum score required to pass.

The other component, practical test, examines the performance of a candidate in five randomly picked nurse aide tasks (such as monitoring vital signs, nail care, bedwork, etc.).

Each of these skills is tested in several steps; all steps marked “critical” must be passed satisfactorily; on non-critical tasks, 70% is enough.

Study guide may help future candidates to learn more about possible tasks and their steps, as well as provide contact information for testing coordinators.

Candidates can pick their preferred location to take a test, the training location doesn’t determine this.

A test can be failed 3 times, after which retraining is required.

The time limit varies depending on circumstances: while nursing students and those who complete the training have one year to complete the tests, an employed nurse aide has only 4 months.

A training guide is a helpful book that student can get from their instructors; just make sure you get the current, most recent version (it can also be obtained online).

Be careful: to be successfully tested, you have to provide the necessary personal identification; also, you must not be late to the testing site.

In Kentucky, there is no licensing of CNAs; once the tests are successfully passed, the new CNA is added to the registry (within 30 days); this status can be confirmed online.

Generally, reciprocity is the rule regarding out-of-state CNAs, but additional checks (for recent work experience and good standing) will be performed before approval.

CNAs who apply for Kentucky registry will have to provide additional documents and data, such as state name, registration or certification number, driver’s license, social security card and certification.

How about My Salary?

Salaries differ from case to case, but in general, with an average wage of $29,763, Kentucky CNAs can expect a secure job with lots of opportunities to help people in need.

A table of salary levels in various Kentucky cities follows, to help aspiring CNAs make informed decisions.

Annual Salary Range:* Salary information last updated 2021

CNA Schools by City

• Lexington
• Louisville