How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): Requirements, Training and Career Opportunities
Abdullahi Suleiman
September 18, 2026
If you are interested in healthcare but are not ready to pursue a nursing degree, you may have come across the term Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
CNAs provide basic, hands-on care to patients under the direction or supervision of nurses or other licensed healthcare professionals, depending on the setting and local regulations. They may assist with bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, mobility and other activities of daily living.
For Africans considering healthcare careers or opportunities abroad, however, there is an important distinction to understand: CNA is primarily a U.S. occupational title and credential. It is not a qualification that is automatically recognised across African countries or around the world.
Similar roles may exist in African countries under titles such as healthcare assistant, nursing assistant, nursing aide, care assistant or healthcare support worker. The training, scope of practice and regulatory requirements can differ considerably.
So, before paying for a CNA programme, it is important to understand what the qualification actually means, where it is recognized, and whether it supports your career plans. In this article, we explore how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): Requirements, Training and Career Opportunities
Table of Contents
- What Is a Certified Nursing Assistant?
- What Does a Certified Nursing Assistant Do?
- Where Do CNAs Work?
- How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant
- Can You Become a CNA Online?
- What About the American Red Cross CNA Programme?
- What Skills Do You Need to Become a CNA?
- CNA vs RN: What Is the Difference?
- Can a CNA Certificate Help You Become a Nurse?
- Career Opportunities for CNAs
- How Much Do CNAs Earn?
- Is There Demand for CNAs in the United States?
- Can Africans Become CNAs in the United States?
- Is a CNA Certificate Useful Outside the United States?
- Frequently Asked Questions Certified Nursing Assistant
- Conclusion
- References
What Is a Certified Nursing Assistant?
A Certified Nursing Assistant, commonly called a CNA, is a healthcare support worker who assists patients with basic personal and daily care.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nursing assistants may help patients with bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, movement, and transfers. They may also take vital signs and report changes or concerns to nurses.
CNAs are not substitutes for registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs). Their responsibilities depend on their training, employer and the regulations governing their practice.
CNAs commonly work with older adults, people living with disabilities, patients recovering from illness or injury and individuals who need assistance with everyday activities.
What Does a Certified Nursing Assistant Do?
Depending on the country, state and workplace, CNA duties may include:
- Helping patients with bathing, dressing and grooming.
- Assisting with eating, drinking and toileting.
- Taking and recording vital signs.
- Turning, repositioning and transferring patients.
- Supporting mobility and range-of-motion activities.
- Maintaining a clean and safe patient environment.
- Supporting infection-prevention practices.
- Responding to patient calls.
- Observing patients and reporting relevant changes to nurses.
- Providing basic comfort and emotional support.
Because CNAs often spend significant time with patients, observation and communication are important parts of the role.
Where Do CNAs Work?
In the United States, CNAs may work in hospitals, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted-living facilities, hospices, home-care services, long-term care facilities and residential care settings.
The available roles depend on local regulations and employer requirements. In African countries, similar healthcare-support roles may exist, but they may have different titles and qualification requirements.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant
The process depends on where you intend to work.
If your goal is to work as a CNA in the United States, the general pathway involves checking state requirements, completing approved training, gaining practical experience, passing the competency examination and meeting applicable registry requirements before applying for jobs.
Check state requirements → Complete approved training → Gain practical experience → Pass the competency examination → Meet registry requirements → Apply for jobs
1. Check the CNA Requirements in Your Intended Location
Before enrolling in any CNA programme, determine where you intend to use the qualification.
In the United States, CNA requirements are set at the state level and may include minimum age, educational requirements, approved training, practical experience, competency examinations, background checks and registration on a state nurse aide registry.
For Africans planning to migrate to the U.S., this step is particularly important. Do not assume that a course advertised online as a “U.S. CNA certification” will automatically qualify you to work in every state.
Check the requirements of the relevant state regulatory authority before paying for training.
If you intend to work in an African country, check the requirements of that country’s relevant healthcare regulator or employer instead.
2. Complete an Approved CNA Training Programme
CNA programmes generally combine classroom instruction with practical training in basic patient care, safety, communication and infection prevention.
For nurse aide training programmes covered by federal requirements for certain U.S. nursing-home settings, the federal minimum is 75 clock hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training. Individual states may require more.
This means the 75-hour requirement should not be treated as a universal requirement for every CNA position in the United States.
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Training may be offered through community colleges, vocational schools, healthcare facilities, nursing homes and other approved providers.
What Do CNA Students Learn?
Depending on the programme and jurisdiction, CNA students may learn basic patient care, personal hygiene, vital signs, nutrition and hydration, mobility and patient transfers, infection prevention and control, patient safety, communication, patient and resident rights, dementia care, basic anatomy and physiology, emergency procedures, documentation and reporting.
3. Gain Practical Experience
CNA training is not purely theoretical.
Students need opportunities to practise skills such as taking vital signs, positioning and transferring patients, providing personal hygiene and assisting with feeding.
Supervised practical training allows students to develop these skills before working independently within their permitted scope. This is one reason an online course alone may not be enough to qualify you as a CNA.
4. Pass the CNA Competency Examination
Candidates generally need to pass a competency examination where required.
U.S. CNA examinations commonly assess both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, although the exact format varies by state.
Before registering for an examination, confirm the approved examination provider, eligibility requirements, examination fees, testing locations, skills assessed and retake requirements.
5. Meet Nurse Aide Registry Requirements
Passing the examination may not be the final step.
In many U.S. states, qualified nurse aides must be listed on a state nurse aide registry before working in applicable settings.
This is important for international applicants to understand: a certificate of course completion is not automatically the same as professional CNA certification or registry eligibility.
Can You Become a CNA Online?
You can study CNA-related subjects online, but an online certificate does not automatically make you a certified nursing assistant in the United States.
Online courses can be useful for learning basic patient-care concepts, studying medical terminology, exploring healthcare as a career, preparing for further education and reviewing foundational knowledge.
However, if your goal is professional CNA certification, confirm that the programme is approved or recognised by the relevant authority in the location where you intend to work.
For African students and healthcare professionals, this distinction can prevent spending money on a qualification that may not be recognised where you intend to practise.
What About the American Red Cross CNA Programme?
The American Red Cross provides healthcare and safety education and has information about CNA certification.
However, its former Nurse Assistant Training (NAT) programme was discontinued, with no NAT courses scheduled after December 31, 2023.
Therefore, seeing CNA information on the Red Cross website should not be interpreted as confirmation that its former CNA training programme is currently available.
Always verify that a training programme is currently offered and recognised before enrolling.
What Skills Do You Need to Become a CNA?
Technical knowledge is only one part of working effectively as a CNA.
Communication is important because CNAs interact with patients, families and other healthcare professionals and must accurately report relevant observations to nurses.
Compassion and respect are equally important because CNAs may assist patients with intimate aspects of personal care. Respect for privacy, dignity and individual preferences is therefore essential.
The job also requires physical stamina. CNA work can involve prolonged standing, transferring and repositioning patients, and nursing assistants experience relatively high rates of occupational injuries.
Attention to detail is another important skill. A CNA may spend significant time with a patient and can notice changes in behaviour, mobility or general condition that should be reported to the appropriate healthcare professional.
Finally, teamwork and professionalism are essential. CNAs work within a healthcare team and must understand their scope of practice, maintain confidentiality and respect professional boundaries.
CNA vs RN: What Is the Difference?
A Certified Nursing Assistant and a Registered Nurse are different healthcare professions.
A CNA primarily provides basic supportive and personal care within their permitted scope.
A Registered Nurse has substantially more education and a broader scope of practice. Depending on the jurisdiction and role, an RN may assess patients, develop and implement nursing care plans, administer medications, educate patients and coordinate care.
CNA training is generally a short, non-degree pathway, while becoming an RN requires completion of an approved nursing programme and professional registration or licensure.
CNA experience may provide exposure to healthcare and patient care, but there is no single universal CNA-to-RN pathway. Anyone considering nursing should check the admission and licensing requirements of the country or institution where they intend to study and practise.
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Can a CNA Certificate Help You Become a Nurse?
It can provide healthcare experience, but it does not replace nursing education.
Someone who starts as a CNA may later decide to pursue an LPN/LVN or RN qualification, depending on the opportunities available in their jurisdiction.
For Africans considering nursing as a long-term career, it is important to distinguish between using CNA work as healthcare experience and using it as a formal pathway into nursing. The latter depends on the specific education system and institution.
Career Opportunities for CNAs
Depending on local regulations and employer requirements, CNAs may find opportunities in hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, assisted living, hospice, home care, residential care and geriatric care.
The role can also provide experience in direct patient care for people who later pursue further education in nursing or another healthcare profession.
How Much Do CNAs Earn?
CNA salaries vary significantly by location, employer, experience, setting and working conditions.
In the United States, the BLS reported a median annual wage of $42,260 for nursing assistants in May 2025. The lowest 10% earned less than $33,940, while the highest 10% earned more than $51,980.
These figures are U.S.-specific and should not be presented as representative of African countries.
For African readers researching CNA opportunities abroad, remember that salary is only one part of the picture. You should also consider training costs, examination fees, immigration and work-authorisation requirements, taxes, living costs and whether the qualification is recognised in your intended location.
Is There Demand for CNAs in the United States?
The BLS projects 3% employment growth for nursing assistants and orderlies from 2025 to 2035, with approximately 203,300 openings per year for the two occupations combined, on average, over that period.
Demand is influenced by factors including the ageing population and the need for long-term and supportive care.
However, employment demand does not mean that an international applicant automatically qualifies to work in the United States. Professional eligibility and legal work authorisation are separate requirements.
Can Africans Become CNAs in the United States?
Yes, Africans can potentially pursue CNA training and employment in the United States, but there are two separate questions to consider.
First, are you professionally eligible? You must meet the CNA training, examination and registry requirements of the state where you intend to work.
Second, are you legally authorised to work? You must also have the legal immigration or work authorisation required for employment in the United States.
CNA certification does not automatically provide a U.S. visa or work authorisation.
This distinction is particularly important for Africans researching CNA programmes online. A school may accept you into a course, but completing that course does not by itself give you permission to work in the United States.
Similarly, completing a U.S.-based CNA programme does not automatically qualify you to work as a healthcare assistant or nursing aide in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa or another African country.
Local regulations always apply.
Is a CNA Certificate Useful Outside the United States?
It depends on where you intend to work.
The CNA credential is primarily associated with the U.S. healthcare system. Other countries may have comparable roles under different names, including healthcare assistant, healthcare support worker, nursing assistant, nursing aide, care assistant or patient care assistant.
Although these roles may sound similar, their education, scope of practice, regulation and registration requirements can be different.
For this reason, ask yourself one question before enrolling in a CNA programme:
“Will this qualification be recognised for the work I want to do in the country where I intend to practise?”
That question can save you time and money.
Frequently Asked Questions Certified Nursing Assistant
How long does it take to become a CNA?
It depends on the state, programme and training requirements. CNA programmes can take several weeks or longer depending on the curriculum and practical requirements.
Do I need a university degree to become a CNA?
Generally, no. CNA training is typically a postsecondary, non-degree pathway in the United States, although individual states may have different eligibility requirements.
Can I become a CNA without previous healthcare experience?
Yes. Approved CNA programmes are designed to provide the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed for entry-level nursing-assistant work.
Can a CNA become a nurse?
Potentially, but additional nursing education and professional licensure or registration are required. CNA experience does not replace an approved nursing programme.
Is an online CNA course enough to become a certified CNA?
Not necessarily. An online course may provide useful knowledge, but professional CNA certification usually involves requirements such as approved training, practical experience, competency assessment and registry requirements, depending on the jurisdiction.
Does the American Red Cross still offer CNA training?
The Red Cross discontinued its Nurse Assistant Training programme, with no NAT courses scheduled after December 31, 2023. Its CNA information should not be interpreted as evidence that the former training programme is currently available.
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Conclusion
Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant can be a relatively short route into hands-on healthcare work, particularly in the United States.
For African readers, however, understanding where the qualification is recognised is just as important as understanding how to obtain it.
If you want to work as a CNA in the United States, start by checking the requirements of the state where you intend to work. If your goal is to work in an African country, investigate the equivalent healthcare-support roles and qualifications recognised in that country.
And if your ultimate goal is to become a nurse, remember that CNA training and nursing education are different pathways.
A qualification is valuable not simply because it comes with a certificate, but because it is recognised, relevant to your career goals and accepted where you intend to work.
Before enrolling, check the regulator, verify the programme and understand exactly what the qualification allows you to do.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nursing Assistants and Orderlies. Occupational Outlook Handbook.
BLS — Nursing Assistants and Orderlies - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Certified Nursing Assistant information and nurse aide requirements.
CMS — Certified Nursing Assistant information - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. QSO-26-08-NH. Current guidance on nurse aide training requirements.
CMS — QSO-26-08-NH - American Red Cross. Certified Nursing Assistant / Nurse Assistant Training information.
American Red Cross — CNA information - Alison. Certified Nursing Assistant — Career Information.
Alison — Certified Nursing Assistant career information
