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FLORIDA

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CNA Certification in Florida

Florida, known as The Sunshine State, is famous for its balmy weather nearly all year long. It is a hot spot for “snowbirds” who come from the north during the winter to find warm, sunny beaches and swaying palm trees along both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Miami, Florida, is famed for its couture shopping scene and exciting nightlife while Orlando is home to some of the world’s most exciting theme parks. Florida CNAs can enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery along with some great working conditions in the 212 hospitals and 83,178 nursing homes in the state.

More about Florida

– Capital: Tallahassee
– Minimum Wage: $8.22
– Number of Hospitals: 212
– Number of Nursing Homes: 83,178

Population

– Total Population: 19,893,297
– Population (ages 45-64): 5,310,833
– Population (ages 65+): 3,791,544
– Population (ages 85+): 522,291

Top Colleges & Unversities

– University of Florida
– University of Miami
– Florida State University

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in Florida

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CNA Training Requirements

Taking the Test (Procedure)

Out-of-State Applicants

Renewing & Expired Certification

Applications & Forms

Contacts & Additional Resources

CNA training is required in Florida for those who are under the age of 18 or who do not have a high school diploma. However, those who are 18 or older and have a high school diploma can challenge the CNA examination without training. Those who fail the CNA test three times will also need to enroll or reenroll in state-approved training. To start training, individuals must be at least 16 years old and have up-to-date immunizations along with a negative tuberculosis test within the past six months. They will need a physical showing that they can lift up to 40 pounds and will be able to keep up with typical CNA workplace requirements Potential students will also need to be fingerprinted and undergo a state background check to prove that they have a clean record. Those who have no high school diploma or GED may need to take a competency examination at their school of choice to demonstrate basic reading and math skills.

Florida CNA training is held in vocational schools and community colleges as well as at some nursing homes and even high schools around the state. In addition, the America Red Cross offers low-cost training options at some regional sites. Students will need to complete 120 hours of CNA training, of which 80 hours will be in the classroom learning theory and 40 hours will be in a local clinical setting practicing direct care skills. Students will learn medical terminology, communication, CPR, human anatomy and much more.

The Florida Department of Health uses Prometric to administer the CNA examination, which is a two-part test. The knowledge section tests CNA theory and consists of 60 multiple-choice questions that must be answered in 90 minutes or less. This section is usually administered in writing although students can request to take it orally on their applications if they have a documented need. Applicants may also request either an English or a Spanish version of both the written and oral tests.

The second section of the test is the clinical skills section, which tests an individual’s hands-on skills. Individuals will be assigned five tasks to perform on the testing day. One task is always hand washing, and the other is indirect care. The other three tasks will be randomly assigned on test day.

The fee to take both parts of the examination is $140. Those who have failed will only need to retake the section that was failed. Both parts can be taken up to a total of three times before the individual will need to reenroll in a state-approved training program. The fees for retesting are $35 for the written test and $105 for the clinical skills test. There are also additional costs for those who reschedule their tests. Both sections of the examination must be completed within two years; otherwise, individuals will be required to retrain. Individuals will be notified while at the testing facility as to whether or not they have passed the test.

Florida certifies CNAs who are new to the state through reciprocity. To be able to take advantage of this, CNAs must be currently certified in another state, must be an active CNA and must not have been accused of patient abuse, neglect or exploitation. Those who are currently certified will not need to take the CNA examination. However, those who have completed a training course in another state that meets the requirements of Florida’s registry will need to sit for the competency examination. CNAs applying for reciprocity will need to have an FBI background check as well as electronic fingerprinting. Reciprocity is free although applicants will need to pay the fees associated with the Livescan fingerprinting process.

Florida CNA certificates expire every two years. The certificates are placed into one of two groups. The first group expires on May 31 every two years, and the other group ends on December 31 every two years. Therefore, an individual’s first certification may expire before two years have passed completely. To be able to renew, CNAs must have worked for pay performing nursing-related work within the past two years. In addition, CNAs must complete 12 hours of in-service continuing education every year. The cost for renewal is $55. Those who do not renew in time will be charged extra delinquency fees for a total of $105. Those who are more than 120 days delinquent will be charged $170.

Links
Florida Department of Health
Florida Board of Nursing
More information regarding becoming a CNA in Florida
Validate a Nurses License

Contacts

Department of Health
Board of Nursing
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Bin C-02
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3252
Phone: (850) 488-0595

Employment Information for FL

Average Salary for CNAs in FL

Florida CNAs make approximately $2,000 per year less on average than what the average Floridian makes per year. Florida’s income per capita is $26,236 while a CNA’s average salary as of 2014 was $24,110 per year based on an hourly wage of $11.59. Beginning CNAs may make less than this while experienced CNAs can expect to make more than this, particularly in larger metropolitan areas.

Job Outlook in FL

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that there are currently 86,280 job opportunities for CNAs in the state of Florida. This is expected to increase exponentially by 2024 across the United States and in Florida as the baby boomer generation continues to age. In fact, there are currently 3.8 million people over the age of 65 in the state as well as another 5.3 million who are between the ages of 45 and 65.

Employment Opportunities

Top Hospitals in FL
Hospital NameAddressCityStateZipPhoneWebsite
Florida Hospital Orlando601 East Rollins StreetOrlandoFL32803407-303-6611Website
Uf Health Shands Hospital1600 SW Archer RoadGainesvilleFL32610855-483-4325Website
Tampa General Hospital1 Tampa General CircleTampaFL33606813-844-7000Website
Mayo Clinic4500 San Pablo Road SouthJacksonvilleFL32224904-953-2000Website
Orlando Regional Medical Center1414 Kuhl AvenueOrlandoFL32806407-841-5111Website
Baptist Hospital Of Miami8900 North Kendall DriveMiamiFL33176786-596-1960Website
Holy Cross Hospital4725 North Federal HighwayFort LauderdaleFL33308954-771-8000Website
Sarasota Memorial Hospital1700 South Tamiami TrailSarasotaFL34239941-917-9000Website
Cleveland Clinic Florida3100 Weston RoadWestonFL33331954-659-5000Website
Naples Community Hospital350 Seventh Street NorthNaplesFL34102239-436-5000Website
Venice Regional Medical Center540 The RialtoVeniceFL34285941-485-7711Website
Boca Raton Regional Hospital800 Meadows RoadBoca RatonFL33486561-955-7100Website
Indian River Medical Center1000 36th StreetVero BeachFL32960772-567-4311Website
Mount Sinai Medical Center4300 Alton RoadMiami BeachFL33140305-674-2121Website
Uf Health Jacksonville655 West Eighth StreetJacksonvilleFL32209904-244-0411Website
Bay Medical Center615 North Bonita AvenuePanama CityFL32401850-769-1511Website
Broward Health Medical Center1600 South Andrews AvenueFort LauderdaleFL33316954-355-4400Website
Halifax Health303 North Clyde Morris BoulevardDaytona BeachFL32114386-254-4000Website
Holmes Regional Medical Center1350 South Hickory StreetMelbourneFL32901321-434-7000Website
Sacred Heart Hospital Of Pensacola5151 North Ninth AvenuePensacolaFL32504850-416-7000Website

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