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Louisiana

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CNA Schools in Louisiana

Known for bayous, Cajun food and jazz music, Louisiana is one of the most fun Southeastern states to visit. However, it is even more exciting for the 4.6 million residents who get to enjoy the warm climate, the coastal geography, and the amazing entertainment scene. While Baton Rouge is the capital, the best-known city is New Orleans, located by the Mississippi River delta and the Gulf of Mexico. While the city has been devastated by natural disasters in the past, it always rebounds with vitality. Many of the state’s 122 hospitals and 35,000 nursing homes are located here, and CNAs can find numerous job openings throughout the state.

Louisiana Stats

– Capital: Baton Rouge
– Minimum Wage: $7.25
– Number of Hospitals: 122
– Number of Nursing Homes: 35,189

Population

– Total Population: 4,649,676
– Population (ages 45-64): 1,201,120
– Population (ages 65+): 632,894
– Population (ages 85+): 74,426

Top Colleges & Unversities

– Tulane University
– Louisiana State University
– Louisiana Tech University

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in LA

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CNA Training Requirements

Taking the Test (Procedure)

Out-of-State Applicants

Renewing & Expired Certification

Applications & Forms

Contacts & Additional Resources

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals regulates the state’s CNA training programs and competency evaluations. Many training programs are held at state vocational schools and often offer the competency evaluation on site immediately after training. However, other students may be required to go to a different facility for testing following training.

The most direct path to becoming a CNA in Louisiana is to enroll in a training program. The state’s training programs must have at least 80 hours, of which 40 hours must be spent providing hands-on care in local nursing facilities. However, some individuals may waive training if they have completed similar health care training via a different route. For example, nursing students who have completed a basic nursing class and a certain number of clinical hours may waive training. This is also true for foreign nurses and graduate nurses who are waiting to take boards and for military personnel with health care training.

Students must meet several qualifications before enrolling in CNA training and particularly before applying to take the competency evaluation. Students will need to be at least 18 years old but do not have to have completed high school. However, some schools will administer pre-enrollment reading assessments to those who do not have a diploma. In addition, students must have a clean background check, two forms of state identification, two fingerprint cards on file, up-to-date immunizations and negative tuberculosis tests. They will also need to have a doctor’s physical completed.

Louisiana CNA students will be required to take the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program through Pearson VUE to receive their certifications. The test is taken in two parts, which must both be performed on the same day initially. Testing fees vary based on location.

The first part of the examination is the written knowledge test, which may also be taken orally by those who speak English as a second language or who have difficulty reading English. Those who want to take the oral version will need to indicate this on their applications. This section is completed with pencil and paper or with an MP3 player in the case of the oral version. Students will have two hours to complete 70 multiple-choice questions or 60 multiple-choice questions plus ten reading comprehension questions in the case of the oral examination.

During the skills examination, students will be assigned four random CNA skills to perform in front of a Nurse Aide Evaluator in addition to hand washing. They will have 25 minutes to complete all of the skills and must complete all critical steps perfectly.

Most students will learn whether they have passed or failed on test day. Those who fail will need to retake only the section that they failed. Students have up to three test times or 24 months to complete the test successfully. Those who do not pass in this time will need to retrain. Those who do pass will have their names submitted to the Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry.

Louisiana has a very simple process for reciprocity for CNAs from other states who are moving to Louisiana. CNAs will need to fill out the reciprocity form and include their social security numbers, prior certification numbers, former places of employment and the address of the previous state’s registry. Louisiana will verify the CNA’s certification with the prior state before adding the CNA to the Louisiana registry. Louisiana does not require a fee for this process, but other states may charge a verification fee. CNAs must have active and valid licenses with their former states and must be in good standing with their registries with no accusations of patient abuse, neglect or maltreatment.

Louisiana CNAs must renew their certifications every 24 months. The state sends out renewal notices approximately three months prior to expiration. In order to renew, CNAs need be in excellent standing with the state with no charges of patient abuse, maltreatment or neglect. In addition, they must work at least eight hours for pay every two years performing nursing-related duties. Hours worked in adult day cares and intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled may not count toward these eight hours. CNAs who do not work the required hours must retrain and retest for recertification. Those who have the work hours but have not reported the work hours in time must submit a Verification of Work History for Nurse Aides form. Renewal is free.

Links
Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals
Louisiana State Board of Nursing
Search for CNA License

Contacts
State of Louisiana
CNA – DSW Registry
P.O. Box 3767
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3767
Phone: 225-342-0138
Fax: 225-342-5073

Employment Information for LA

Average Salary for CNAs in LA

The average salary for CNAs in Louisiana is among the lowest in the nation at an average of $20,600 per year or $9.90 per hour. This is about $4,000 less than the income per capita in the state. However, CNAs have excellent opportunities to move into higher health care education and jobs in this state, and approximately 30 percent of CNAs continue their education.

Job Outlook in LA

Louisiana currently reports nearly 23,000 CNA jobs. However, in the next decade, this number is expected to increase by nearly 20 percent as the 633,000 residents over the age of 65 and the 1.2 million residents between 45 and 65 need increased health care in the hospitals and long-term health care facilities across the state. This is especially so in the larger cities, such as Shreveport and Baton Rouge.

Employment Opportunities

Top Hospitals in LA
Hospital NameAddressCityStateZipPhoneWebsite
Ochsner Medical Center1514 Jefferson HighwayNew OrleansLA70121504-842-3000Website
Our Lady Of Lake Regional Medical Center5000 Hennessy BoulevardBaton RougeLA70808225-765-6565Website
East Jefferson General Hospital4200 Houma BoulevardMetairieLA70006504-454-4000Website
Christus Health Shreveport-BossierOne St Mary PlaceShreveportLA71101318-681-4500Website
St. Francis Medical Center309 Jackson StreetMonroeLA71201318-966-4000Website
Willis-Knighton Medical Center2600 Greenwood RoadShreveportLA71103318-212-4600Website
Abbeville General Hospital118 North Hospital DriveAbbevilleLA70510337-893-5466Website
Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital1310 West Seventh StreetKaplanLA70548337-643-8300Website
Acadia Optima Hospital1131 Rue De BelierLafayetteLA70506337-991-0571Website
Acadia-St. Landry Hospital810 South Broadway StreetChurch PointLA70525337-684-5435Website
Acadia Vermilion Hospital2520 North University AvenueLafayetteLA70507337-234-5614Website
Alexandria Veterans Affairs Health Care System2495 Shreveport Highway, 71 NPinevilleLA71360318-473-0010Website
Allegiance Health Center Of Ruston1401 Ezelle StreetRustonLA71270318-255-8085Website
Allen Parish Hospital108 Sixth AvenueKinderLA70648337-738-2527Website
American Legion Hospital1305 Crowley Rayne HighwayCrowleyLA70526337-783-3222Website
Amg Specialty Hospital-Denham Springs8375 Florida BoulevardDenham SpringsLA70726225-665-2664Website
Amg Specialty Hospital-Feliciana9725 Grace LaneClintonLA70722225-683-1600Website
Amg Specialty Hospital-Houma629 Dunn StreetHoumaLA70360985-274-0001Not Available
Amg Specialty Hospital-Lafayette310 Youngsville HighwayLafayetteLA70508337-839-9880Website
Amg Specialty Hospital-Slidell1400 Lindberg DriveSlidellLA70458985-326-0440Website

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