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Nebraska

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CNA Programs in Nebraska

Nebraska, a state of 1.9 million, is solidly located in the Midwest and has many of the various geographical features of this region, such as rolling plains, sandhills and rocky hills and mountains in the west. The capital is Lincoln, known for it a large university and inspiring capitol building. However, Omaha, located farther east, is the largest city in the state and is known for its meatpacking centers and pioneering heritage, which is celebrated at the Durham Museum. CNAs have a major presence in Nebraska, working at the 87 hospitals and 15,855 nursing homes here. The need for CNAs is only expected to increase over the next decade as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age.

About Nebraska

– Capital: Lincoln
– Minimum Wage: $9.00
– Number of Hospitals: 87
– Number of Nursing Homes: 15,855

Population

– Total Population: 1,881,503
– Population (ages 45-64): 473,888
– Population (ages 65+): 270,989
– Population (ages 85+): 41,852

Top Colleges & Unversities

– Creighton University
– University of Nebraska, Lincoln
– Nebraska Wesleyan University

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in Nebraska

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CNA Training Requirements

Taking the Test (Procedure)

Out-of-State Applicants

Renewing & Expired Certification

Applications & Forms

Contacts & Additional Resources

Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services oversees CNA training in the state and mandates that CNA students take a course with at least 75 hours of training. These hours will be split between classroom training and 21 hours of clinical training in a local health care setting. This is the minimum federal requirement, and CNAs who may move to a different state are encouraged to find a program that offers more hours than this.

Some individuals are allowed to waive training and move directly to the competency evaluation. Nursing students who have completed a basic nursing course and some clinical hours can waive training as can military-trained health care personnel, foreign nurses and nurses with lapsed licenses. However, all people must take a one-hour course in reporting abuse and neglect before applying to test.

Nebraska does not set any minimum age or educational level requirements for students applying for CNA training. However, certain programs may require individuals to have high school diplomas or GEDs or may require them to take a reading and math competency evaluation first. Students must undergo state and federal background checks using fingerprinting. The background checks must come back clean. They will also need to have physicals showing a clean bill of health as well as full MMR, varicella, hepatitis B and meningitis immunizations and negative tuberculosis screenings.

The Nebraska competency evaluation is taken either at community colleges that provide CNA training or at regional sites provided by the Nebraska Health Care Learning Center or Providence Health Care Institute. The test is composed of two sections that are designed to test CNA theory and CNA clinical skills. Students will take both parts of the test on the same day initially. The cost to take the knowledge test is $20, and the cost to take the skills tests is $32. Students can take each section a total of three times before being required to retrain.

The knowledge test has 70 multiple-choice questions that are answered with pencil and paper. This test is timed, and students must answer at least 70 percent correctly to pass. The clinical skills test has five randomly chosen skills that students must demonstrate in front of an Evaluator in a timed setting. Students will find out if they have passed the skills test the same day, but they may not find out if they have passed the written test for a few days while the test is graded. Both sections must be passed before a student’s name will be sent to the Nurse Aide Registry for inclusion.

Students are allowed to work as non-certified nursing assistants for up to 120 days as they train and take the test. This grace period cannot be extended for any reason. Once students pass the competency evaluation, their names should be added to the Registry within 30 days.

Nebraska has a simple process for CNAs who want to transfer their certifications in from another state. CNAs will need to fill out the application for endorsement and attach a copy of their prior certifications. CNAs transferring to Nebraska from Iowa will also need to attach a copy of their training completion certificate proving that they took a course providing at least 75 hours of training. All out-of-state transfers must complete the required one hour of reporting neglect and abuse in-service before being certified in Nebraska. CNAs must be active and in good standing with their prior registries. Those who have not worked as CNAs in the past 24 months must take the competency evaluation with the required fees. Otherwise, the endorsement is free.

Nebraska CNAs must keep their certifications active by working for pay performing nursing-related duties every 24 months. CNAs can fill out the Employment Verification Form with the help of an employer. If 24 months pass without the CNA working, the license will be considered lapsed. Those who allow their certifications to lapse must retest. There are no additional requirements for in-service or continuing education hours. Those who completed CNA training before 1989 must retrain and retest. CNAs with lapsed certifications cannot work until their names are back on the Registry; this may take up to three weeks. Renewal is free except for those who have to retest. Renewal is only necessary for CNAs who work in Medicare/Medicaid-licensed facilities.

Links
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Nebraska Board Of Nursing
Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry
CNA License Verification

Contacts
Nebraska State Office Building
301 Centennial Mall South
14th and M Streets
1st Floor
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

Employment Information for Nebraska

Average Salary for CNAs in NE

The average CNA in Nebraska makes approximately $24,750 per year or $11.90 per hour. This compares favorably to the state’s income per capita of $26,899. However, beginning CNAs or CNAs working in private duty may make several thousand dollars less than this per year while CNAs working in hospitals in larger cities, such as Omaha or Lincoln, can expect to make more than this along with benefits.

Job Outlook in NE

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 12,890 job opportunities in Nebraska as of 2014. They project that the number of CNAs throughout the United States will skyrocket within the next decade based on the number of people between the ages of 45 and 65. In Nebraska, this number is 474,000 with another 271,000 people over the age of 65. In addition, CNAs have wonderful opportunities to further their careers in the health care field.

Employment Opportunities

Top Hospitals in Nebraska
Hospital NameAddressCityStateZipPhoneWebsite
Nebraska Medical Center4350 Dewey Ave.OmahaNE68105800-922-0000Website
Bryan Medical Center1600 South 48th StreetLincolnNE68506402-489-0200Website
Methodist Hospital8303 Dodge StreetOmahaNE68114402-354-4000Website
St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center555 South 70th StreetLincolnNE68510402-219-8000Website
Chi Health Good Samaritan10 East 31st StreetKearneyNE68847308-865-7100Website
Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital715 North St Joseph AvenueHastingsNE68901402-463-4521Website
Chi Health Creighton University Medical Center601 North 30th StreetOmahaNE68131402-449-4000Website
Chi Health Immanuel6901 North 72nd StreetOmahaNE68122402-572-2121Website
Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center531 Beebe StreetOsceolaNE68651402-747-2031Website
Antelope Memorial Hospital102 West Ninth StreetNelighNE68756402-887-4151Website
Avera Creighton Hospital1503 Main StreetCreightonNE68729402-358-5700Website
Avera St. Anthony'S Hospital302 North Second StreetO'NeillNE68763402-336-2611Website
Beatrice Community Hospital And Health Center4800 Hospital ParkwayBeatriceNE68310402-228-3344Website
Bellevue Medical Center2500 Bellevue Medical Center DriveBellevueNE68123402-763-3000Website
Boone County Health Center723 West Fairview StreetAlbionNE68620402-395-2191Website
Box Butte General Hospital2101 Box Butte AvenueAllianceNE69301308-762-6660Website
Brodstone Memorial Hospital520 East Tenth StreetSuperiorNE68978402-879-3281Website
Brown County Hospital945 East Zero StreetAinsworthNE69210402-387-2800Website
Butler County Health Care Center372 South Ninth StreetDavid CityNE68632402-367-1200Website
Callaway District Hospital211 East KimballCallawayNE68825308-836-2228Website

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