By Brenne Meirowitz, B.A., M.S., M.A.
There are many places to enroll in CNA training class to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, but American Red Cross CNA training is one of the most popular. One of the reasons is that it is widely available, and the quality of the course and instructors is very high. It should be noted however, that the Red Cross CNA class is not free. There are however many places that do offer free CNA training.
As of September 08, 2009, the American Red Cross will have CNA training available in 36 cities across the U.S. If you are considering a career in health care, this program is a great way to begin. For many, beginning as a CNA (certified nursing assistant) is a steppingstone towards becoming a RN (registered nurse).
All training programs offered at the American Red Cross meet Federal CNA training standards, while each chapter designs its program to meet specific State licensing requirements, including the number of course hours and clinical training standards of practices and procedures. For example, the San Bernardino, California chapter program consists of a 164 hour course, while The ARC of Central Maryland course consists of 114 hours.
Training programs also differ in cost; for instance, the San Bernardino chapter charges $1,750, while The Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter course costs $1,400.
The following is a list of American Red Cross chapters offering Certified Nurse Assistant training:
- Madison/Marshall County, Huntsville, AL
- American Red Cross of Central Alabama, Montgomery, AL
- American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Inland Empire, San Bernardino, CA
- American Red Cross, Sonoma & Mendocino Counties, Santa Rosa, CA
- South Central Connecticut, New Haven, CT
- Northeast Florida, Jacksonville, FL
- Central Panhandle, Panama City, FL
- Space Coast, Rockledge, FL
- Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL
- Southwest Georgia, Albany, GA
- Northeast Georgia, Gainesville, GA
- Coosa Valley, Rome, GA
- Hawaii State, Honolulu, HI
- Louisville Area, Louisville, KY
- American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay, Cambridge, MA
- Berkshire County, Pittsfield, MA
- Pioneer Valley, Springfield, MA
- American Red Cross of Central Massachusetts, Worcester, MA
- Central Maryland, Baltimore, MD
- Southeastern Michigan, Detroit, MI
- American Red Cross of the Twin Cities Area, Minneapolis, MN
- Elizabeth H. Dole Chapter, Salisbury, NC
- Concord Area, Concord, NH
- New Hampshire, West Keene, NH
- Great Bay, Portsmouth, NH
- Greater Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
- Keystone, Johnstown, PA
- Southeastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Allegheny Region, Reno, PA
- Black Hills, Rapid City, SD
- Hiwassee, Cleveland, TN
- Greater Richmond, Richmond, VA
- Green Mountain, Bennington, VT
- Chippewa Valley, Altoona, WI
- Lakeland, Green Bay, WI
You may get all local contact information and up-to-date program offerings of these CNA training classes and other American Red Cross locations by visiting the ARC main site at http://www.redcross.org/.
R there any near Pgh pa
Im looking for cna classes that i can take and take my state exam to get certified, i live in orange county and would like to find a red cross that have the classes n courae for me to take