Education · 1 of 5

The path

You can be working within a few months of finishing high school.

1. 1

   High school diploma or GED (General Educational Development certificate)

   Grades 11 and 12

   Most programs want one. Some accept you at 16 or 17 with parental consent.

2. 2

   State approved training program

   4 to 16 weeks

   Classroom plus supervised clinical hours in a real facility. Offered by community colleges, nursing homes, the Red Cross and some high schools.

3. 3

   Competency exam

   1 day

   A written test and a skills test where an examiner watches you do things like transferring a patient safely.

4. 4

   State registry

   Weeks

   You go on your state's nurse aide registry. Employers check it, and that listing is what makes you certified.

5. 5

   First job

   Ongoing

   Usually a nursing home, sometimes a hospital. Expect to be looking after eight to twelve residents on a shift.