Students who enroll in CNA classes in Florida receive the training necessary to start working in one of the healthcare industry’s fastest-growing occupations – nurse assisting.
Certified Nursing Assistants, or CNAs as they are more commonly called, fill an important role by assisting nursing professionals (e.g. Registered Nurses or RNs) with direct patient care tasks at a variety of healthcare facilities. Prerequisites for this position are relatively easy to meet for most applicants, and training programs can usually be completed in several months.
This guide covers the basic steps required to become a CNA in Florida, and also provides general information about the occupation within the state.
How to Become a CNA in Florida
There are three main steps that must be completed before an individual can start working as a CNA in the Sunshine State. These are:
- Graduate from a formal CNA program accredited by the Enterprise Florida Jobs and Education Partnership Grant*
- Pass the Florida Nurse Aide Exam
- Become listed on the Florida Certified Nurse Aide Registry
*In accordance with state law, all programs at are accredited by the Enterprise Florida Jobs and Education Partnership Grant require students to complete a minimum of 120 hours in the classroom as well as 40 hours of individual training in a clinical setting.
CNA Classes in Florida – Now Accepting Students!
If you’d like to free request information from available CNA programs in Florida, you can do so by contacting the schools listed below with the forms provided.
What to Look for in CNA Programs
There are a number of things to consider when comparing different CNA programs. The one that is ultimately the best fit for you personally should not only meet the personal criteria you have, but should also meet a number of general prerequisites. Foremost among these is accreditation.
Florida’s nursing assistants are not regulated by a single body as is the case in many parts of the U.S. However, the state’s training programs are governed by the Enterprise Florida Jobs and Education Partnership Grant which is responsible for accreditation. You must graduate from a program accredited by this body in order to become immediately eligible to test for certification.
In addition to accreditation status, quality programs should also be able to satisfy your personal requirements in several other areas. You should consider asking the following questions to determine whether or not the program is up to your standards:
- What percentage of recent program graduates passed the Florida Nurse Aide Exam on their first try?
- How many students are assigned to one instructor in each class?
- How long does it take to complete the entire program?
- How much is tuition and what other costs are associated with the training?
The answers to these questions will tell you quite a bit about the program. You will also want to add any personal questions you may have to this list in order to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
CNA Certification in Florida
All accredited CNA programs focus their curriculum on one specific goal – preparing their students to become certified in the State of Florida. In order to become certified, program graduates are required to pass the Florida Nurse Aide Exam.
This exam is administered by national testing service Prometric on a monthly basis in locations throughout the state. The exam consists of two separate sections – a written half, and a clinical half. A passing score on both sections is required in order to become certified.
You should contact Prometric directly for more information on the contents of the exam, as well as to find out about upcoming test dates and locations.
What is the Local Employment Outlook for Nursing Assistants?
Thanks to the state’s large senior population and growing healthcare industry, Florida boasts one of the nation’s brightest outlooks for those who are considering a career in nurse assisting.
According to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Labor, Florida is expected to add an average of more than 4,000 new CNA positions per year through 2024. This represents a 23% growth rate for the occupation which is not only higher than the national average, but is also one of the fastest rates of any profession in the state.
CNA Salary and Wage Data
The following table contains data on CNA salary in Florida per the latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Area | Type of Pay | 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | Hourly | $8.80 | $10.07 | $11.74 | $14.16 | $16.99 |
Salary | $18,300 | $20,900 | $24,400 | $29,500 | $35,300 | |
Florida | Hourly | $9.09 | $10.03 | $11.25 | $13.11 | $14.42 |
Salary | $18,900 | $20,900 | $2,340 | $27,300 | $30,000 |
Accredited CNA Classes in Florida
CNA School Name | Address | City | Zipcode | CNA School Website | Social Media |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations | 5154 Okeechobee Blvd Ste 201 | West Palm Beach | 33417 | www.anho.edu | facebook |
Advance Science Institute | 3750 W 12 Ave | Hialeah | 33012 | www.ASImedschool.com | |
Atlantic Technical Center | 4700 Coconut Creek Parkway | Coconut Creek | 33063-3902 | www.atlantictechcenter.com | facebook |
Brewster Technical Center | 2222 N Tampa St | Tampa | 33602-2196 | www.brewster.edu | facebook |
Cambridge Institute of Allied Health & Technology | 460 E. Altamonte Drive 3rd Floor | Altamonte Springs | 32701 | www.cambridgehealth.edu/ | facebook |
Cambridge Institute of Health & Technology | 5150 Linton Blvd | Delray Beach | 33484 | www.cambridgehealth.edu/ | facebook |
Cape Coral Institute of Technology | 360 Santa Barbara Blvd North | Cape Coral | 33993-2479 | capecoraltech.edu | |
Charlotte Technical Center | 18150 Murdock Circle | Port Charlotte | 33948-3399 | www.yourcharlotteschools.net/ctc | facebook |
Chipola College | 3094 Indian Circle | Marianna | 32446-2053 | www.chipola.edu | facebook YouTube google+ |
CHOICE High School and Technical Center | 1976 Lewis Turner Blvd | Fort Walton Beach | 32547 | www.okaloosaschools.com/choice | |
College of Central Florida | 3001 SW College Rd | Ocala | 34474 | www.cf.edu | facebook YouTube |
Compu-Med Vocational Careers Corp | 2900 W 12th Ave 3rd Fl #28 | Hialeah | 33012-4861 | compumedschool.com | facebook google+ YouTube |
Concorde Career Institute-Jacksonville | 7259 Salisbury Road | Jacksonville | 32256-6905 | www.concorde.edu/jacksonville | facebook YouTube |
Concorde Career Institute-Miramar | 10933 Marks Way | Miramar | 33025 | www.concorde.edu/miramar | facebook YouTube |
Concorde Career Institute-Orlando | 3444 McCrory Place | Orlando | 32803 | www.concorde.edu/orlando | facebook YouTube |
Concorde Career Institute-Tampa | 4202 W Spruce | Tampa | 33607-4127 | www.concorde.edu/tampa | facebook YouTube |
D A Dorsey Educational Center | 7100 N. W. 17th Avenue | Miami | 33147-6304 | dadorsey.dadeschools.net/ | |
D G Erwin Technical Center | 2010 E Hillsborough Ave | Tampa | 33610-8255 | erwin.edu | |
Daytona College | 425 South Nova Road | Ormond Beach | 32174-8445 | daytonacollege.edu | facebook YouTube |
Daytona State College | 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. | Daytona Beach | 32114 | www.DaytonaState.edu | facebook YouTube |
Eastern Florida State College | 1519 Clearlake Rd | Cocoa | 32922 | www.easternflorida.edu | facebook YouTube |
Everest Institute-Kendall | 9020 SW 137th Ave | Miami | 33186 | www.everest.edu/campus/kendall | facebook |
Everest Institute-North Miami | 111 NW 183rd St | Miami | 33169-4538 | www.everest.edu/campus/miami | facebook |
Everest University-Pompano Beach | 225 N. Federal Hwy. | Pompano Beach | 33062 | www.everest.edu/campus/pompano_beach | facebook |
First Coast Technical College | 2980 Collins Ave | Saint Augustine | 32084-1919 | fctc.edu/ | facebook YouTube |
Flagler Technical Institute | 1 Corporate Drive Suite 2-J | Palm Coast | 32137-4714 | fti.flaglerschools.com | facebook |
Florida Career College-Miami | 1321 SW 107 Ave Ste 201B | Miami | 33174 | www.careercollege.edu | facebook YouTube google+ |
Florida Education Institute | 5818 SW 8th St | Miami | 33144 | www.fei.edu | facebook google+ |
Florida Gateway College | Highway 90 East | Lake City | 32025-2007 | https://www.fgc.edu/ | facebook YouTube |
Florida Keys Community College | 5901 College Rd | Key West | 33040 | www.fkcc.edu | facebook YouTube |
Florida National University-Main Campus | 4425 West. Jose Regueiro (20th) Avenue | Hialeah | 33012 | www.fnu.edu | facebook YouTube |
Florida State College at Jacksonville | 501 W State St | Jacksonville | 32202 | www.fscj.edu | facebook YouTube google+ |
Florida Vocational Institute | 6840 Southwest 40th Street | Miami | 33155-3762 | www.fvi.edu | facebook google+ |
Fort Myers Institute of Technology | 3800 Michigan Ave | Fort Myers | 33916-2204 | www.fortmyerstech.edu | facebook YouTube |
Future-Tech Institute | 3446 SW 8th St Ste 218 | Miami | 33135-4142 | www.futuretechinstitute.com/ | |
Immokalee Technical Center | 508 N 9th St | Immokalee | 34142 | www.itech.edu | |
Indian River State College | 3209 Virginia Ave | Fort Pierce | 34981-5596 | www.irsc.edu | facebook YouTube |
International Training Careers | 7360 SW 24th Street Suite 31 | Miami | 33155 | itcmiami.edu | |
Lake Technical Center | 2001 Kurt Street | Eustis | 32726 | www.laketech.org | facebook |
Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center | 750 NW 20 Street | Miami | 33127 | lindsey.dadeschools.net | |
Lively Technical Center | 500 N Appleyard Dr | Tallahassee | 32304-2895 | www.livelytech.com | facebook YouTube |
Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology | 3702 Estey Ave | Naples | 34104-4405 | lwit.edu | facebook |
Manatee Technical Institute | 6305 State Rd 70 East | Bradenton | 34203 | manateetech.edu/ | facebook YouTube |
Marchman Technical Education Center | 7825 Campus Dr. | New Port Richey | 34653 | mtec.pasco.k12.fl.us/ | |
Marion County Community Technical/Adult Education Center | 1014 SW 7th Rd | Ocala | 34471-3172 | www.mcctae.com | facebook |
M-DCPS The English Center | 3501 SW 28 St. | Miami | 33133-2703 | www.tecmiami.com | twitter |
Miami Lakes Educational Center | 5780 NW 158th St | Miami Lakes | 33014 | mlec.dadeschools.net | facebook |
North Florida Community College | 325 NW Turner Davis Dr | Madison | 32340 | www.nfcc.edu | facebook YouTube |
Orlando Tech | 301 W Amelia Street | Orlando | 32801-1197 | www.orlandotech.ocps.net | facebook YouTube |
Palm Beach State College | 4200 Congress Ave | Lake Worth | 33461-4796 | www.palmbeachstate.edu/ | facebook YouTube |
Pasco-Hernando Community College | 10230 Ridge Road | New Port Richey | 34654-5199 | www.phcc.edu | facebook YouTube google+ |
Pensacola State College | 1000 College Blvd | Pensacola | 32504-8998 | www.pensacolastate.edu | facebook google+ |
Pinellas Technical Education Center-St Petersburg | 901 34th St S | Saint Petersburg | 33711-2209 | myptec.org | School Web Channel Beauty School facebook |
Progressive Training Centers | 98 East McNab Road | Pompano Beach | 33060-9238 | www.progressivetc.com | |
Ridge Career Center | 7700 State Rd 544 | Winter Haven | 33881-9518 | www.ridge.edu/ | |
Robert Morgan Educational Center | 18180 SW 122nd Ave | Miami | 33177 | rmec.dadeschools.net | |
Saint Johns River State College | 5001 Saint Johns Ave | Palatka | 32177 | www.sjrstate.edu | facebook YouTube |
Santa Fe College | 3000 Northwest 83rd Street | Gainesville | 32606-6210 | www.sfcollege.edu | facebook YouTube |
Sarasota County Technical Institute | 4748 Beneva Rd | Sarasota | 34233-1798 | www.scti.edu | facebook YouTube |
Seminole State College of Florida | 100 Weldon Blvd | Sanford | 32773-6199 | www.seminolestate.edu/ | facebook YouTube |
Sheridan Technical Center | 5400 Sheridan St | Hollywood | 33021 | www.SheridanTechnical.com | facebook |
South Florida Institute of Technology | 720 NW 27th Avenue | Miami | 33125 | www.sf-institute.com/ | |
South Florida State College | 600 W College Dr | Avon Park | 33825-9356 | www.southflorida.edu | facebook |
Suwannee-Hamilton Technical Center | 415 SW Pinewood Dr | Live Oak | 32064 | suwannee.shtc.schooldesk.net/ | |
Tallahassee Community College | 444 Appleyard Dr | Tallahassee | 32304-2895 | https://www.tcc.fl.edu | facebook YouTube google+ |
Technical Education Center-Osceola | 501 Simpson Rd | Kissimmee | 34744 | www.teco.osceola.k12.fl.us | |
Traviss Career Center | 3225 Winter Lake Rd | Lakeland | 33803 | www.traviss.edu | facebook |
Ultimate Medical Academy-Clearwater | 1255 Cleveland St | Clearwater | 33755-4933 | www.ultimatemedical.edu | facebook YouTube |
Ultimate Medical Academy-Tampa | 9309 N Florida Ave Ste 100 | Tampa | 33612-7237 | www.ultimatemedical.edu | facebook YouTube |
Washington-Holmes Technical Center | 757 Hoyt Street | Chipley | 32428-1618 | whtc.us | |
William T McFatter Technical Center | 6500 Nova Drive | Davie | 33317 | www.mcfattertech.com | facebook YouTube google+ |
Withlacoochee Technical Institute | 1201 W Main St | Inverness | 34450-4696 | www.wtionline.cc | facebook |
More Resources for CNAs in Florida
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Nurses Association
American Association of Managed Care Nurses