The CNA classes in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania that are shown on this page offer the currently available training. To find out about their curriculum requirements, please call the program listed here.

Valley Crest Nursing
1551 East End Blvd.,
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
(570) 826-1011

The Nurse Aide Registry is a complete list of nursing assistants who have met all the training and testing requirements. Only the nursing assistants whose names are on the registry are allowed to work in a long-term care facility that receives Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements. Employers are required to check each applicant’s name if it’s on the NAR before hiring him/her as a round-the-clock CNA.

The most common way of getting listed on the NAR is by taking the license exams. Before you can take the exams, you need to complete a certified CNA course to establish eligibility to apply. After you complete your training, you will have a maximum of 24 months and three (3) attempts to pass both the written/oral test and clinical skills test.

CNA programs are offered by hospitals, nursing homes, community colleges, private training institutions, and government organizations all throughout the State of Pennsylvania. Each program has its own requirements for admission. However, the majority of them does require the following:

–    Be at least 16 years old
–    Pass the criminal background checks; submit a CHRI and FBI background checks
–    Pass a reading test
–    Complete medical and physical examinations that include a 2-step Mantoux test
–    Have a high school diploma or a GED certificate.
–    Be able to understand and speak Basic English

CNA programs that are approved by the Department of Health offer a minimum of 80 hours of instructions. Students will be spending time in the classroom for their theoretical instructions and in the clinical area for their hands-on training. A qualified CNA Instructor will supervise the students during the practical training portion of the program. Both parts of the training are done at the same time. It can take you from about 12 to 24 weeks to complete a program; some even last for only a month.

Your class instruction will teach you many of the skills you will need during the nursing assistant job, such as: recording vital signs, taking temperature, taking pulse, taking blood pressures, bathing the patient, assisted dressing, postmortem care, safety procedures, housekeeping, bed-making, infection control, resident transporting, range of motion exercises, hydration, nourishment, and catheter care.

Nursing students and graduates who took up the Fundamentals of Nursing while enrolled in a certified nursing school can skip training and immediately apply for the license exams. To qualify, they must be able to provide proof of their training by showing an original copy of their transcripts to the Department of Education. If they are found eligible, they will be given an authorization to test for one time. If they fail any part, then they must complete a training program before they can reapply.

Those who pass are eligible to work as a nurse aide for 2 years. You can learn more about registry requirements by calling Pearson VUE at 1-800-852-0518. To find a location to take the tests nearby you can call the American Red Cross at 1-800-795-2350.

This city is serving as the county seat of Luzerne County. It is situated in the Wyoming Valley area. The city is also called as The Diamond City. As of the 2010 census, their total population was around 41,498, which makes them the 10th most populous city in the state. The city is surrounded by the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains, and the Lehigh Valley. The Susquehanna River is bordering the northwestern part of the city. The total area of Wilkes-Barre is approximately 7.2 sq miles, where 0.3 square miles of it is water.

The Knee Center, Geisinger Medical Groups, Allied Services John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kirby Health Center, Mental Health-Mental Retardation Services – Adults, Pastoral Counseling Services of Nepa, Tender Loving Care Healthcare, Hart Medical Center, Geisinger Women’s Health, and Physician Practice Management are some examples of health care providers that are serving the city. photo attribution: ufv