Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) training & certification requirements vary considerably across the U.S. In some states, the requirements go beyond the federal minimum while in other states requirements are nearly identical to the federal standards.

This page displays Georgia CNA Requirements as of February 2023.

To see requirements in other states, visit nursinghome411.org/cna-reqs.

Georgia CNA Requirements

  • Eligibility
    • All licensed facilities are required to conduct background checks on employees.
  • Education & Training Requirement
    • Individuals must complete a state approved nurse aide training and competency evaluation program.
  • Testing Requirement
    • Individuals must pass both a written and skills test.
    • If the candidate does not take the Written/oral and Skills Competency Examination within one (1) year (3 attempts) of successfully completing the State Approved Nurse Aide Training Program Course, then the candidate must re-take the nurse aide training course again and take the state written and skills competency examination.
  • Renewal & In-Service Requirements
    • In-service requirements same as federal.
    • Certified nursing aides must renew their certification every two years. You can renew during this period by submitting a completed renewal application which verifies that you provide eight (8) hours of nursing related services for pay under the supervision of a nurse during the two-year span in which your certification was active.
  • Hours
    • 85 hours, including classroom/laboratory plus a minimum of 24 hours of clinical experience in a nursing home.
  • Curriculum
    • The Federal Regulations (42CFR483.152) for Nurse Aide Training, established by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) and State guidelines require the following content to be taught in a Nurse Aide Training Program:
      • At least a total of 16 hours of training in the following six areas prior to any direct contact with a resident:
        • Communication and interpersonal skills (to include stress management)
        • Infection control
        • Safety/emergency/FBAO/Body Mechanics
        • Promoting residents’ independence
        • Respecting residents’ rights
        • Legal/ethical behavior and scope of practice
      • Basic Nursing Skills as follows:
        • Taking/recording vital signs and vital sign parameters
        • Measuring and recording height and weight
        • Caring for the residents’ environment
        • Recognizing abnormal changes in body function and the importance of reporting such changes to a supervisor
        • Caring for a resident when death is imminent and postmortem care
      • Personal Care Skills, including but not limited to, the following:
        • Bathing (to include observation for pressure ulcers)
        • Grooming, including mouth care
        • Dressing
        • Toileting
        • Assisting with eating and hydration
        • Proper feeding techniques
        • Skin care including observation for pressure ulcers and skin tears
        • Transfers, positioning and turning (to include observation for pressure ulcers
      • Mental Health and Social Service Needs as follows:
        • Modifying aide’s behavior in response to resident’s behavior including depression
        • Awareness of development tasks associated with the aging process
        • How to respond to resident behavior including depression
        • Allowing residents to make personal choices, providing and reinforcing other behavior consistent with the resident’s dignity
        • Utilizing resident’s family as a source of emotional support
        • Emotional and mental health needs of the residents
        • Spiritual and cultural needs of the residents
      • Care of Cognitively Impaired Residents as follows:
        • Techniques for addressing the unique needs and behaviors of individuals with dementia (Alzheimer’s and others)
        • Communicating with cognitively impaired residents
        • Understanding the behavior of cognitively impaired residents
        • Appropriate responses to the behavior of cognitively impaired residents
        • Methods of reducing the effects of cognitive impairments
        • Spiritual and cultural health
      • Basic Restorative Services – The nurse aide should be able to demonstrate skills which incorporate principles of restorative nursing, including but not limited to:
        • Training the resident in self-care according to the resident’s abilities
        • Ambulation with/without a gait belt
        • The use of assistive devices in transferring, ambulation, eating and dressing
        • Maintenance of range of motion
        • Proper turning and positioning in bed and chair
        • Bowel and bladder training
        • Care and use of prosthetic/orthotic devices and eyeglasses
      • Residents Rights – The nurse aide should be able to demonstrate behavior which maintains residents’ right, including but not limited to:
        • Providing privacy and maintenance of confidentiality
        • Promoting the residents’ right to make personal choices to accommodate their needs
        • Giving assistance in resolving grievances and disputes (to include the role of the ombudsman)
        • Providing needed assistance in getting to and participating in resident and family groups and other activities
        • Maintaining care and security of resident’s personal possessions
        • Providing care which maintains the resident free from abuse, mistreatment and neglect and reporting any instances of such treatment to appropriate facility staff
        • Avoiding the need for restraints in accordance with current professional standard