Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) attend to basic quality-of-life needs. A CNA’s primary function is helping patients perform daily living activities such as feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, or moving. CNAs operate under the supervision of licensed practical nurses or registered nurses, providing a line of communication between these senior healthcare professionals and the patient.
One of the biggest advantages of the CNA career path is its short schooling. In order to become certified and listed on the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry, you must pass the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) examination within two years of completion of a 100-hour training program. There are approximately 150 approved programs across the state of South Carolina, which typically take several weeks to several months to complete.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 18,400 CNAs are employed in South Carolina and represent over a quarter of the ~70,000 nurses employed in the state. The median annual salary of a CNA in South Carolina is $21,650. These professionals work in a number of healthcare providers across the state including Piedmont Medical Center, East Cooper Regional Medical Center, and Hilton Head Regional Medical Center.
If you want to forge a career maintaining the comfort and dignity of patients, you should strongly consider becoming a nursing assistant. We have compiled below a list of the top CNA certificate programs in South Carolina.