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CNA Certification

Information

Initial Nurse Aide Certification
Renewal Notice Information
Employers Information

Initial Nurse Aide Certification

To become a CNA, new candidates must first complete a Michigan approved training course. For information on approved training programs in your county, see Regional Training Programs below. successful completion of a state approved training program, a candidate must apply to Prometric for testing and eligibility. Upon successful completion of both tests, an applicant is issued a certificate by Prometric that allows them to work as a CNA for 2 years. A nurse aide can work in a facility for no more than four months if they are not on the registry, provided they are competent and have completed training or testing (and are awaiting testing results) or they have been determined competent. If eligible, a new candidate will be issued a certificate for two years. A renewal certificate will be good for 24 months as well. You must have worked as a nurse aide for monetary compensation during your active certificate time frame in order to renew. If it has been 24 months since your last date of verified employment, an individual’s name will be removed from the Michigan registry. In order to get back on the registry as a nurse aide, an individual will be required to re-test.

Renewal Notice

For certified nurse aide renewals, an individual must submit the renewal form, proof of employment as a CNA (for at least 8 hours in the last 24 months), and renewal fee to Headmaster. Please go to Headmaster website under CNA Registry Services for the renewal form. A certificate needs to be renewed prior to your expiration date listed on your current certificate. Headmaster will send a renewal notice 45 days prior to your expiration date. (Please make sure your contact information is current or up to date.)
If the renewal form is not submitted timely, or is incomplete, the certificate will lapse and the individual may not work as a CNA until the required paperwork has been received by Headmaster and made active again. We encourage you to submit your renewal as soon as possible after receipt of renewal notice (but no earlier than 45 day prior to the certification expiration date). Renewal applications must be received at the Headmaster office prior to expiration date, therefore, early submission is important. 
Please do not submit renewal documents directly to the State of Michigan. A renewal certificate will be good for 24 months or for 24 months from your last renewal period ending, for those that don’t renew prior to their certificate lapsing.

Employers

To verify whether an individual is a certified nurse aide in Michigan or for other information, call 800-748-0252 or visit the Prometric website. Verification of current Michigan certification via the Prometric web site is sufficient documentation during onsite inspections by the State of Michigan. Also, a nursing home must not use any individual as a nurse aide for more than 4 months unless that individual is competent to provide nursing related services and has completed a Michigan specific approved training and competency evaluation program. Please see the Nurse Aide Federal Rules & Regulation noted above at 42 CFR 483.35 and 42 CFR 483.5. Health Care facilities must complete a performance review of every nurse aide at least once every 12 months, and must provide regular in-service education based on the outcome of these performance reviews. The in-service training must be sufficient to ensure the continuing competence of nurse aides, but must be no less than 12 hours per year. The in-service training requirements are listed in 42 CFR 483.95.
For general information or questions, email BCHS-CNA-Registry@michigan.gov or call 800-752-4724.