CNA Recertification
Recently one of our fellow readers asked me to explain the procedure and costs for CNA Recertification in Virginia. Angela’s CNA certification (or more formally “Nurse Aide Certificate”) had not been renewed the past three years.
When is CNA Recertification necessary?
If the CNA certification has expired for more than 90 days, reinstatement is necessary. If you have been performing nursing-related activities and duties during the last 24 months (only paid jobs count, e.g. duties must have been performed for pay) preceding the expiry date and within two years of the Board of Nursing of Virginia receiving your application, then reinstatement can be done by filing the reinstatement application and paying the required $50 fee to the Treasurer of Virginia (check or money order). This fee is non-refundable.
Do I need to repeat the Nurse Aide Competency Test (CNA exam / test)?
If you have not performed any nursing-related activity during the last 2 years preceding the expiration of your certificate and within two years of the Board of Nursing receiving your application, you must also retake the Nurse Aide Competency Test – both skills and written. Please note that the fee and reinstatement application are retained for one year only, so make sure you meet all requirements for recertification within a year, otherwise you’ll have to file and pay again. The cost for the test is currently $94 (as of February 2011).
Requirements for CNA Recertification
As described above you must submit a reinstatement application to the Virginia Board of Nursing and pay the required fee and if necessary repeat the Nurse Aide Competency Test. Please note that if you have previously had a finding of abuse, misappropriation of patient property or neglect placed against your certificate, you are currently ineligible for reinstatement. The only exception is made for persons with a finding based on just one single occurrence of neglect; in this specific case you are able to apply only once with a petition for removal of that finding. The burden of proof rests upon you in this case to provide sufficient evidence demonstrating that personal and employment histories do not reflect a pattern of abusive behavior or neglect.
If you have ever been convicted, pled no contest or guilty to the violation of state, federal or other law constituting a felony or misdemeanor, including convictions for driving under the influence (DUI), you are required to submit additional informations, specifically:
- A certified copy of each conviction order from the courthouse itself showing the date and nature of the offense, the disposition of your case, and sentence agreement. If your conviction record has been destroyed by the court, please obtain a criminal background report from the State Police Department and send that to us. (A background report indicating a conviction date within the time frame of the court maintaining a record of that conviction will not be acceptable.) Please note: Felony convictions are held much longer than misdemeanors; a criminal background report will not be accepted in lieu of the court record if you have a felony conviction. If your felony conviction makes mention of a pre-sentencing probationary report, please make sure that report is included with your sentencing order.
- Evidence you have satisfied all court requirements, including payment of fines, court costs, and restitution; a probationer officer’s report, if on supervised probation, outlining the terms of probation and your satisfactory completion of those terms, including completion of community service hours, substance abuse treatment program completion, ASAP, or any other terms; a letter of prognoses from any substance abuse or other counselors and/or discharge summaries from treatment of other programs, even if court-ordered;
- A letter from you describing in detail the facts and circumstances leading to your conviction(s) and the steps you have taken to ensure it does not happen again (generally answering the questions “who, what, when, where, why and how it occurred” in your letter will provide the information we need without our having to write back for a more complete explanation); and
- Letters from employers (nursing-related if possible; your clinical supervisor if you just completed a program and have yet to find employment) concerning your work performance and reliability.
If you have ever been denied a licence or certification in a health-related field, you have to submit a factual explanation of the events resulting in the action taken and a copy of that order/action.
If you have a dependency condition (mental, physical or chemical) which could interfere with your performance and ability to practice as a CNA, additional informations regarding treatment and diagnosis with documents as evidence (letters from your Health Care Provider, from employers and discharge summaries from treatment/hospitalizations) must be provided.
If your CNA Certification has been mandatorily suspended, the Virginia Board of Nursing most probably would consider a formal hearing as part of your reinstatement request, again with the burden of proof on you.
As you can see, it is not that easy to get recertified once your nurse aide certificate has been expired for more than 90 days. So the best advice is to not let it happen, especially if you enjoy practicing as a CNA!
You can get the CNA Reinstatement Application form (complete with more detailed instructions!) here:
http://www.dhp.state.va.us/Forms/nursing/CNA/Reinstatement_package.doc
If you have further questions or need help correctly filling out the form, please call the Virginia Board of Nursing at (804) 367-4555 or ask the Nurse Aide Registry at (804) 367-4569. You can find a compilation of all forms, instructions and authoritative information on the DHP Home Page at:
http://www.dhp.state.va.us/nursing/
PS: If you have never been certified in Virginia, then do not submit the reinstatement form and instead apply for a Nurse Aide Certification by endorsement using this form:
http://www.dhp.state.va.us/Forms/nursing/CNA/Endorsementpackage.doc