Nurse Aide Training Programs in Massachusetts

There are many long-term employment opportunities in the health care field for motivated, well-trained, and qualified individuals. If you are looking to start a new career, then consider the benefits of becoming a nurse aide. There are several affordable, state-approved CNA programs in Massachusetts which require only a few weeks of training. Upon graduation students are eligible to challenge the state exam, become certified, and obtain employment. Certified nursing assistants are direct care workers involved in many levels of client care. They are responsible for attending to a patient's personal, medical and emotional needs.

A CNA usually holds an entry-level position in a nursing home or long-term care facility and must complete at least seventy five hours of nurse aide training. Becoming a CNA is a desirable occupation in the health care field due to the availability of training opportunities in a short period of time, the abundance of employment offers, and flexible work schedules with available overtime. The nursing assistant position is a great stepping stone for those interested in other health related fields such as nursing and respiratory therapy. Most nursing assistants in Massachusetts are women, ranging in age from twenty-five to fifty-five years old. The average annual salary for a full-time certified nurse aide job in Haverhill, Massachusetts is estimated to be $29,000.

American Red Cross Nurse Assistant / Home Health Aide Training - Worcester
2000 Century Drive, Worcester, Massachusetts 01606

American Red Cross Nurse Assistant / HHA Training - Leominster
29 Main Street, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453

American Red Cross Nurse Assistant / Home Health Aide Training - Springfield
506 Cottage Street, Springfield, Massachusetts 01104

American Red Cross Nurse Assistant / HHA - Northampton
125 State Street, Northampton, Massachusetts 01060

American Red Cross Nurse Assistant / Home Health Aide Training - Pittsfield
480 West Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201

American Red Cross CNA / HHA Training - Westfield
48 Broad Street, Westfield, Massachusetts 01085

Community Action Inc. - Haverhill
145 Essex Street, Haverhill, MA 01832

Health Care Training Services (HCTS) C.N.A. Class - Fall River
657 Quarry Street, Fall River, Massachusetts 02723

Bunker Hill Community College - Boston
250 New Rutherford Ave, Boston, MA 02129

Cape Cod Community College Nurse Aide Course - West Barnstable
2240 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable, Massachusetts 02668

Springfield Technical Community College
One Armory Square, Suite 1, Springfield, MA 01102

North-Shore Community College Nursing Assistant Course - Danvers
1 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, Massachusetts 01923

Bristol Community College - Fall River
777 Elsbree Street, Fall River, MA 02720

Bristol Community College Nurse Aide Program - New Bedford
188 Union Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740

Bristol Community College - Attleboro
135 County Street, Attleboro, MA 02703

American Red Cross Nurse Aide Training - Cambridge Headquarters, Central
139 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142

American Red Cross Nurse Assistant Program - North, Peabody
85 Lowell Street, Peabody, MA 01960

American Red Cross CNA Program - North, Melrose
786 Main Street, Melrose, Massachusetts 02176

American Red Cross - South, Quincy
1495 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169

American Red Cross Nursing Assistant Program - MetroWest, Waltham
863-867 Main Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451

American Red Cross CNA Training Course - South Coast, New Bedford
995 Rockdale Avenue, New Bedford, MA 02740

American Red Cross Nurse Aide Training Course - South Coast, Fall River
315 Pleasant Street, Fall River, Massachusetts 02721

American Red Cross CNA Course - Southeast, Brockton
281 Pleasant Street, Brockton, MA 02301

Nursing assistant programs prepare individuals for challenging the nurse aide certification exam and for entry level positions in health care environments. Each state has the authority to decide how many hours of training a nursing assistant course must consist of, as long as the minimum federal requirement of seventy-five hours is met. Students interested in attending CNA classes have a wide array of choices when it comes to selecting a training facility.

Nursing assistant courses are conducted at nursing homes, vocational schools, private schools, and community colleges. Program length, admission requirements, and cost of training vary depending on the policies of every training facility. Several states have implemented legislation which requires licensed long-term care facilities to reimburse CNA employees for the costs associated with training. An individual who has paid for nursing assistant training classes and who becomes employed by a nursing home within a year of obtaining certification, is eligible for financial reimbursement. Compared to other training programs in the health care field, nursing assistant classes are relatively short and inexpensive. Obtaining state certification as a CNA is the main requirement for securing a nurse aide job at a nursing home, hospital, rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility.

CNA Training Schools and Programs

CNA classes, schools and programs by state.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

C. Adams on July 7, 2009 at 12:15 AM
Is it possible to enroll in a CNA class without a high school diploma or GED?


B. M. on July 13, 2009 at 09:28 PM
There are no federal regulations stating that individuals are required to have a high school diploma prior to attending nurse aide classes. A program coordinator at the school or nursing facility which is offering CNA training classes may tell you if a high school diploma or equivalent (GED) is required in order to enroll in the nurse aide program. Some facilities do not require a diploma as long as you have completed a 10th grade high school education. In the state of Texas a high school diploma or a GED is not necessary in order to attend and complete a nursing assistant program.


How long do CNA classes take and what exactly do you have to do?

After becoming a CNA how much more experience, training or school has to be done to become a registered nurse?

I am in the military and I do not have too much time to actually attend a regular CNA program. Who offers online CNA classes?

How do I sign up for CNA training? I am having trouble finding the shortest training program in my area. Can you help me?

How long does it take to get the CNA certificate itself while in school taking courses?

CNA Resources

C.N.A Training Requirements

There is a wide disparity between CNA training requirements among the states. The difference lies in the mandatory number of total training hours necessary to complete state-approved CNA classes.


While according to federal law each nursing assistant course should contain a minimum of seventy-five (75) instruction and clinical hours, individual states have the liberty to mandate extra training requirements for certified nursing assistants. The majority of states exceed the threshold federal minimum requirements for nurse aide training programs because they are considered insufficient to result in an optimal and safe level of care for clients.


A review of nationwide state requirements for nurse assistant courses has found that the following states have mandated highest number of CNA program hours: Maine with a minimum of 90 hours of theory, 20 hours of laboratory skills and 70 hours of clinical instruction for a total of 180 hours; California with one hundred and sixty (160) training hours; Delaware and Oregon each requiring one hundred and fifty (150) hours; followed by the state of Alaska with one hundred and forty (140) hours; Virginia, Arizona, and West Virginia have a minimum of one hundred and twenty (120) training hours for state-approved classes.

CNA Training Programs

Nurse Aide Registries

CNA Classes in Alaska CNA Classes in Alaska CNA Classes in Wyoming CNA Classes in Oklahoma CNA Classes in Washington DC CNA Classes in Delaware CNA Classes in Maryland CNA Classes in Maryland CNA Classes in Delaware CNA Classes in New Jersey CNA Classes in New Jersey CNA Classes in Connecticut CNA Classes in Connecticut CNA Classes in Rhode Island CNA Classes in Rhode Island CNA Classes in Massachusetts CNA Classes in Massachusetts CNA Classes in Vermont CNA Classes in New Hampshire CNA Classes in Vermont CNA Classes in New Hampshire CNA Classes in Missouri CNA Classes in Indiana CNA Classes in Pennsylvania CNA Classes in Alabama CNA Classes in Maine CNA Classes in New York CNA Classes in West Virginia CNA Classes in Wisconsin CNA Classes in Ohio CNA Classes in Virginia CNA Classes in North Carolina CNA Classes in South Carolina CNA Classes in Louisiana CNA Classes in Mississippi CNA Classes in Florida CNA Classes in Georgia CNA Classes in Tennessee CNA Classes in Illinois CNA Classes in Michigan CNA Classes in Michigan CNA Classes in Minnesota CNA Classes in Utah CNA Classes in Kentucky CNA Classes in Kansas CNA Classes in South Dakota CNA Classes in Arizona CNA Classes in Idaho CNA Classes in Washington CNA Classes in California CNA Classes in Arkansas CNA Classes in Texas CNA Classes in Nebraska CNA Classes in North Dakota CNA Classes in Iowa CNA Classes in Hawaii CNA Classes in Nevada CNA Classes in Oregon CNA Classes in New Mexico CNA Classes in Colorado CNA Classes in Montana