Nurse Aide Training Programs in South Carolina

How does a nurse aide in South Carolina keep her certification current? To keep your nurse aide certification current, you must work in nursing-related services for pay for a minimum of eight hours every two years. A nurse assistant employed by a Medicaid-certified nursing facility in South Carolina does not pay any recertification fees. It is the responsibility of the employer, in this case the nursing home, to cover any costs associated with renewal of a nursing assistant certification.

If you have completed a nurse aide class and obtained the CNA certification in another state but wish to work in South Carolina, then you must transfer your certification to South Carolina by reciprocity. No fees are charged for out-of-state nurse assistants applying for reciprocity in South Carolina. Once you become certified in this state your name is placed on the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry and you are eligible to work in any Medicaid licensed nursing home or long-term care facility.

Pee Dee Medical Training Center - Lake City
115 North Matthews Road, Lake City, SC 29560
Phone: (843) 374-0070
The nursing assistant program is approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Pee Dee Medical Training Center is accredited by the National Healthcareer Association and the American Medical Certification Association and also offers EKG Technician, Medical Billing and Coding, Medical Front Office Assistant, Phlebotomy, Pharmacy Technician, and Physical Therapy Aide programs.

American Red Cross Nurse Assistant Training and Testing - Florence
1601-A West Lucas Street, 2nd Floor, Florence, SC 29501
Phone: (843) 799-4630
This program is formally approved by South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.

Envision Healthcare Training, LLC - Taylors
100 East Lee Road, Suite A, Taylors, SC 29687
Phone: (864) 329-5613

Piedmont Technical College Continuing Education - Abbeville Site
620 North Emerald Rd., Greenwood, SC 29646

Aiken Technical College Continuing Education Nurse Aide Training Program - Graniteville
P.O. Box 400, Graniteville, South Carolina 29829

Aiken County Career and Technology Center - Warrenville
2455 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Warrenville, SC 29851

Mattie C. Hall Health Care Center - Aiken
P.O. Box 475, Aiken, South Carolina 29802

Allendale County Helping Hands CNA Program
1843 Main Street South, Allendale, SC 29819

Forrest Junior College - Anderson
601 East River Street, Anderson, South Carolina 29624

NHC Healthcare Nurse Aide Program - Anderson
1501 East Greenville, Anderson, SC 29622

Richard M. Campbell Veterans Nursing Home C.N.A. Class - Anderson
4605 Belton Hwy., Anderson, South Carolina 29621

Lexington County School District Three Lifelong Learning Center - Batesburg-Leesville
101 West Columbia Ave., Batesburg-Leesville, SC 29006

Technical College of the Low Country Nursing Assistant Program - Beaufort
P.O. Box 1288, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Marlboro County High School HST Extension Nurse Assistant Program - Bennettsville
951 Fayetteville Ave., Bennettsville, SC 29512

Barnwell County Career Center Health Occupations - Blackville
5214 Reynolds Road, Blackville, South Carolina 29817

Technical College of the Low Country Nurse Aide Training Course - New River Campus
P.O. Box 1288, Beaufort, SC 29902

Blythewood High School CNA Course
10910 Wilson Blvd., Blythewood, South Carolina 29016

Kershaw County Medical Center Nurse Aide Training - Camden
1315 Roberts Street, Camden, SC 29020

Southwinds of S.C., Inc. Nursing Assistant Course - Camden
P.O. Box 431, Camden, South Carolina 29020

Trident Technical College Continuing Education - Charleston
P.O. Box 118067, Charleston, SC 29423

Trident Technical College Nursing Division CNA Training Course - Charleston
7000 Rivers Ave., Charleston, South Carolina 29423

Cheraw High School Nurse Aide Program
649 Highway 9, Cheraw, SC 29520

Chesterfield High School CNA Training Program
401 North Page Street, Chesterfield, South Carolina 29709

Northeastern Technical College Continuing Education - Chesterfield
P.O. Box 1007, Chesterfield, SC 29520

Clinton High School Nursing Assistant Class
800 North Adair Street, Clinton, South Carolina 29325

NHC Healthcare C.N.A. Class - Clinton
P.O. Box 727, Clinton, SC 29325

CNA Classes in South Carolina ( Page 2 )

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

Niesha M. on July 23, 2013 at 05:09 AM
How long does it take to get the CNA certificate itself while in school taking courses?


Admin on July 25, 2013 at 08:14 PM
Nursing assistant programs vary in length depending on the school or facility offering the training. CNA courses may take anywhere between three to twelve weeks. Once you complete the training you may schedule the nurse aide competency test right away. Candidates who pass the examination become state certified right away and receive the actual certificate in a couple of weeks, usually within one month.


Can you share any tips or advice regarding CNA job interviews?

I am trying to get some info on where to start in the health care profession. Is it better to start as a CNA or LVN?

I am a pre-nursing student. Is it true that becoming a CNA and getting the experience, really helps you with clinicals in nursing school?

How can I tell if my CNA certificate is active? If it is not active how do I go about renewing it?

How can I get a copy of my CNA certification?

CNA Resources

CNA 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

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