The ‘Health Care Worker Registry’ contains training details for the certified nursing assistants in the state of Illinois. It registers individuals with their background check under the ‘Health Care Worker Background Check Act’, which is administered by the ‘Department of Public Health’. Illinois also has several state and federal requirements, which individuals have to meet before being enlisted on the registry, as a CNA.
The State law of Illinois also requires that the person going for enrolling in the CNA classes must be of 16 years or above in age. Candidates have to undergo a complete physical examination along with their proper background check before getting enrolled in the school.
Other requirements involve qualifying the ‘Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation’ Exam conducted by the ‘Illinois Nurse Aide Testing Program’. After the completion of the CNA training, this must be obtained and passed within 120 days of the period. As abovementioned, the CNA test will be taken by the ‘Illinois Nurse Aide testing association’, at a pre-planned location.
Some of the essential Eligibility requirements in Illinois are:
- Candidates must have completed an Illinois certified CNA program successfully.
- Applicants must have also undergone the criminal history records verification and obtained no disqualifying convictions.
- If a person is found with any disqualifying conviction, he/she may not be permitted to work as a certified nursing aide or at any other position, unless the person has pleaded and obtained a waiver for that disqualifying conviction.
- Candidates must understand English language for reading, writing and speaking.
- Candidates have to give proof of earlier employment or job, if any.
- Candidates have to carry a copy of their certificate, which they have received, after the completion of their nurse aide program.
- While going for the test, candidates must dress comfortably, so that they can be prepared to concentrate for the three hours of test.
- The concerned person has to physically available at a testing location and be ready to confirm the state provided credentials/identifications.
Components of the Exams:
Once the CNA certification course is completed, candidates have to undergo two types evaluation test. The written and skills competency tests are conducted to evaluate the candidate’s capability of handling the patients.
Written Exam:
Candidates can go for taking a state approved CNA training program and undertake the written aptitude test. You may also find a number of approved CNA training programs on the Web site. Usually, the written section comprises 50-60 multiple-choice questions format.
Skills Exam:
The second portion of the test involves presentation of five nursing skills that you would have learned in the practical training sessions. If you have qualified both portions of the nursing exams, then you will be included in the ‘Illinois Nurse Aide Registry’.
Passing a manual skills test requires:
- A state approved evaluator from Illinois will administer the hands-on skills test and so, the candidates have to demonstrate proficiency in all the given skills.
- Once, you have completed your manual skills presentation, the evaluator will fill a manual Skills Evaluation Form and send it to the registry via mail.
- When the registry receives the evaluator’s form, it will validate, whether the individual has passed the skills test and meets up the background verification requirements including no administrative findings, prior to sending the form via mail to register for the test.
A written aptitude test:
- Presently the written proficiency test is an obligation for certification.
- The written section of the exam is administered by the ‘Southern Illinois University’ at Carbondale (SIU-C) through various sites all over the state.
- The testing Web site of SIU-C (www.nurseaidetesting.com) provides a practice test, a learning guide, and the test site locations.
- SIU-C conveys the results of the test to the registry, by electronic means.
Failing:
- If a candidate fails the nursing competency test thrice, then he/she has to undertake another CNA training program approved by the state registry of Illinois, before going for the written test once again.
Passing:
Those, who thrive in the CNA certification exams, they will become a certified nursing assistant in the state. They can apply for a relevant job as soon as possible. They can create and submit their resume online.
For more information, you can contact:
Illinois Nurse Aide Registry
Illinois Department of Public Health Worker Registry
525 W. Jefferson Street, Springfield, IL 62761
Phone: (217) 785-5133
License Verification: (217) 782-3070
Fax: (217) 524-0137