According to the Occupational Employment Projections Division of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry Research and Analysis Bureau, there’s going to be a 22% increase in the demand for certified nursing aides and assistants in the state between now, and 2016.
That kind of growth, coupled with the minimal investment and training required to qualify as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in Montana, means that there’s never been a better time to consider this career. Before you sign up though, you do need to know a few things about becoming a nurses aide in the state.
CNA Training In Montana
The Montana State Survey and Certification Agency, or SA, oversees CNA training in the state. Approved courses are run by nursing homes, long term care facilities, hospitals and community colleges, and in the state, approved CNA training programs are known as NATCEP – Nurses Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Programs.
Make sure that any courses you’re considering taking are approved by the agency before you sign up.
What You’ll Learn During a Montana CNA Training Course
The CNA training program in Montana will differ slightly from provider to provider, but the basics are set by the state. Courses will be no shorter than 75 hours, of which 45 to 50 are classroom instruction, and a minimum of 25 are spent on clinical, hands on training.
No less than 16 hours of your training will be spent on mandatory training in infection control, patient rights, basic nursing skills, emergency and safety procedures and training, monitoring patient vital signs and other disciplines considered critical by the state. At the end of your training, you should have all the skills required of a CNA in any facility in the state.
Certification As a Nurses Aide In Montana
Training is not your final step to becoming a CNA in Montana. First, you will have to be evaluated by a training officer – a process called the MNASCC, or Montana Nurses Aide Skills and Competency Checklist. If your trainer deems you to be proficient, then you will be eligible to take the State Competency Evaluation Program or SCEP.
You will need to score between 75 and 80% on the various portions of the exam to pass, but once you have passed, you will be included on the Montana Nurses Aide Registry, and be a certified nursing assistant, who can legally work in the state.
According to Montana law, medical facilities can only hire trained and certified nursing assistants, so if you want to become a nurses aide in the state, you will need to complete the training and certification process.
Expected Earnings for a CNA in Montana
The average salary for certified nurses aides in Montana is about $21,700, which is below the national average for the career, but still not bad considering the minimal training required to enter the field. Starting salaries may also be less than that, depending on where you work, but you may be able to take additional training courses, and eventually qualify as a medical assistant or even a nurse.
Montana Nurse Aide Registry
Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services Certification Bureau
2401 Colonial Drive, Helena, MT 59620
Phone: (406) 444-4980
Montana State Board of Nursing
301 South Park
Helena, MT 59602
Phone: (406) 841-2340
Accredited CNA Training Classes & Programs in Montana
Benefis Health Care Nurse Aide Program – Great Falls
2621 15th Ave. South, Great Falls, MT 59405
Broadwater Health Center – Townsend
110 North Oak Street, Townsend, Montana 59644
Colonial Manor of Deer Lodge
1100 Texas Street, Deer Lodge, Montana 59722
Discovery Care Center Nurse Aide Training Course – Hamilton
601 North 10th Street, Hamilton, Montana 59840
Eagle Cliff Manor Nurse Aide Training Program – Billings
1415 Yellowstone River Rd., Billings, MT 59105
Faith Lutheran Home Campus Nurse Aide Course – Wolf Point
1000 6th Ave. North, Wolf Point, Montana 59201
Glendive Medical Center Nurse Aide Training Program
202 Prospect Drive, Glendive, Montana 59330
Heart and Hands Training CNA Class – Miles City
Rt. 1 Box 2245, Miles City, MT 59301
HI Line Retirement Center Nursing Assistant Program – Malta
801 South 3rd Street East, Malta, MT 59538
Immanuel Lutheran Home CNA Course – Kalispell
185 Crestline, Kalispell, Montana 59901
Liberty County Nursing Home CNA Class – Chester
P.O. Box 705, Chester, MT 59522
Montana Veteran’s Home – Columbia Falls
P.O. Box 250 , Columbia Falls, Montana 59912
Mountainview Medical Center – Sulphur
P.O. Box Q White, Sulphur, Montana 59645
Parkview Acres Care and Rehabilitation Nursing Assistant Course – Dillon
200 Oregon Street, Dillon, Montana 59725
Pioneer Medical Center CNA Course – Big Timber
301 West 7th Street, Big Timber, MT 59011
Pondera Medical Center LTC. Nurse Aide Training – Conrad
805 Sunset Blvd., Conrad, MT 59425
Rosebud Health Care Center – Forsyth
P.O. Box 268, Forsyth, MT 59327
Sidney Health Center EC Nurse Assistant Program
104 14th Avenue NW, Sidney, MT 59270
St. John’s Lutheran Ministries – Billings
3940 Rimrock Rd., Billings, Montana 59102
Wibaux County Nursing Home CNA Training Program
712 South Wibaux Street, Wibaux, MT 59353
