New Mexico CNA Requirements and State Approved Training Programs

 

In nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living facilities, Certified Nurse Aides take responsibility for the day-to-day caregiving of patients and residents. They move residents into their wheelchairs, monitor their general health, assist with personal care and contribute to safe and quality care in the facilities where they work. Like other states, CNAs in New Mexico must receive training that prepares them to work with people with both chronic and acute health care needs. While the work is not easy, many people use this avenue to gain entry into the healthcare industry. New Mexico’s Department of Health requires prospective nurse assistants to complete state-sanctioned training for certification and inclusion on the Nurse Aide Registry.

CNA Classes in New Mexico:

• CNA Classes Albuquerque, NM

Certification Requirements

Federal and state rules require nurse assistants, who work in Medicaid-approved nursing facilities, to fulfill specific training and testing requirements to acquire certification before providing direct care services to residents. This requirement ensures that the quality of care extended to seniors, and disabled members of society is above board. In order to uphold federal and state requirements, employers at state-funded facilities must verify the criminal background and training of every prospective nurse assistant employee. New Mexico health care services employers must ensure new employees are in good standing on the state’s Nurse Aide Registry.

Nurse aide students or graduates can work for an initial period of 120 days (4 months) while pursuing training, testing, and certification. If you work during that 4-month period prior to placement on the registry, you can only perform duties for which you’ve been trained. Military-trained nurse assistants, nursing students, foreign nurses, and out-of-state CNAs in expired status, can apply to the DOH for exemption from training and proceed directly to take the state competency exam for inclusion on the registry.

Prerequisites to Training

Every training provider stipulates its own requirements for enrollment. While the DOH would not exclude anyone based on educational background or lack of it, training providers may stipulate a high school diploma as a prerequisite to entry. The bulk of New Mexico’s approved training providers are colleges and universities. Many of them stipulate a high school diploma, but there are a few that will accept a passing grade on an entry assessment. If you decide to study further to become an RN or LPN, a high school diploma will prove to be a valuable asset.

Following are some other prerequisites to training:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• High school diploma or GED equivalent (depends on the training provider)
• Physical exam
• Negative TB test or chest x-ray (less than 6 months)
• Two forms of state ID
• Up-to-date immunization
• Current, clean background as evidenced by a criminal background check (fingerprint method)
• Current Healthcare Provider CPR card

New Mexico Certified Nurse Aide Training Requirements

Nursing assistants must complete at least 75 hours of state-accredited training for certification. Training programs comprise of both classroom work and a clinical rotation where students get the chance to provide hands-on care by assisting with activities of daily living at long-term care facilities. Students must attend all 75 hours of training in order to qualify for the state competency exam. The state curriculum requires at least 59 hours in a classroom setting where students learn the roles and responsibilities of nurse assistants, vital signs, anatomy, physiology, safety and emergency, infection control, communication and interpersonal skills, observation and reporting, death and dying.

The final 16 hours cover the clinical rotation where students work in teams to provide care under the direction of a licensed nurse. The classroom and clinical training will prepare graduates for success on the state certification exam and immediate entry into the healthcare workforce.

Training programs run about $600 to $900, which is usually reimbursed by the student’s first employer after certification.

Cost of CNA Training New Mexico

New Mexico’s nurse assistant training programs cost $550 to $850 – a cost you can easily recover from your first employer after certification. You can also ask your current employer to sponsor the training if you work in a medical facility or nursing home. Due to the short-term nature of nurse assistant classes, there are very few options for financial aid available. However, you should take time to discuss options for funding with a financial aid advisor. Always budget funds for other expenses, such as books, scrubs, medical tools, background check, physical exam, TB test, immunization and state certification.

Nurse Aide Testing

Prometric is the governing body that administers New Mexico’s nurse aide competency exam. Graduates of state-sanctioned training programs are eligible to test along with military-trained nurse aides, nursing students, licensed nurses, foreign nurses, and inactive CNAs (with DOH approval). After reviewing your application for testing, Prometric will issue an authorization to test letter, which you must bring to the testing center.

If you’re employed or receive an offer of employment from a Medicaid-funded facility, the state of New Mexico will pay your fees for testing. Prometric issues the computerized test at several testing centers across the state. The knowledge-based component comprises of 60 multiple choice questions; you’ll have 90 minutes to take the test. You can opt to take the written test in oral form if you have difficulty reading English. Apart from the 60 multiple choice questions, the oral test has 15 reading comprehension questions.

The timed clinical test ranges from 31 to 40 minutes based on the skills assigned. You’ll have to perform 5 skills; Handwashing and Indirect Care plus three other skills assigned at random. If you fail one or both components of the competency exam, you can retest up to two times over a 4-month period.

Certification Costs

• Written and skills exam – $105
• Oral and skills exam – $115.50
• Written retest – $38.85
• Skills retest – $66.15
• Oral retest – $49.35

Walk with the following items on exam day:

• Arrive at least 30 minutes before the exam
• Two forms of signature identification – one must contain your photo
• Social security number
• Authorization to test letter
• Wear scrubs and closed-toed shoes for the skills exam

Out-of-State CNAs

If you’re moving to New Mexico from another state, you can apply for reciprocity as long as your certification is still active and in good standing. The registry will need documentation of your training, certification, and listing on the registry. They will not approve the application if there are findings of abuse or neglect on your record.

Renewal

You can renew your license after the first two years if you:

• Work at least 8 hours for compensation as a nurse aide during the 24-month certification period. You must complete the work under the supervision of a licensed nurse.
• Download and fill out the employment verification form.

Your new certification will be for two years from your last reported date of employment.

Contact the Registry:

New Mexico Department of Health

Division of Health Improvement

Health Facility Licensing and Certification Bureau

2040 S. Pacheco Street, 2nd Floor, Room 413

Santa Fe, NM 87505

Phone: (505) 476-9040

Phone: (505) 827-1453

State Approved CNA Training Programs in New Mexico

Alamogordo, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Betty Dare Good Samaritan Center

3101 N. Florida Avenue, Alamogordo, NM 88310

(575) 434-0038

Alamogordo, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

New Mexico State University

2400 N. Scenic Drive, Alamogordo, NM 88311

(575) 439-3807

Albuquerque, NM High Schools offering CNA programs:

Albuquerque Public Schools

807 Mountain Road Ne, Albuquerque, NM 87102

(505) 243-3658

Albuquerque, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Central New Mexico Community College

525 Buena Vista Se, Albuquerque, NM 87106

(505) 224-3000

Albuquerque, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Manzano Del Sol

5201 Roma Ne, Albuquerque, NM 87108

(505) 262-2311

Princeton Place

500 Louisiana Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, NM 87108

(505) 255-1717

Universal Care Home Health Agency Inc.

8015 Mountain Road Ne Suite 116b, Albuquerque, NM 87110

(505) 990-1958

Carlsbad, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Lakeview Christian Home Health

1300 N. Canal Street, Carlsbad, NM 88220

(575) 887-3947

Carlsbad, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

New Mexico State University-Carlsbad

1500 University Drive, Carlsbad, NM 88220

(575) 234-9200

Clovis, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Clovis Community College

417 Schepps Boulevard, Clovis, NM 88101

(575) 769-2811

Crownpoint, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Navajo Technical College

Po Box 849, Crownpoint, NM 87313

(505) 786-4100

Deming, NM High Schools offering CNA programs:

Deming High School

501 West Florida, Deming, NM 88030

(575) 546-2678

Espanola, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Espanola Valley Nursing-Rehabilitation Center

720 Hacienda Street, Espanola, NM 87532

(505) 753-6769

Espanola, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Northern New Mexico Community College

921 Paseo De Onate, Espanola, NM 87532

(505) 747-2111

Farmington, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Life Care Center Of Farmington

1101 West Murray Drive, Farmington, NM 87401

(505) 326-1600

Farmington, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

San Juan College

4601 College Boulevard, Farmington, NM 87402

(505) 566-3496

Ft. Bayard, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Fort Bayard Medical Center

PO Box 36219, Ft. Bayard, NM 88036

(505) 537-3303

Gallup, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

University Of New Mexico-Gallup

200 College Road, Gallup, NM 87301

(505) 863-7593

Hobbs, NM Freestanding CNA programs:

Olive Leaf Institute School For Learning

2825 Dal Paso, Hobbs, NM 88240

(575) 392-7775

Las Cruces, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Dacc Gadsden Center

3400 South Espina Street, Las Cruces, NM 88003

(575) 527-7500

Dona Ana Branch Community College

3400 S. Espina, Las Cruces, NM 88003

(575) 527-7500

Las Vegas, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Luna Community College

366 Luna Drive, Las Vegas, NM 87701

(505) 454-2500

Las Vegas, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Vida Encantada Rehab-Nursing

2301 Collins Drive, Las Vegas, NM 87701

(505) 425-9362

Los Lunas, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

University Of New Mexico-Valencia Campus

280 La Entrada, Los Lunas, NM 87031

(505) 925-8611

Portales, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Heartland Continuing Care Center

1604 West 18th Street, Portales, NM 88130

(505) 359-4719

Roosevelt General Hospital

PO Drawer 868, Portales, NM 88130

(575) 356.6652

Ranchos De Taos, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

University Of New Mexico

1157 County Road 110, Ranchos De Taos, NM 87557

(505) 758-7648

Raton, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Miner’s Colfax Medical Center

900 South Sixth, Raton, NM 87740

(505) 445-2741

Raton Nursing And Rehabilitation Center

1660 Hospital Drive, Raton, NM 87740

(575) 445-2734

Roswell, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Eastern NM University

PO Box 6000, Roswell, NM 88202

(575) 524-2510

Roswell, NM Freestanding offering CNA programs:

Roswell Job Corps

57 G Street, Roswell, NM 88202

(575) 347-7468

Roswell, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Sunset Villa Care Center

1515 S. Sunset Avenue, Roswell, NM 88203

(505) 623-7097

Ruidoso, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Eastern New Mexico University

709 Mechem Drive, Ruidoso, NM 88345

(800) 367-3668

Santa Fe, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Santa Fe Care Center

635 Harkle Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(505) 982-2574

Santa Fe, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Santa Fe Community College

6401 Richard Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87508

(505) 428-1323

Santa Teresa, NM Freestanding CNA programs:

Anamarc Education Institute

2660 Airport Road, Suite 780, Santa Teresa, NM 88008

(915) 351-8100

Emerald Nursing School

1074 Country Club, Suite B-3, Santa Teresa, NM 88008

(915) 751-3378

Silver City, NM Colleges and Universities offering CNA programs:

Western New Mexico University

PO Box 680, Silver City, NM 88062

(575) 574-5140

Socorro, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Socorro Good Samaritan Village

PO Box 1279, Socorro, NM 87801

(575) 835-2724

Truth Or Consequences, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Sierra Home Health And Hospice

1400 N. Silver, Truth Or Consequences, NM 87901

(575) 743-1100

Tucumcari, NM Nursing Homes and Hospitals offering CNA programs:

Dr. Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital

301 East Miel De Luna Avenue, Tucumcari, NM 88401

(575) 461-7000