Why is it so important to Renew Your CNA License in time?
As a CNA, your CNA license or certification is the most important piece of document you possess. It is the most guaranteed proof that you are authorized to work as a certified nursing assistant as well as certified trained, skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to patient care. But since your CNA license has an expiry date, you’ll need to renew you license. Usually, you are required to renew your license every two years. It is important to renew your CNA license in order to keep working as a CNA and to maintain your good reputation as a CNA.
When it comes to renewing your CNA license, there is one major requirement you need to meet. You must have worked and have been an active CNA for the past two years. Meeting this requirement would make it easy for you to renew your CNA license. If you have not been working as CNA in the past two years, you can also renew your license. The only problem is that renewing your license without meeting the major requirement has complications such as the fact that you may be required to train and re-take the examination once again, which can be costly and stressful.
Follow these basic steps for CNA License Renewal
Complete the major requirement. Renewing your CNA license requires you to be an active and practicing CNA for the past two years. If you are indeed a practicing CNA and currently employed, you must prove the licensing agency that it is true. To do this, you must present documents signed by your current employer stating that you are indeed a practicing CNA for two years or more already. If you are unemployed for two years, simply tell the agency and then they will tell you what to do to be able to renew your license.
Ensure your records are clean from felony and other crimes. If you have never been employed for the past two years and you want to renew your CNA license, you need to prove the agency that you are qualified and one of the things they are going to check is whether or not you have criminal convictions in the past two years. Even if you are currently working as a CNA, your background will also be checked as to whether or not complaints of malpractice and negligence have been filed against you.
File your CNA license renewal on time. After you have completed the documents you need to present as well as ensured that you do not have any criminal convictions, the next step is to go to the licensing agency on time to renew your license. Going there on time can spare you so many troubles such as getting training and re-examination, etc. It s also best to go as early as possible so that you can finish you renewal application right away.
Ask for a license renewal form and fill it out. When it comes to license renewal application process, the first step is always to fill out the license renewal application form. Here, you are required to fill out your personal information. You must accurately fill out your personal information so they wouldn’t have a hard time verifying your identity. This would make the application process very quick as well. Aside from filling out your personal information, you also need to have your employer fill out the employer section wherein your employer should attest that you are currently employed as a CNA.
Sign the form as well have your employer sign the employer section too. The application process won’t be complete without signing the CNA license renewal form. Signing the form means that you are attesting that the information you have provided about yourself is true. It also allows the agency to verify your identity through your signature. Plus, it is also important for you not to forget to have your employer sign the form as well.
Wait for 2-3 weeks. As mentioned, the application process of renewing your CNA license is a very quick process as you only have to fill out the form, sign and submit all the necessary documents they ask of you. After that, you don’t get to have your renewed license right away. Rather, you still need to wait for a few weeks. Usually, CNA license renewal takes 2-3 weeks of patient waiting before you finally get your renewed license. It is important to be patient and be aware that this is how the process works. You can check online from time to time to know the status of your renewal. You will then be notified if your renewed license is already available.
Not all CNAs aiming to renew their licenses are currently employed. There are also those who have never worked as a CNA for more than two years. For those who have never worked as a CNA, the renewal process is different and it does not stop by merely signing all the paperwork. Rather, you will be required to undergo CNA training once again as well as re-take the CNA exam. This is because the agency needs to ensure that you are indeed trained and skilled as well as truly capable to work as CNA and if you have never practiced your profession for many years, chances are you may not be as effective as before. In other words, you need to go back to where you started.
Once the process of renewing your CNA license is complete, you can confidently keep your job as a licensed, registered and certified nursing assistant. Just make sure you mark your expiry data again so you won’t forget to renew your license in the future. Taking the responsibility of renewing your CNA license will ensure that the CNA career path you took will always go smooth. After all, CNA license renewal is a very easy process, as long as you abide by the above-mentioned steps.
CNA License Renewal