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Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) assist registered nurses (RNs) and other medical personnel in a hospital or clinical setting.
If you're interested in becoming a CNA, pre-training will help your certification run more smoothly.
While you can't typically complete your full certification online, there are plenty of courses and classes available for free.
Some of these online programs can carry you all the way to the point of a supervised internship, which is required for certification.
Best Free Online CNA Courses
Keep reading to get details on some of the best CNA courses available online that you can take for free.
1. Ballad Health Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program
Ballad Health offers a hybrid program with all classroom content delivered online in a self-paced, asynchronous format.
Clinical hours and skills lab practice must be completed in person at a local Ballad Health location.
The program qualifies you to sit for the Tennessee state certification examination. Ballad Health covers the exam fee for program graduates.
To qualify for the program, you must be at least 17 years of age and have a high school diploma or be within six months of graduation.
CPR, AED, and First Aid Course
This free online course is offered by National Health Care Provider Solutions (NHCPS) on the Alison platform.
The course lasts around three hours at most and teaches you the first aid basics you will need to know as a CNA.
While the course doesn't make you eligible to sit for a state certification exam, you do get a certificate of completion.
Additional hands-on experience is required before you can become certified in first aid or sit for the CNA exam.
Diploma in Nursing and Patient Care
The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) offers this free course on the Alison platform to help boost your nursing skills.
After 10 to 15 hours of online study, you have the opportunity to earn an online certificate in nursing.
You'll learn basic health and safety measures for nurses as well as the role nurses play in various aspects of patient care.
This free course doesn't qualify you to sit for a CNA exam, but it does provide a solid foundation of nursing knowledge for you to build on.
Foundations of Nursing Course
This free course is published by Study Box on the Alison platform and lasts around four to five hours.
Within a long afternoon, you can learn basic necessary knowledge and skills that are necessary for a career in nursing.
The course also covers some medical terminology, evidence-based practice, and management of common medical conditions.
While you won't be ready to sit for a CNA exam after completing this course, you'll have a good background in basic medical care.
Introduction to Medical Terminology Course
For many people, medical terminology is the most difficult part of a nursing career. This free course can help.
Offered by Apex Learning on the Alison platform, the course lasts about three hours and includes a final assessment.
The course includes a breakdown of suffixes, prefixes, and root words to help you dissect and understand terminology without memorization.
You'll also learn the names for various pieces of equipment commonly used in a medical setting so you can identify those with ease.
Nursing Studies–Patient Care and Hygiene Course
Patient care and hygiene is typically one of the primary responsibilities for a CNA, so this free course can really give you a leg up.
Offered by MEDCoE on the Alison platform, this free course lasts a maximum of three hours.
You'll learn basic as well as advanced hygiene procedures so you can assist with patient safety and comfort and prevent disease spread.
Go for this course if you don't have any experience in a medical setting and want a good understanding of hygiene practices.
Procareer Academy Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program
Procareer's CNA program is approved by the state of California to train you for potential licensing and certification as a CNA.
The hybrid program includes online coursework. However, all clinical hours and skills labs must be completed in person.
Clinical instruction takes place at Procareer Academy's facilities in Whittier and Escondido, CA.
Online coursework is a live, in-person class that you can attend from anywhere, but you must be present with your camera on.
FAQs About Free Online CNA Classes
Read on for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about online CNA classes that are available free of charge.
Can You Become a CNA Fully Online?
No, you can't complete all of the education to become a CNA online, but you can get a good head start.
CNA licensure and certification programs require hands-on experience that can't be duplicated through online education.
How Do I Become a CNA?
Most states require you to sit for an exam and undergo a specific number of hours of supervised training to get certified.
Free online CNA courses can help prepare you for the written exam so that you don't have to take a formal in-person course.
How Long Does It Take to Become a CNA?
CNA training typically takes four to eight weeks to complete. This includes supervised hours required for certification.
To complete the certification process, you usually have to sit for an exam. Provided you pass on the first go, you can become a CNA.
Find the Best Online CNA Training Today
If you want to gain a good educational background in what you'll need to know as a CNA, choose one of the free online CNA training courses listed above.
