Georgia Nursing Assistant / Nurse Aide Guide
Is a License or Certification needed: To get licensed and work as a nursing assistant or nurse aide in Georgia, and be listed on the Georgia State Nurse Aide Registry, you need to complete a state-certified nursing assistant program and pass the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) exam. This must have occurred within 4 months of being hired to work as a nurse aide in Georgia.
Who Grants Certification: The Georgia Department of Community Health grants certification to Georgia nursing assistants and nurse aides.
The Qualifications to become Certified: In order to receive a new nurse aide certification in the state of Georgia, you must have completed a state-approved nurse aide program within the past 24 months. This program must have a minimum of 16 hours of instruction. See here for more information.
How to Apply for Certification: Applying to be a certified nurse aide only takes finding a program in Georgia and following the program instructions. Your instructor will let you know what all you need to do to become certified. You can find a list of these programs here.
How to Apply to Take the Exam: Use this form to apply to take the NNAAP test. Fill out the form completely and mail it to:
NACES Plus Foundation, Inc.
8501 North Mopac Expressway, Suite 400
Austin, Texas 78759
Along with this application form, send:
- Fees payable only by certified check, company check, Pearson VUE voucher or money order to “Naces Plus Foundation, Inc.”
- Copy of 2 forms of ID
The NNAAP exam can be taken in the state of Georgia at one of these locations.
Test Content: The NNAAP test has two parts, a Skills Evaluation and a Written (or oral) part. Both parts must be passed to be listed on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry. The written section is 70 questions in length, 60 are multiple-choice and 10 are reading comprehension questions. Take two pencils with you. You will have two full hours to complete the exam. (The oral exam if given in place of the written exam is 160 questions in length.) The Skills Evaluation will be a 25 minute time period given to complete 5 randomly selected nurse aide skills. Content topics include:
- Activities of Daily Living – Hygiene, Dressing and Grooming, Nutrition and Hydration, Elimination, Rest/Comfort/Sleep
- Basic Nursing Skills - Infection Control, Safety/Emergency, Therapeutic/Technical Procedures, Data Collection and Reporting
- Restorative Skills – Prevention, Self-care/Independence
- Psychosocial Care Skills – Emotional and Mental Health Needs
- Spiritual and Cultural Needs
- Communication
- Client Rights
- Legal and Ethical Behavior
- Member of the Health Care Team
See the Candidate Handbook for more details.
Certification Renewal and Continuing Education Requirements: In order to keep your certification up to date, you need to have worked at least eight hours in the past 24 months. These must be paid, not volunteer, hours in a home health agency, hospital, hospice agency, nursing home or mental health facility within a two year period. To renew your nurse aide license, send in this application to:
Georgia Medical Care Foundation
PO Box 105753
Atlanta, GA 30348
It takes up to 14 days for processing.
Contact
GA Nurse Aide Registry
GA Health Partnership - GMCF
1455 Lincoln Parkway East, Suite 750
Atlanta, GA 30346-2200
Phone: 678-527-3010 (local) or
800-414-4358
Fax: 678-527-3001
