Montana Nursing Assistant / Nurse Aide Guide
Is a License or Certification needed: To get certified and work as a nursing assistant or nurse aide in Montana, you need to complete a nursing assistant program and pass a nursing aide exam. You must also be listed on the state’s nurse aide registry.
Who Grants Certification: The Montana Department of Health and Human Services maintains the registry of nursing assistants. A company called D & S Diversified grants certification to nursing assistants.
The Qualifications to become Certified: There are two routes of eligibility in order to qualify for receiving a nursing assistant registration in Montana. These include:
- You have successfully completed a 120 hour Montana state-approved training program within the past year; or
- You have graduated from or are a student of a nursing school and have the Montana Board of Nursing approved Waiver Request form to prove it – reasons for a waiver request would be military or foreign nurse aide experience
- In addition to one of the above options, you must have successfully completed a clear background check.
How to Apply for Certification and to take the Exam: In order to apply for nursing assistant certification in Montana, you will need to:
- Have proof of completion of a Montana state-approved nurse aide 120-hour training program; or
- Proof of employment if your training was completed more than two years ago;
- Apply to take the Montana nursing assistant examination. The application can be found here.
Fill out the application and send it along with proof of the above qualifications to:
P.O. Box 6609
Helena, MT 59604-6609
Completed paper applications must be received by Headmaster eight business days ahead of test day or express charges will occur. Business days exclude holidays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Test Content: The nursing assistant exam has two parts, a written section and a skills evaluation. Both parts must be passed to be listed on the Montana Nurse Aide Registry. The written section is 75 questions in length. You will have 90 minutes to complete the exam. The written exam covers the following topics:
- Safety
- Communication
- Infection Control
- Data Collection
- Personal Care
- Basic Nursing Skills
- Mental Health
- Role and Responsibility
- Care Impaired
- Disease Process
- Resident Rights
- Older Adult Growth and Development
You can find all details for the written exam here.
The Skills Evaluation will be a 40 minute time period given to complete four selected nurse aide skills. The first skill with be either the Bedpan/Measuring Output Skill or the Perineal Care Skill. You must actually wash your hands during this first skill. For the last 3 skills, you may use hand sanitizer instead of washing with soap and water.
Certification Renewal and Continuing Education Requirements: According to Montana Law, to renew your license, it is required that you have worked 16 hours and had 24 hours of in-service at your place of employment in the paid role of a nurse aide during the past 24 months. This must be paid employment, not volunteer work, and in a nursing environment such as a nursing home, home health setting or a hospital.
You can renew your license with the Montana Nurse Aide Registry. Be sure to apply for renewal of your certification before it lapses because Montana’s nurse aide certification has no grace period. Fill out, print, sign and date your renewal forms and have your employer sign them as well before sending them into the Montana Nurse Aide Registry.
If your certification has already lapsed, you must either retake the CNA training program or contact the D &S Diversified Headmaster at (406) 442-8656.
The renewal application can be found here.
Contact
MT Nurse Aide Registry
MT Department of Public Health & Human Services
2401 Colonial Drive, 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 202953
Helena, MT 59620-2953
Phone: 406-444-4980
Fax: 406-444-3456
