CNA license??? Please help

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Hey everyone, so im a 17 year old CNA that has to wait until i turn 18 to get a job. I turn 18 in January which is about 5 months from now. I just got my NAR last month in july and it expires on my birthday. And i have yet to mail the paperwork and 48 dollars to receive my CNA license. So i was wondering when i send for my CNA license and get it, will it expire the same time my NAR expires which is on my birthday? If so, would i have to retake the state certification test and pass in order to renew it since i have not worked as a CNA yet? Pretty stressful if so because i plan to work asap when i turn 18. I live in Washington state by the way. Thanks for reading and thanks if you take the time to reply! -Joseph

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It might be best to contact your state BON or licensing agency for answers. They will have the most accurate information for you.

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Does Washington have LICENSES for nursing assistants, or do you mean certification and/or registration?

Licenses typically involve the Board of Nursing; Certificates typically are found under the Department of Health jurisdiction.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

Check with the Dept of Health to confirm what the exact window is, but my experience is that if you get your initial cert with in a couple months of your birthday the cert will not expire right away (e.g. on your birthday 5 weeks after you got it) but will be good through the following year's birthday. This is how it worked out for me.

You MUST take the state exam and pass in order to receive that CNA certification, sending in the paperwork and fee is not enough. NAR is nursing assistant - registered, meaning you've taken training and registered with the state, NAC - is nursing assistant - certified, meaning your skills have been checked off by the state and you are certified as having the basic competencies a nursing assistant needs. The NAR exists to allow individuals who've taken the course work to start working before passing the exam and receiving their certificate from the Dept of health.

I do recommend that you take the CNA exam before you turn 18 and your NAR expires as it can take 6-8 weeks to receive the certification. If I've misunderstood your post and you already took the and passed the exam and just need to mail in your paperwork for certification I would call the Dept of Health and explain the situation to them and see what they advise.

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