Online CNA courses- Florida?

WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN · Oct 26, 2012

There aren't any to my knowledge. Considering that CNA work is all clinical I don't see a point to doing the course online. If you're just looking for a requirement to take the test, just sign up for it. You can challenge the test with no experience.

maddiem · Oct 27, 2012

Yeah you won't find a CNA course online...And if you do, it would be SUPER sketchy and most likely not accredited...A CNA course has a lot of clinical work and lab time involved in it. My CNA class met 3 days a week for 5-6 hours a day - one day lecture, another for lab, and the last for clinical. My course lasted 8 weeks.

IHeartNursing321 · Oct 27, 2012

I tried looking for an online CNA course (I am from Florida too ) and they all seemed sketchy. The clinical component is important and you will not get that in an online course (videos do not count! lol). If you do go ahead with an online course, make sure to google their reviews. I decided to do a 6 week classroom/clinical course and I do not regret it. It can be pricey but its worth it once you get a job. My CNA school costed $800 but I just got a job at the hospital making like $4 above minimum wage. You also meet a lot of people in your class with similar interests and clinicals make for some funny stories. Good luck!

f_nurse2b16 · Oct 28, 2012

Ok. I get it. They're aren't any. I only asked because the CNA course at my local community college starts around the same time that I get ready to leave for school again, leaving me with not much time look for a job afterwards.

f_nurse2b16 · Oct 28, 2012

meant to say to*

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2012

Here's a list of CNA providers Approved by Florida State Nursing Board.None are totally online, if you google one and are they are not on this list then they are NOT APPROVED. Most you might find is a hybrid, part online part clinical. Click on website below, Place your mouse on the "Forms and Training" icon on this page and click on "Training Programs" it is a pdf file. Any further info you need on becoming a CNA in Florida is on that site.

Education Information - Certified Nursing Assistants - Education Information

Note if you are or plan to be a nursing student, the first semester covers CNA training and you will be able to challange the exam, and hospitals hire nursing students as PCT/CNA once the first set of clinicals are completed, that is an option you have. I was thinking of taking a CNA course too, but I will just wait once I get in a nursing program.

In Florida you can also self train on your own using CNA videos, there are many threads for that on allnurses.com and then you just challange the exam. Only risk is your employer might have a requirement in the job that states you need to show "proof of completion of CNA course from approved provider". Hope this helps.

f_nurse2b16 · Oct 28, 2012

man-nurse2b Thank you so much!! :)

jennintampa · Apr 30

I know this thread is super old, but I wanted to add to this since I just went through the process myself.

What ArrowRN says is essentially true; however, there is some subtlety in the self training and exam challenging path. From what I've seen, online CNA courses are set up as Challenger programs, in that they are not accredited courses, but they set you up to take the CNA state exam as a challenger. This was also the same with the weekend in person intensive CNA courses I looked into.

At the end I decided to go with an online CNA course. I won't share the name since I don't want to promote and break rules, but just search for online CNA courses in Florida and you'll get a bunch. I get the feeling they're pretty much all the same.

You can probably get all the material in the course for free through a mix of YouTube and Google, but I went with the course for the peace of mind of having help when I needed and assistance with the state exam application process.

The whole process takes about 2 to 3 months I'd say. I had a job lined up once I got my CNA so I can't speak much for whether employers look any different on online course students. I got the impression they mostly just cared you had a valid CNA license, which you get after succesfully completing the state exam. So while technically there are no state approved online CNA courses, you can still get a CNA license through an online course. The state exam, of course, still has to be done in person.

The one caveat I did see was that if you plan on transfering your CNA license to another state in the future, then some states will actually require that they approve the course structure itself, so it is possible that you may not be able to transfer your Florida CNA license to some states if you go this route. Hope this helps.