Taking TN class but challenging FL board?

[dancer_meggs]

Hi there I'm halfway through my CNA class in Tennessee , but I won't be living here during the time our class exams are schedualed. I should be living in Florida. Therefore I won't be able to swith any kind of certification. I'll be honest, I'm worried about challenging the skills for Florida b/c I don't know how nit picky the proctors are or how to do each skill . Can anybody tell me how har it is to challenge the skills portion of the Florida test? And any advice would be appreciated.

P.S. I really don't have the kind of money to pay for classes in Florida when I've already paid in Tennessee.

[CandAmommy]

If it were me I would just challenge it. You are taking a class all ready and will pretty much get the jist of things to prepare you. I wouldn't pay twice. Good luck!

[suzanne4, RN]

You are not challenging anything, you have to have completed training someplace to be able to sit for the CNA exam and testing of skills.

It is up to the state of Florida if they will accept your training from the previous state, they are the ones that make the final decision; it is not up to you. You will need to apply to them and then get their take on it.

Best of luck to you.

[dancer_meggs]

^

Actually that's not true. I've looked up Florida's procedures for challenging the boards and ANYBODY can challenge it, even those who have had absolutely no training. The fact that I complete any training at all will just help me to better do my job, that is, if I pass the state testing.

Florida takes any state's certification, but since I won't be certified when I leave Tennessee I need help as to know of how difficult it is to challenge the boards in Florida, and what I skills I will have to work on the most. Are there some skills (besides handwashing) that are routinely used?

[hvlqodvhiniyc]

You are correct about no training required to challenge FLACNA. There are 21 skills. You will be given 3 to complete: one personal care, one measurement, one movement. e.g., foot bath, BP, ambulate. Check out the clinical skillset checklist here http://prometric.com/NurseAide/FL.htm

Some ways to fail the three examples. Respectively, apply lotion between the toes, forget to record AM/PM, walk out of step while supporting pt w/only one hand. Those are easy mistakes that lead to a fail, not just "take some points off the score." I looked at TN's skills checklist from hdmaster.com. It is really close. You would be rolling the dice depending on the skill. Would it mess you up changing an occupied bed to walk in the test center and see that in FL we have no bedrails and you can't raise the bed? Upper body ROM is almost exact, but FL also adds elbow wrist and fingers. That's a toss up on whether an ad lib would work. Provided all else was correct with good indirect care, you'd probably pass that one skill in both states using the TN checklist and added finger flexion. I'm sure you'll pass the FL written with the TN training. But knowing now what I had to remember and study for the FLCNA I'd be very reluctant to suggest a friend challenge without taking a FL prep class. You might be a good student and a natural at test taking and be OK.

[hvlqodvhiniyc]

In another thread you (dancer_meggs) posted that you were 16 and had not yet graduated from high school.

You must be 18 OR have a High School diploma OR equivalent to challenge (E 3) the CNA exam.

In Florida, you must be 18 to take the GED (High School equivalency diploma) or receive an age waiver from the local School Board.

You might be able to take the CNA exam without a HS diploma or GED, and be under 18 years of age, as an E 4 "Other Nurse Training" applicant. I would seek clarification from the Board of Nursing first.