About CNA Basics

CNA Basics is a small reference site for people considering nursing assistant training — students comparing programs, career changers, and anyone trying to separate what federal and state rules actually require from what program marketing implies.

We stick to a narrow job: explaining how CNA training and certification are structured. That means the federal hour requirements, the split between online-friendly classroom work and required in-person hours, how the national exam is organized, and what an approved curriculum must teach. We cite the federal regulation, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the official exam administrator, and government-published references, and we link them on every guide page.

An honest note on what this site is not: these pages are reviewed reference material, not professional, career, or medical advice. Rules differ by state, and the only authoritative answer for your situation comes from your state's nurse aide registry, your state's candidate handbook, and the programs themselves. Use this site to understand the landscape and to know which questions to ask — then confirm the specifics with the official sources before you enroll or pay anything.