Find Your CNA Classes HERE
Boston is ranked the 5th top-paying metro area in the country, their CNA wages average $16 an hour. This has made CNA be a popular field to venture into in Boston. However, to become a CNA in Boston, you must graduate from an accredited course. The CNA course length varies per institution, and students need to be aware of the different institutions, what they offer and what they require. After completing the training courses, the student must sit for and pass the Massachusetts state exam to become a Certified Nursing Agent.
To enroll for CNA training in Boston you must at least be 16 years old. You must also pass a background check and you should have a high school diploma or GED. If you meet these requirements find an accredited free CNA training class in Boston. Massachusetts has a high CNA employment rate and boasts of over 500 registered nursing facilities, as such once you are certified a world of opportunities awaits you.
Let us take a look at some of the accredited free CNA training institutions in Boston that you can enroll with for your CNA training.
Boston Red Cross
Red Cross has been the gold standard in nurse assistant training since 1990. Boston Red Cross offers a hybrid CNA training program that blends both online and classroom learning. Red Cross provides information and skills training that enables graduates to provide quality care for individuals admitted in hospitals or in assisted living, nursing homes, or other healthcare settings which use the help of nursing aides.
The course content at Boston Red Cross focuses on critical thinking, decision-making, and team concepts. Communication skills and elements of care are also incorporated in the course content. Their Nursing Assistant Training program delivers an engaging career that meets the federal regulations. The course is taught by experienced and credentialed professional nurses who have in-depth knowledge of the field and can impart knowledge and competence.
The CNA Training Program with Red Cross takes generally about 4-8weeks. After completing the training, you will be eligible to sit for the state exam which when you pass it you become a Certified Nursing Assistant. Before sitting for the state exam, you may choose to take an optional online test preparation module to practice and improve your performance.
The tuition at Boston Red Cross is $1,900. Still some of the state grants cover this training so you can also get free CNA training this way.
North Shore Community College
North Shore Community College offers a dual certification program as a Nurse Assistant and Home Health Aide. This follows a 100-hour training program approved by the state Department of Health Services. This program is designed to prepare you for the Massachusetts Certified Nurse Assistant Exam. When you complete this course successfully, you will also receive a Home Health Aide Certificate, Hand in Hand Dementia Certification, and CPR Certification.
To be enrolled into North Shore College a student must satisfy the requirements. A CORI check is required and must be carried out in person a fortnight before the commencement of class. A valid photo ID is also required. Proof of immunization must also be presented together with a negative tuberculosis test.
The program fulfills the classroom hours on campus and the clinical experience in local healthcare facilities with supervision from Registered Nurse instructors. The program will teach you basic nursing skills necessary for the profession, including taking vital signs, patient care basics, moving or turning patients, bed bath, bed making, feeding, medical terminology, emergency procedures, and many others.
The CNA training program has a small class size. Thus, applicants have to submit their applications well before the deadline closes. North Shore Community College offers an affordable CNA training program in Boston, but students hoping to find free CNA classes can visit their financial aid office for scholarship programs and grants.
Health and Homecare Training Center
At Home Health Center, you will learn infection control, how to take vital signs, range motion of exercises, positioning and transferring, personal care skills and so much more. The training prepares you to sit for the Massachusetts State exam.
For admission, you must be vaccinated against COVID19, or at least 2weeks away from your final shot. You will not be able to start class without proof of vaccination ahead of time. A flu shot is also required during the flu season that is October to March.
A negative tuberculosis test reading within one year is also required, together with a chest x-ray done within the past 5years. An MMR proof of immunization must also be presented together with a physical performed within one 1year. Students are also required to provide proof of their social security number. It is required for the institution to run a CORI request. A social security number is also required to sit for the Massachusetts Nurse Assistant Certification exam.
The tuition is $2100. If you are one of the lucky ones, who qualify for outside scholarship, you may get your tuition reimbursed and get free CNA training in HHTC.
Holyoke Community College & Natural Sciences
The nursing assistant program at the College provides students with classroom, laboratory, and clinical training. Four clinical days have been scheduled from 8 am to 3:30 pm at local nursing homes. This Nurse’s Assistant training program is the best initial plan to start a career in the medical profession, as it focuses on the principles and values of the healthcare field.
Students will develop their career path through a solid foundation of knowledge given by clinical instructors. They will become proficient in basic nursing assistant tasks with the help of classroom lectures, clinical practice, media demonstrations, and small group activities.
To be eligible for admission to free and paid CNA classes you have to pass the CORI and SORI background check. The training equips you with the skills and knowledge you will need to take the Massachusetts Nurse Aide Certification Test with the American Red Cross and be ready to enter employment immediately.
After you complete the program, you will sit for a certification exam. After successfully passing the state exam you can now practice as a Certified Nursing Assistant in healthcare facilities. Holyoke Community College & Natural Sciences is an excellent training ground to become a healthcare provider; students wishing to have a free CNA class must visit the financial aid office.
Middlesex Community College
The Nursing Assistant Certificate program in the Academy of Health The program combines theory and Professions prepares students for entry-level employment as a nursing assistant. The CNA Training program fulfills the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as it combines both theory and practice instruction with long-term care experiences.
Upon completing this nursing assistant training program, you become eligible to take and pass the American Red Cross Examination which makes you become a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Classes are offered in different formats which include evening, weekend, and online classes. You are required to attend all classes and pass clinical labs with a hundred percent competency. You are also required to attend all off-site clinical rotations which make you eligible to take on the nursing assistant certification examination.
Please note that Middlesex Community College does not offer transportation to and from the clinical sites, you must be able to cater for this. The institution does not cover the costs of the professional attire used during class rotations, this means that you buy your scrubs and white sneakers. You also have to buy your textbooks.
Bunker Hill Community College
Bunker Hill Community College offers a three format CNA training program. This makes sore that you become a trained professional who supports the nursing staff in hospitals, long-term facilities, and rehabilitation clinics providing basic patient care. After completing the following courses successfully you will be eligible for certification by the American Red Cross.
You should complete the Principles of Clinical Practice. This course is conducted online and focuses on the theoretical part of nursing assistant training. The course includes the anatomy and physiology of body systems, diseases, and conditions, ethics in healthcare. The course also covers communication skills, medical terminology, and standard transmission-based precautions.
The second course covers 2-3 nights per week of learning Patient Care Skills, and this is carried out in class. This course equips the student with patient care theory and clinical skills that are necessary to take the Certified Nursing Aide and Home Health exams. Then the last part of the program is Practicum for Nurse Aide which is an off-site practicum. It covers 21 hours at a skilled nursing facility to fulfill the State Nurse Aide Certification requirement.
All students must undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) as well as a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI). This is a pre-requisite for clinical placement.
C&S Healthcare Training and Staffing LLC
The Nursing Assistant program at C&S Healthcare Training and staffing prepares you to be a skilled healthcare professional, by offering you standard teaching and client-centered clinical practice to meet the needs of the community and healthcare industry. You acquire such knowledge and skills through planned classroom theory/lab instruction and on-the-job training.
This Massachusetts state-approved CNA training course provides instruction and hands-on experience in the classroom, lab, and clinical setting. This provides basic Nursing Assistant skills required to work in a variety of healthcare settings.
Skills learned to include all the elements of safety measures, personal care, body mechanics, vital signs measurement, communication, observation, infection control, and resident rights. C&S Healthcare Training and Staffing CNA training course also include the exploration of geriatric care and care of a person with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.
The course is taught in English. After the course, you become eligible to sit for the state exam. Should you need extra help to understand the course contexts, C&S Healthcare Training and Staffing provides optional tutoring for students waiting to sit for their state exam. The optional tutoring can be done by appointment only off class scheduled hours at an extra charge.
Bristol Community College
Bristol Community College offers two CNA training options. Students have to choose between in-person classroom learning with hands-on skills training and clinical long-term care, and online learning with hands-on skills training and clinical long-term care.
This 114hour training course teaches nursing assistants through in-person classroom lectures, skills practice in the College’s fully equipped and state-approved CNA lab, and 24hour clinical placement in a long-term care facility. After successful completion of the course, you will be eligible to sit for the state NAT Competency Exam to become a CNA.
Upon completion, you will receive a Nurse Assistant Training Certificate, Home Health Aide Certificate, a Dementia Training Certificate, and a BLS for Healthcare Provider CPR Certification. The tuition is $1,095 and the cost of uniforms, books, and state testing fees are not included in the tuition. Scholarships may be available for students who meet the qualification requirements for those who need free CNA classes. The registration deadline is 2weeks before the commencement of class.
To meet the program requirements, prerequisite forms must be completed on the link that is sent to you via email after registration. On the link, students can securely upload a copy of a high school diploma or transcript or a GED, an up-to-date physical form, immunization record, negative tuberculosis test, proof of flu vaccine, and proof of COVID vaccine.
PEAK Medical Academy
Peak Medical Academy offers you a 100hour Nursing Assistant class and training program. The program includes 75hours of lectures, theory, and lab practice, in addition to that, it includes 21hours of clinical experience. Clinical experience is covered at a long-term care facility that is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The course is designed to provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills which will be essential in proving quality healthcare to patients in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and at home.
Peak Medical Academy has a flexible class schedule. With morning, evening as well as weekend classes, the training course accommodates almost everyone.
The CNA training at Peak Medical Academy is provided through a variety of means. These means include lectures, videos, games, role-playing, and laboratory practice. Through this, you are provided with techniques and instruction in the basics of personal care, feeding, and how to safely move and position patients. Each component of the course is rooted in the 5 elements of care which are, independence, dignity, communication, safety, and infection control.
To be eligible for admission, you must be 16 years old or more, you should provide a CORI check before clinical experience and the CORI check is done at your own expense as well. You must also provide a negative PPD reading or normal chest x-ray which should not be more than one year old by the time of clinical rotation. Currently we are not aware of any free CNA classes in PMA.
MASSBAY Community College
MassBay Nurse Assistant training program is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In a period of 8weeks, MassBay prepares Nursing Assistant Training students to be ready for the Red Cross Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation Test for an entry-level healthcare career. It offers a 120hours certificate training program which includes 80hours of lecture/laboratory hours online and 40 clinical hours at a long-term care facility.
The course includes basic skills training, such as checking and monitoring vital signs as well as dealing with a wide range of patients’ and residents’ needs. The other roles taught at MassBay are personal care, food service, hygiene, and infection control among other basic nursing skills. The classes are designed to ensure an intimate student-centered environment, as a result, the classes are held online and are small. During the week classes take place online and hands-on clinical experiences on weekends.
You must be at least 18years old to be accepted and you should have a high school diploma or GED. You must also complete the SORI and CORI forms to authorize a search of records for previous criminal offenses. Participation in the program’s clinical component depends on the SORI and CORI checks which may result in denial or acceptance. Scholarships are available through MassBay Foundation for those students who are looking for free CNA classes or can not afford them for whatever reason.
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston
Catholic Charities offer a CNA training program to equip students with relevant skills and knowledge before sitting for the state certification. The state of Massachusetts requires one to pass a state certification exam in order to be a Certified Nursing Assistant, hence this training is preparation for you to successfully pass your exam.
Only day classes are offered, but in two formats, the first format lasts for 7 weeks with classes running on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The second batch runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, lasting for 9weeks. In both class formats lectures start from 9 am-3 pm including a 15minute break and lunch breaks.
The full tuition is $900, this includes uniforms, books, and training materials. The tuition does not include the $100 state certification exam. Note that Catholic charities do not offer financial assistance. However, the institution offers you a payment plan after the initial deposit, this allows you to pay while attending school. By graduation, you should be paid in full. So this is not exactly free CNA training, but loan free way to get your training quickly.
JVS Boston
JVS offers two nurse aide career options, the 6week training, and the 14week training options. The 14week training includes 100hours of ESOL training in addition to aide training. Specializes in skills for working with frail adults. The program specializes in training aides in long-term care through classroom instruction and hands-on clinical experience. The 6weeks CNA training serves fluent English speakers but does not offer ESOL classes. It also specializes in skills for working in a hospital setting.
Both of the CNA training programs prepare you for the American Red Cross Nursing Assistant Test to become a CNA, and they both include individual job coaching. JVS guarantees a full-time job with benefits at participating hospitals for students who successfully complete the program.
For the 6 weeks of training, a high school diploma or equivalent is needed for enrolment. You must be able to lift 50 lbs without restrictions and you must also take part in a criminal record and drug screening. The programs are offered at no cost to those selected to participate. Once again if outside scholarships are available you may be offered one for free CNA training at JVS, currently however we are not aware of any that the school offers themselves.