Becoming a nursing assistant is a great way to get into the medical industry, since it doesn’t take long to get your degree. In other to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA), you need to complete an accredited program and take the licensing exam. From there, you can work in your field, and you can also decide to late build on your education to become an LPN, RN, physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner, or other type of worker in this field. So what kind of degree do you need to become a nursing assistant?

To work in this field, you need a degree from a CNA certificate problem. These programs typically last only 12 weeks, and some are even shorter, depending on the time you put into your classes. Online colleges are great for students who want to be nursing assistants, as these classes are more flexible, which is great for people who are changing careers, working while they’re going to school, or raising a family.

According to federal regulations, nursing assistant programs must be a minimum of 150 hours. Of those hours, 50 of them have to be theory, which is what you’ll typically complete online, and then you must also complete 100 hours of clinical training, which is supervised at a medical facility like a hospital or nursing home. In these classes, you’ll learn skills such as transporting patients, feeding patients, answer calls and responding in emergencies, observing patients, preparing treatments, helping patients exercise, and readily patients for surgery and other treatments.

After you complete your course, you need to take the CNA exam in order to get your license. In order to keep that license, which you need to work in any of the fifty states, you need to complete at least 48 hours of training every two years. This will allow you to keep your skills sharp, as well as learn new skills to keep up with technology and be qualified for higher-paying jobs.

Working as a certified nursing assistant can open up many doors when it comes to your career. You can get started in just a few months with a CNA degree program, and from there you can go on to pursue other types of medical degrees. While working in this field, you can also learn about the different specialties within nursing, which can help you make key educational choices in the future, if you choose to pursue an advanced education.

No matter what your ultimate career goals, it doesn’t take long to be qualified to work as a certified nursing assistant, which means that you could be earning a higher salary before the end of the year. There’s a high demand for workers in this industry, so getting this degree could be your key to finding a job, no matter what the market is like.

Becoming a nursing assistant will usually require you to have at least an associate's degree and possibly LPN/LVN licensure. While there is no specific nurse assistant degree program offered online, the programs offered by the online schools below will help you get started in your endeavors.

	Kaplan University — Kaplan offers an associate's degree in medical assisting designed to cover a variety of subjects, including community nursing care, health informatics, management, and more.
	Herzing University — Herzing offers an AS degree in medical assisting curriculum that is designed to prepare students for assisting in numerous healthcare settings, including hospitals, doctor's offices, clinics, and more. Similar associate's degrees are offered in health IT, medical billing, and medical office administration.
	University of Phoenix — The Associate of Arts in healthcare degree from the University of Phoenix College of Health and Human Services does well to prepare its students for becoming certified nurse assistants. While not specifically a nursing assistant program, graduates of this program will be ready to enter the health workforce in an entry-level medical assisting position.
	Bryant & Stratton College — In the Bryant & Stratton College AAS in medical administrative assisting program, students learn such skills as typing/transcription, document filing/processing, medical billing and coding, medical records handling and medical office procedures. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist certification examination.
	Fortis College — The medical administrative assistant associate's degree at Fortis College prepares students for the variety of tasks they will encounter as administrative assistants in medical offices, pre-hospital, nursing homes, and urgent care facilities.
	Keiser University — Keiser's AS degree in medical assisting is designed specifically for those who wish to care medically for others, but who may otherwise not be able to attend years of schooling in order to become an RN or physician. Note that this degree is not a degree specifically for nurse assistants, but rather for all medical assistants in general.
	Carrington College California — The AAS in healthcare information technology online degree program offered at Carrington College California (formerly Western Career College) teaches students about anatomy, medical terminology, billing, and patient record keeping to prepare them for careers as medical assistants and nursing assistants.
	Ivy Bridge College — Students enrolled in Ivy Bridge College's online ABA in healthcare administration degree will leave prepared to grow in their careers as qualified administrative or supervisory professionals. Students will leave with thorough knowledge of management tasks and functions, as well as a better understanding of the healthcare industry's complex management issues.
	California Coast University — The AS in healthcare administration degree from California Coast University is a self-paced learning program that can be completed in less than two years. Students are able to start the program at any time during year – avoiding the need to wait around for a semester to begin.
	Virginia College — Virginia College, unlike the aforementioned schools, offers a bachelor's degree program in health management. This four-year program provides more advanced knowledge and skills to the medical assistant looking to expand his/her career into a more managerial role.
	Strayer University — Founded in 1892, originally as Strayer's Business College, Virginia-based Strayer University offers health services administration as one of 10 available online bachelor of business administration degree concentrations. Coursework centers on business strategy, policy implementation in a competitive global environment, and ethical implications of strategic choices.
	Baker College — The bachelor's degree in health services administration at Baker integrates basic coursework into advanced independent research resulting in a robust education to the working adults interested in furthering a healthcare career.
	Rasmussen College — The online associate's degree in medical administration readies students for entry-level positions as medical/nursing administrative assistants. Students of this program will be taught coding, billing, medical ethics, medical terminology, anatomy, and more.
	Brookline College — Brookline College offers an AS in health care administration program that combines independent research with online coursework to compose a comprehensive learning experience for those wishing to enter the health industry as an administrator, not necessarily a nurse assistant.
	San Joaquin Valley College — The AS in clinical medical assisting program from San Joaquin Valley College prepares students with the knowledge and skills to perform CPR, administer first aid, give injections, and assist nurses and surgeons with minor surgeries.
	Iowa Central College — The Iowa Central College associate's degree in health administration focuses on the subjects of clinical procedures, medical coding and billing, and anatomy, among others. Graduates of this program may enter careers as health administrators or medical/nurse assistants.
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