Top Online CNA Classes in Oklahoma
Are you ready to start your journey to becoming a CNA in Oklahoma? This guide will help you get on your way by connecting you to top online classes, showing you what you need to do step-by-step, and answering your most pressing questions.
Certified Nursing Assistants are key members on the healthcare team, providing care and support to patients. Becoming a CNA is a good career option that offers convenience and flexibility for all ages and backgrounds. Whether you want to start working in a stable and growing career at a young age of 16 or you’re an adult looking to pivot, becoming a CNA can be a viable career pathway.
Though there aren’t a lot of online CNA classes in Oklahoma, there are several flexible programs that offer classes during the days, evenings, weekends, or summer breaks. Many of these programs are conducted in partnerships with local high schools, allowing high school students to earn their CNA certification before graduation, giving them a head start in their healthcare career.
This path can also be a great stepping stone with lots growth potential. Programs are often short, affordable, and flexible. We’ve compiled this guide to equip you with the right information for CNA: programs, requirements, costs, types of jobs and career outlook. Let’s get started by looking at some of the most popular programs.
Inside NY’s Standout Online CNA Classes
Oklahoma has a wide range of top programs that offer flexibility and convenience for students looking to balance work and life. Take a look at these programs here.
Central Tech
Central Tech’s CNA program needs 100% attendance per state and federal regulations, so students need to be responsible. Central Tech offers classes both during the day and in the evenings to provide flexible options to students. Students must also pass a background check and drug screening and have up-to-date vaccinations before taking part in any clinical placements.
Next, once students are accepted, the CNA program will prepare them for certification as a Nurse Aide and give them a solid foundation to advance in the medical field. After successfully passing the skills and written certification exams, students will be listed on the Oklahoma Nurse Aide Registry.
The curriculum covers a range of key topics, such as CNAs in the healthcare industry, ethical and legal behavior, promoting and protecting patient rights, communication skills, challenges, and diversity, providing basic nursing skills and assisting with daily living, providing for the patients’ safety, moving, positioning, and transferring patients, and care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
Central Tech’s CNA program includes valuable skills, such as a CPR certification through the American Heart Association (AHA) Healthcare Provider/Basic Life Support. Note that other online CNA classes in Oklahoma may not offer CPR.
Tri County Tech
Tri County Tech offers a fast-paced certified nursing assistant program. . Students must provide tuberculosis skin test results from within the past 12 months and complete a background check before being admitted into the program. Graduates will receive CNA, HHA (home health aide), and CPR certification. The program costs $655 and consists of 96 total hours. Students can choose from evening or day classes. Note that this program does not accept funds from FAFSA or PELL at this time.
Topics covered by the program, and other online CNA classes Oklahoma offers, include basic nursing, long-term health skills, home health skills, simplified human anatomy, healthcare provider CPR, CNA certification prep, and HHA certification prep. This program prepares students to work in a variety of situations after graduation, including assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and clinics.
Tulsa Tech
The one-semester nursing assistant course from Tulsa Tech is designed to help students develop practical knowledge and skills to provide compassionate care for patients, participate in hands-on training through laboratory simulations and supervised clinical experiences, and collaborate effectively with healthcare professionals as a member of a dynamic healthcare team.
This program helps high school students to finish their education in one semester as compared to the adult program, which takes five months to complete. Similar to the requirements of other online CNA classes in Oklahoma, students who apply to Tulsa Tech will need to pass a criminal background check, be up to date on vaccinations, hold current CPR certification, and pass a drug screening test.
The adult course costs approximately $1,500, including tuition and supplies. High school students do not have to pay tuition, but will need to pay for necessary supplies such as certification fees, scrubs, and tools. Upon graduation, all students will be certified in basic life support and first aid, and as a CNA and HHA.
How to Become a CNA in Oklahoma Online
Below we’ll walk you through the requirements, what you can expect in your course, what graduation looks like, and how to take the certification exam. Here’s how to start working as a CNA and how to periodically renew your license.
Step 1: Meet Basic Background Requirements
- Age Requirement: Applicants are typically required to be at least 18 years old, although some programs may accept students as young as 16 with parental consent.
- Background Check: Many certified nursing assistant programs require applicants to undergo a criminal background check to ensure they do not have any disqualifying criminal convictions.
- Immunizations: Proof of immunizations, such as tetanus, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis (TB) screening, may be required to ensure that students are protected against communicable diseases. This also protects patients’ health. CPR Certification: Some programs require applicants to have current CPR certification before enrolling, while others incorporate it into the curriculum. Check your program for relevant details.
- Drug Screening: Many CNA programs require applicants to undergo drug screening to ensure they are not using illegal substances.
Step 2: Graduate from an Approved CNA Program
Once prerequisites have been met, you’ll need to attend every class, lab, and clinical component of your program. According to Nursing Licensure, Oklahoma requires students to have a minimum of 75 total training hours with at least 16 hours of practical training. Over the course duration, you’ll learn essential skills for providing direct patient care under the supervision of a licensed nurse. Some of these skills include basic nursing principles, infection control, vital signs measurement, assistance with daily activities such as bathing and dressing, and patient safety.
Step 3: Take the National Nurse Aid Assessment Program Competency Examination (NNAAP)
The online CNA classes Oklahoma offers lead to certification. To take the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) Competency Examination, commonly referred to as the CNA exam, you’ll need to meet all the eligibility requirements, including completing a state-approved CNA training program. You’ll also need to submit an application for the exam, pay the required exam fee, and schedule your exam (you may need to schedule through a testing provider approved by your state, such as Pearson VUE or Prometric).
The test has two parts: the knowledge test and the skills evaluation. The knowledge test consists of multiple-choice questions covering topics such as patient care, safety, communication, and infection control. The skills evaluation is held in person, and you’ll demonstrate several nursing assistant skills in front of an evaluator. These skills may include handwashing, positioning and transferring patients, measuring vital signs, etc. If you pass the test, you will be deemed prepared for professional practice as a CNA.
Step 4: Start Working as a CNA
Once you’ve passed the exam, you’ll receive your CNA certification from your state’s regulatory board. This certification allows you to work legally as a nursing assistant in your state in various healthcare settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. When you are certified, you can start applying for jobs. Most jobs will have a training period at the beginning of your employment, even if you’ve worked as a CNA before. Other positions you might fill include Home Health Aide and Long-Term Care Aide. Several of your responsibilities include helping patients bathe and maintain proper hygiene, feeding patients, ensuring patients take their medication, and assessing vital signs.
Step 5: Renew Your CNA License Periodically
Your certified nursing assistant license needs to be renewed every two years. You can do this by filling out a renewal form on the Oklahoma State Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry website. The state board reviews the information you submit. As part of filling out the renewal for, you’ll need to submit proof of having completed a minimum of eight hours of paid work as a certified nursing assistant in the previous 24 months. This could include a W-2 or a pay stub. If you don’t have either of these, then you can have the Administrator, Director, Supervisor, or HR Representative fill out the dates you worked (or began work to “present”) and sign the Recertification Application. Only work that is overseen by a nurse or doctor counts toward this requirement.
Salary and Career Prospects for CNAs in Oklahoma
Typically, the compensation for CNAs in Oklahoma is on a lower scale than the national average. The median yearly income as a CNA in Oklahoma starts at $29,840, compared to the national median income of $35,760. However, the demand for CNAs throughout Oklahoma is growing fast. The growth rate is projected to be 8.1% over the next decade, which is comparable to the national growth projection of 8.3% throughout the United States. This translates into over 1,700 jobs added every year, with an average of 2,880 CNA job openings every year.
As with all states, Oklahoma’s certified nursing assistant compensation varies depending on the city. From the chart below you can see that Tulsa, OK offers the highest median salary at $31,230 per year, with Enid offering the lowest, at $28,390 per year. As with many healthcare careers, becoming a CNA can be the start of a long a fulfilling career. With additional education CNAs can advance to become LPNs, RNs, and nurse practitioners that have higher salaries.
| Area | 10th Percentile | Median | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | $28,030 | $35,760 | $45,940 |
| Oklahoma | $23,960 | $29,840 | $35,510 |
| Enid, OK | $24,330 | $28,390 | $33,680 |
| Lawton, OK | $23,600 | $27,630 | $33,440 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $24,500 | $30,970 | $36,070 |
| Tulsa, OK | $24,720 | $31,230 | $35,980 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
| Area | New Jobs (2020-2030) | Growth Rate | Avg. Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 115,300 | 8.3% | 187,000 |
| Oklahoma | 1,740 | 8.1% | 2,880 |
Source: Projections Central
FAQs About Online CNA Classes in Oklahoma
Have questions? Don’t worry, below we’ve compiled answers with specific examples to the most common questions prospective CNA students may have about the online CNA classes Oklahoma offers.
Are any Oklahoma CNA classes offered for free?
Through Job Corps, students ages 16-24 can potentially receive free CNA training. There are three campuses across Oklahoma located in Tulsa, Tahlequah, and Guthrie. High school students can also take CNA training courses with waived tuition, so they only have to pay for supplies (scrubs, stethoscope, etc.). Otherwise, most CNA training courses must be paid for and cost $500-$1,500.
Are there 2-week CNA classes offered online in Oklahoma?
Few CNA courses are offered online since a large portion of the class is set in onsite labs and clinical sites. However, there are certified nursing assistant courses that can be completed in as few as 10-20 days, such as the 10-day or 20-night classes from Wings Healthcare Training located in Broken Arrow, OK., or the 10-day class offered from HealthPRO CNA Academy located in Tulsa, OK.
Are Oklahoma CNA classes accredited/approved?
Accreditation varies, depending on the class that you choose. The Oklahoma State Department of Health has a list of approved CNA classes that you can check out here. Beware of programs online that may offer all of the information you need, but no hands-on labs or clinicals. Oklahoma’s CNA requirements include a certain number of hours in classroom instruction, lab instruction, and clinical experiences.
Can you do CNA classes online in Oklahoma?
Hands-on careers, such as that of a certified nursing assistant, rarely lend themselves to online instruction. The theory portion could probably be completed online, but you need to do hands-on training and clinical placement experience to get the CNA certification.
How long does it take to become a CNA in Oklahoma?
Every class has a different schedule. As noted in previous sections, Oklahoma offers classes that have a timeline anywhere from 10 days to one semester to five months. Research the classes well to see what kind of timeline they offer.
How much do Oklahoma CNA classes cost?
The cost varies depending on the program. If you’re a high school student, you’ll probably be able to find a program that waives your tuition, meaning your only cost will be books, supplies, and scrubs. If you’ve already graduated from high school, you’ll find programs that start at $500 and others that charge $1,500. Bear in mind that unless clearly stated on the website, tuition does not include books or supplies.
