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Maine Nurse Aide Registry

Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants & Direct Care Workers
State House Station #11, 41 Anthony Avenue
Augusta Maine 04333
Phone: 1-800-791-4080
(207)624-7300
Fax: 207-287-9325
TDD Number: 1-800-606-0215

To be able to work as a Certified Nurse Assistant in the state of Maine, a nurse aide must be placed in the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants & Direct Care Workers. A CNA is placed on the CNA registry in Maine after meeting the following three requirements:

  1. Completing of a state-approved program for nurse assistants or equivalent classes
  2. Taking and passing skills and knowledge evaluations
  3. Being employed for up to 4 months while meeting the requirements


Steps to become a NEW Certified Nurse Assistant in Maine

  1. Complete an application form requesting placement on the Maine registry for CNAs
  2. Prove the successful completion of a Maine-approved nurse assistant program within the last 24 months. The programs for certified nurse assistants in Maine consist of 180 hours, including 90 hours of classroom coursework, 70 hours of supervised practice, and 20 hours of lab work. The 180 hours are well above the national average
  3. Prove the successful completion of the competency test, which includes two parts: skills evaluation and oral/written knowledge evaluation
  4. Other documents required include copy of certificate of training and criminal background check

Useful Links:

Alternative CNA pathways

Maine offers several alternative pathways to become a Certified Nurse Assistant.

  • Nursing students – current or former – can be placed on the registry if they have received equivalent experience
  • Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses – domestic and international – may be placed on the registry given that they carry out certain steps when applying
  • Military trained individuals are also eligible for placement on the Maine registry for CNAs

Exceptions:

EMTs or Emergency Medical technicians must complete the routine of a new CNA if they want to work as CNAs in Maine. Equivalent programs are a minimum of 150 hours.

Application form

Certification Renewal for Maine Nurse Assistants

To renew a listing on the Maine CNA registry, CNAs must submit a renewal form every 24 months. The registry sends out a reminder to each CNA 60 days prior to the expiration of their listing. CNAs failing to renew their listing cannot continue to work in the state of Maine as CNAs.

The CNA schools displayed in this section offer tuition-based programs.

Out-of-state CNA Certification Transfer

Out-of-state certified nurse assistants who have completed a program of minimum 100 hours can take the bridge examination instead of retraining and retaking the competency exam. However, they must have worked as CNAs for at least 32 hours a week during a minimum of 3 years in the past 5 years.