Pathway lookup
Nurse Aide / Patient Care in Pennsylvania
These pages summarize rules to help you plan. They are not legal advice. Before you place students at a work site or change a program, check with your state agency, your district's counsel and your insurance carrier.
In short
Pennsylvania students can earn the CNA at a CTC: 80 hours with 37.5 clinical, exam at 16, a State Police check before enrolling and PDE NATCEP approval.
State program: CIP 51.9999 Health Professions, SOAR Program of Study 18
What a high school can deliver
The full credential: students may test at 16 after an approved 80-hour program, so most CTC students finish before graduating.
Credentials students can earn
PA Nurse Aide Registry (Credentia exam, test within 2 years); CPR/BLS; PSC via NOCTI where used; PDE credential list for 51.9999 ()
Age and hour requirements
Exam age 16. 80 hours including 37.5 supervised clinical (rule citation not located; Credentia FAQ and PDE schedule). PA State Police criminal history report before enrolling.
Other agencies involved
PDE Nurse Aide Training Program office: NATCEP approval (PDE-3128G, PDE-3128C); no published initial review time; Report of Change takes 30 days.
Who can teach it
Career and Technical Instructional I (8,000 hours, or 4,000 plus bachelor's; competency assessment; 18 credits) or Experience-Based certificate (Type 24, 5 years); plus RN with 2 years (1 in long-term care), clearances, Penn State Teaching-the-Educator workshop. LPN only under an RN supervisor.
Child labor rules for work placements
Work permit for every minor; 8 hours a day and 28 a school week at 16-17. No state bar on health care work. Federal HO 7 powered patient lifts: assist only (FAB 2011-3).
College credit after high school
SOAR POS 18: at least 9 technical credits with 2.75 technical GPA, full task list and Competent/Advanced score, used within 16 months; SOAR under revision ().
Where to go next
- The full Nurse Aide / Patient Care guide, showing Pennsylvania
- The Pennsylvania state profile
- Add this pathway to your plan
Nurse Aide / Patient Care in other states
Other pathways in Pennsylvania
- EMT
- Electrical
- Welding
- Construction and Carpentry
- HVAC/R
- Cybersecurity / Networking
- Programming / Computer Science
- Automotive
- Medical and Dental Assisting
- Cosmetology
- Agriculture
- Early Childhood Education
- Culinary and Hospitality
- Machining and Mechatronics
- Engineering and Drafting
- Firefighting
- Law, Public Safety and Corrections
- Business Management and Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
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