Online CNA Classes in California: Reviewing Top Programs
Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) play a key role in California’s healthcare system via frontline patient care. The first step to becoming a CNA is the right training. The following EduMed guide shows you how to choose an online CNA class or program in California, reviews cost, discusses accreditation, and addresses FAQs from prospective students just like you.
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HealthcareAdv. NursingNursingHow They Work: Online CNA Classes in California
Schools and programs across California offer both hybrid and online CNA classes and certification programs. How those programs deliver their online content, however, varies from school to school. Some offer their nursing theory courses entirely online (via live-streamed class sessions, in most cases) while others combine online coursework with campus-based classes and skills labs.
All CNA programs in California – online or not – include face-to-face clinical experiences in program-approved medical facilities, something that’s mandated by the state to qualify students to obtain their California CNA certifications.
Here are profiles of three current online CNA classes in California to give you a good idea of what you can expect to find during your program search:
Certified Nursing Assistant Program – CSU San Marcos
Cal State University San Marcos (CSUSM) offers a 10-week hybrid-formatted Certified Nursing Assistant Program that combines online nursing theory coursework with in-person skills labs and clinicals. The course is based out of CSUSM’s Temecula campus and features both traditional and evening class options to help accommodate students’ busy work and life schedules.
Clinical hours are attended in-person at a program-affiliated long-term care facility where students work directly with patients under the supervision of a licensed and certified nurse instructor. The program culminates with a 2-day review to prepare students to take the state certification exam.
Student support services include tutoring, career mentoring, and job placement assistance.
Duration: 10 weeks
Mode: Hybrid with in-person clinicals
Cost: $2,900
Admissions Requirements:
- 18 years of age or older
- Possess a driver’s license or other state-issued ID
- Proof of COVID-19 vaccination, including all boosters
- Social Security card
- Negative TB test or clear chest X-ray
- Physical exam confirming good health and ability to participate in the program
- Pass a background check
- Certification in BLS/CPR for Healthcare Professionals
Curriculum:
Theory Topics
Fundamentals:
- Roles and responsibilities
- Legal issues
- Ethics
- Patient communications
- Anatomy and physiology
Safety:
- Controlling infection
- Preventing injuries
- Responding to emergencies
Providing Care:
- Vital signs
- Positioning/transferring patients
- Restorative care
- Environmental comfort and rest
- Cleanliness/grooming
- Meals/fluids
- Elimination
- Admissions/transfers/discharges
Special Care Situations:
- Specific illnesses
- Dementia/cognitive changes
- End-of-life care
- Infants/children
- Home care
Clinical Training Topics
- Direct Patient Care: Working with residents of a long-term care facility.
- Supervised Practice: Supervision by a licensed nurse certified by CDPH as a training instructor.
FIND PROGRAMS NEAR YOU:
Nursing Assistant – High Desert Medical College
High Desert Medical College (HDMC) is a private school offering a variety of healthcare-related degree and certificate programs through its campus locations in Bakersfield, Lancaster, and Temecula. With a six-week completion time, HDMC’s Nursing Assistant program provides students one of the quickest paths to launching their CNA careers.
The program features online, hybrid, and hands-on course components, including in-person clinical experiences attended at program-approved medical facilities. Course subjects include anatomy and physiology, asepsis, body mechanics, nutrition, safety, and restoration and rehabilitation care.
Graduates of the program receive a Certificate of Completion and are eligible to take the exam to become state-certified nursing assistants in California.
Duration: Six weeks
Mode: Hybrid with in-person clinicals
Cost: $3,255
Admissions Requirements:
- 18 years of age or older
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Proof of a physical exam
- Fingerprints taken by Live Scan
- TB test results
- Current flu shot
- Hepatitis B Series
Curriculum:
- Basic nursing skills
- Measuring vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate)
- Intake and output measurement
- Recordation of care
- Client interaction to ensure emotional, social, and mental healthcare needs are met
- How to aid clients in reaching and maintaining independence
- Respect for patient rights, privacy, and confidentiality
- Proper response to emergencies
Nurse Assistant – Modesto Junior College
Modesto Junior College’s Nurse Assistant job skills certificate course offers students the ability to gain the training needed to sit for the state CNA certification exam in just seven weeks. The course consists of 60 hours of online classroom instruction along with 100 hours of a hands-on clinical experience attended at practice sites in Modesto or Ripon, California.
Program starts are available at the beginning of the fall, spring, and summer semesters. There is officially no tuition cost. However, students can expect to pay an estimated $750 for fees, textbooks and materials, uniforms and the state certification exam. MJC additionally offers a two-unit Home Health Aide course that qualifies current CNAs to offer in-home services to patients under supervision of medical professionals.
Duration: Seven weeks
Mode: Online classes plus in-person clinicals
Cost: $750.50
Admissions Requirements:
- High school diploma or equivalent is recommended, but not required
- Full health screening
- Criminal history background check
Curriculum:
- Patients’ Rights
- Interpersonal Skills
- Prevention and Management of Catastrophe and Unusual Occurrences
- Body Mechanics
- Medical and Surgical Asepsis
- Weights and Measures
- Patient Care Skills
- Patient Care Procedures
- Vital Signs
- Nutrition
- Emergency Procedures
- Long-term Care Patient
- Rehabilitative Nursing
- Observation and Charting
- Death and Dying
- Abuse
How to Become a CNA in California: Requirements & Certification
To become a certified nursing assistant in California, there are four minimum requirements and two items you must complete and submit:
- You must be 16 years of age.
- You must complete a training program approved by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
- You must pass a Competency Evaluation Examination that tests your knowledge, skills, and ability to perform basic patient care.
- You must pass a criminal background check.
In addition, you must submit the following items for approval:
- Application CDPH 283B upon enrollment in your training program.
- A Request for Live Scan Service (BCIA 8016) form. Before filling out the form, view the CDPH’s sample form that walks you through the process.
Important note: Once you pass your Competency Evaluation Examination, it can take 60 days for the CDPH to receive your exam results from the test administrator.
FAQs about CNA Classes in California
While the spotlights above have likely answered many of the questions you have about online CNA classes in California, they’ve probably raised a few as well. To help you out in that regard, here are the answers to five of the most commonly asked questions by prospective certified nursing assistant students.
What skills do you learn in CNA classes in California?
In simple terms, online CNA classes in California provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for competent nursing assistant practice in the full range of healthcare settings. That’s the same knowledge and skills set needed to pass the examination required to gain state CNA certification. Common skills topics covered in CNA training include:
- patient safety
- wound treatment
- cleanliness
- help with day-to-day care
- communications skills
- activities and exercise for patients based on ability
- nutrition and hydration
- digestion and elimination
- mental health issues
- patient care in special situations
Expert Insight
Many of the required skills pertain to giving physical care, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, toileting, and personal hygiene. Learning the proper steps and techniques for each one can be daunting at first, but consistent studying and hands-on repetition (even practicing the motions at home by yourself) will make it stick.
How much do CNA classes cost in California?
Becoming a nursing assistant offers one of the most affordable entryways into a career in healthcare. Nevertheless, the costs of online CNA classes can vary widely, as shown by the figures mentioned in the spotlights above and programs listed just below. In general terms, CNA students in California will find program price tags ranging from slightly over $700 to $3,000 or more. The biggest factor impacting costs is whether a program is offered by a public or private school. Private school programs tend to charge significantly more for their classes. But it’s important to remember that these private programs often provide substantial financial aid resources to their students to help pay for their training. (More on financial aid opportunities in the next FAQ.)
Glendale Community College – Certified Nursing Certificate Program
Total Cost: $747.00
Northern California Nursing Academy – Online Nurse Assistant
Total Cost: $2,170.00
Trinity School of Nursing – Nurse Assistant Program
Total Cost: $2,225.00
Where can I get help paying for my CNA classes in California?
Many traditional forms of financial aid are not available to students in online CNA classes in California. That’s because many financial aid sources require programs to be offered in for-credit formats, and very few (if any) California CNA programs are. Nevertheless, you may be able to find funding for your nursing assistant training through short-term loans, payment plans, and even scholarships and grants. And, as we mentioned earlier, private schools quite often provide their own financial aid resources directly to their nursing assistant students, so be sure to speak with a program representative to see what help is available.
How long do CNA classes in California take to finish?
Another major benefit of CNA training (along with affordability) is that is doesn’t take long to complete. Generally speaking, most students in online CNA classes in California will complete their programs in six to 10 weeks of full-time study or 12 to 16 weeks of part-time study. In most cases, full-time programs require attending classes via live stream weekdays during the day or in the evening. Part-time programs often feature classes scheduled on the weekends.
In terms of clock hours, online CNA classes in California commonly consist of 160 total hours (sometimes slightly more) that include 60 hours of class time and 100 clinical practice hours taken at program-approved medical facilities. Be aware, though, that many programs claiming a total of 160 clock hours also include required attendance in lab sessions that can add 15 hours to your total program length.
How can I tell if a CNA class in California is a good one?
There are a couple of items you can check on that indicate program quality. First and foremost is to confirm that a program is approved by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which you can do on this CDPH website. You can also check a program’s current institutional accreditation status. Institutional accreditation concerns the academic integrity of a school overall and is administered by a number of U.S. Department of Education recognized independent regional and national accrediting agencies. You’ll usually find accreditation information on school and program websites.
Expert Insight
You may also be able to find online reviews written by former students. Real-world feedback is extremely helpful when looking for a program that not only teaches the required information but does it in a way that’s easy to understand and apply.
Salary & Career Trends for CNAs in California
| Area | 10th Percentile | Median | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | $31,390 | $39,530 | $50,140 |
| California | $39,220 | $46,420 | $59,540 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $36,130 | $43,570 | $54,730 |
| Chico, CA | $37,760 | $44,010 | $50,520 |
| Fresno, CA | $38,160 | $42,840 | $50,150 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $38,410 | $45,380 | $57,850 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $39,320 | $46,140 | $58,920 |
| Merced, CA | $37,540 | $44,040 | $49,410 |
| Modesto, CA | $37,530 | $45,680 | $56,250 |
| Napa, CA | $44,620 | $48,070 | $57,080 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $38,410 | $45,330 | $54,120 |
| Redding, CA | $36,850 | $43,660 | $58,600 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,150 | $44,950 | $53,140 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $39,560 | $46,260 | $59,470 |
| Salinas, CA | $40,020 | $47,500 | $54,080 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $39,420 | $46,600 | $58,630 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46,490 | $53,990 | $78,060 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $47,450 | $56,220 | $74,820 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $39,520 | $45,360 | $51,650 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $39,370 | $46,730 | $51,350 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $38,730 | $46,190 | $53,510 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $40,230 | $47,390 | $56,640 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $38,160 | $44,740 | $54,730 |
| Vallejo, CA | $39,510 | $47,590 | $57,890 |
| Visalia, CA | $37,330 | $44,250 | $47,660 |
| Yuba City, CA | $38,780 | $45,040 | $51,420 |
Source: Nursing Assistants, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2024, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Data based on national numbers, not school-specific information.
| Area | Curr. Jobs | Proj. Jobs | New Jobs | Growth % | Avg. Ann. Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1,361,300 | 1,417,800 | 56,500 | 4.20% | 202,400 |
| California | 104,800 | 119,800 | 15,000 | 14.30% | 17,390 |
Source: Projections Central
Data based on national numbers, not school-specific information.