Search for nurse aide work in Ohio and you will see the same job advertised three different ways: STNA, CNA, and nurse aide trainee. Two of those mean the same thing. The third means you are not certified yet, and that difference decides whether you can be hired, what you are paid, and what you are allowed to do on a shift.
This comes up on almost every campus tour. Someone has been offered a “nurse aide trainee” position, or they are looking at two job postings that seem identical except one says STNA and the other says CNA, and they want to know whether they are qualified. Here is the plain version.
STNA is the old Ohio name
STNA stands for State Tested Nurse Aide. It is the term Ohio used for years, and it is still all over job boards, staffing agency listings and facility signage. Plenty of employers here will keep writing STNA for a long time simply out of habit.
CNA is the current name for the same credential
CNA stands for Certified Nurse Aide, and it lines Ohio up with the rest of the country. If you hold the Ohio credential, you can answer both listings. An Ohio ad that says STNA and one that says CNA are asking for the same thing. Other states use their own labels for the same role (Licensed Nurse Aide (LNA) and Geriatric Nurse Aide (GNA) both show up), which is worth knowing if you ever move.
Nurse aide trainee is a status, not a credential
A nurse aide trainee is someone working through the training and testing process who has not yet been added to the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry. It is not a certification and it is not something you can put on a resume as a qualification. Some facilities do hire trainees and let them work in a limited role while they finish, which can be a genuinely good deal. You earn while you certify. Two things to check before you accept one:
- How long the position lasts. A trainee role is time-limited by rule, not by the employer’s preference. Ask the facility exactly how long you have and what happens if you are not certified by then.
- Who pays for training and testing. Some employers cover it, some reimburse after you pass, some do neither. Get the answer before your first shift, not after.
What actually makes you certified in Ohio
Three steps, in order:
- Training. 75 hours at a training center authorized by the Ohio Department of Health: 59 classroom hours and 16 clinical hours in an actual nursing home setting.
- The competency evaluation. A two-part state exam: a written test of 79 multiple choice questions, and a skills demonstration where you perform five manual skills drawn from a list of twenty-five.
- The Registry. Passing gets you listed on the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry. Until your name is on it, you are not a certified aide, no matter how much of the training you have finished.
That last point is the one people miss. Finishing class is not certification. The Registry listing is.
Where Medication Aide fits
Certified Medication Aide (MA-C) is a separate credential that builds on top of the nurse aide one. You have to be a certified aide first. It is a step up, not an alternative route in.
Reading a job ad
- “STNA required” / “CNA required”, they want someone already on the Registry.
- “Nurse aide trainee” / “STNA in training”, they will hire you before you are certified, on a clock.
- “MA-C”, certified aide plus the medication credential.
Where to start
If you are not certified yet, the training is the first of the three steps above, and we run it at both campuses. You can see upcoming start dates or read the full program details. Once you are eligible to test, we will help you get scheduled.