DAL: DHCBS 11-11 - Aide Training Requirements for Veterans with Medical Training
November 9, 2011
DAL: DHCBS 11-11
Subject: Aide Training Requirements for Veterans with Medical Training
Dear Administrator:
The Department of Health is pleased to announce that effective immediately, veterans who were trained in the United States Military as medical technicians or medics are eligible to take the nursing home nurse aide certification exam without completing a training program or to complete a competency evaluation program to become a personal care (PCA) or home health aide (HHA). These changes are intended to facilitate the entry of medically trained veterans into the long term care workforce. Veterans who pass the appropriate exam, become certified aides and are placed on the Home Care Registry or Nurse Aide Registry must still submit to a criminal history record check to determine their employability in home and nursing home care settings if they seek employment in these sectors.
Competency Testing For Candidates for Home Health Aide Certification
Veterans who demonstrate that they have completed medical technician or medic training will qualify for the competency evaluation program in lieu of the standardized training based on their military experience. All home health aide training programs (HHATPs) must make available a competency evaluation program to eligible individuals. The competency evaluation program is derived from the HHATP's full program and includes sufficient content to assure that the aide is competent in the information and required skills. The trainee is issued a Certificate of Completion upon successful completion of the competency evaluation program with the training methodology identified as competency evaluation.
Questions on HHA certification and competency testing should be directed to hhatp@health.state.ny.us.
Competency Testing For Candidates for Personal Care Aide Certification
Home care agencies with Department of Health approved personal care aide training programs can competency test (using the Alternative Competency Demonstration) any individual who meets their approved eligibility criteria. All Home Care Registry requirements must be met for any individual, including a veteran, who obtains certification through competency testing.
Questions on PCA certification and competency testing may be directed to pcatp@health.state.ny.us.
Nursing Home Nurse Aide Certification
There is no competency test for individuals who wish to be nursing home nurse aides in New York. All candidates must pass an exam offered by Prometric, the Department's contractor for the nursing home nurse aide exam and Nurse Aide Registry. Eligible veterans are not required to complete a State Education or Health Department-approved training program prior to sitting for the exam.
Veterans who elect to take the nursing home nurse aide certification exam must submit to the Department of Health a completed application to test, a check or money order for $115.00 (for the written and clinical exam) or $135 (for the oral and clinical exam) made out to the New York State Department of Health, and copies of their discharge papers documenting that they served in an eligible rank. While the application to test can be downloaded from http://www.prometric.com/nurseaide/ny, it has not yet been revised to be clearly applicable to a veteran. Interested veterans are urged to contact the Department of Health at profcred@health.state.ny.us for assistance in completing the application and identifying the specific documents they must submit to the Department to prove their eligibility to sit for the exam.
Veterans and training programs are encouraged to contact the Department at 518-408-1297 and the email addresses listed above with any questions they may have.
Sincerely,
Richard M. Cook
Deputy Commissioner
Office of Health Systems Management
