Nurse Aide Enrollment and Reimbursement

Enrollment

1. Only graduates of a state approved nurse aide training program are eligible to take the state nurse aide competency examination.
2. The candidate must be 16 years of age before taking the Nurse Aide Competency Examination. Some nursing facilities (employers) may require the candidate to be at least 18 years of age.
3. The candidate must obtain a Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) report from the PA State Police during the year prior to beginning a nurse aide training program. The CHRI report must be free of prohibitive offenses. Prohibitive offenses include those contained in Act 14, Nurse Aide Resident Abuse Prevention Training Act 14 (PDF). A CHRI report can be obtained at PA State Police Criminal History Record
4. If the candidate has not been a resident of Pennsylvania for at least the past two years, they must obtain an FBI report as well as the PA State Police CHRI described above. Information about an FBI report can be found on the PDE Nurse Aide webs​ite under the heading Criminal History Record Information.
5. The candidate must have a physical examination prior to starting the Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP). This examination must include: (1) evidence that the individual is free of any communicable diseases and (2) a negative 2-step Mantoux. If the Mantoux is positive, a negative chest x-ray that is less than five years old is required.
6. The occupational responsibilities of the candidate may involve having full use of their hands, the ability to stand for extensive periods of time, and the ability to perform bending, pushing, pulling, and lifting a minimum of 40 pounds without restrictions.
7. The candidate must possess basic math, reading, and writing skills in English.
8. Long-term nursing care facilities are responsible for the full payment of training and testing costs for candidates employed or offered employment at the time they start the nurse aide training program. Federal Department of Health regulations prohibits training and testing costs from being imposed on the nurse aide.
9. A candidate who does not have an employment relationship with a long-term care nursing facility at the time they start a NATCEP and personally incur the cost for training and testing is eligible for reimbursement if they become employed by a long-term care nursing facility within twelve (12) months of completing the nurse aide training program.

Reimbursement For Training and Testing

1. In compliance with Federal Department of Health regulations, candidates who personally incur training costs will be issued one (1) reimbursement receipt by the private or public school upon completion of the program. The official letter of reimbursement cannot be duplicated by the nurse aide program. The candidate is responsible for providing the original letter to the licensed long-term care nursing facility for reimbursement of the training costs. The current testing vendor will also issue one (1) letter of reimbursement per examination. This letter cannot be duplicated.
2. Candidates have three (3) opportunities to pass the state competency examination and are eligible for reimbursement for three attempts.
   
3. Long-term care nursing facility could reimburse the candidate on a pro rata basis which means half of the costs of training and testing are reimbursed after the nurse aide has worked for 130 hours and the remaining half after the nurse aide has worked an additional 130 hours.
4. For assistance regarding the federal regulations for reimbursement from nursing facilities to employed nurse aides or for assistance with any discrepancies in eligibility for reimbursement, call the Department of Human Services at 800-932-0939 option 1.