CNA Training in Rhode Island

Rhode Island requires at least 120 hours of nursing assistant training, 45 more than the federal minimum. The Rhode Island Department of Health approves programs and issues your license, and Credentia gives the state exam.

Several hospitals and nursing homes train new CNAs at no cost, and some pay you while you learn. Below you'll find each step, pay, ways to train free, and approved programs statewide.

Training

120 Hours

Median Pay

$22.33/hr

Exam Cost

$165

CNA student practicing patient care in Rhode Island

The 4 Steps to Certification in Rhode Island

Pick a State-Approved Program

The Rhode Island Department of Health approves every nursing assistant program. Your options:

✓Hospitals and nursing homes: several train new CNAs for free, and some pay you while you train.
✓Colleges and adult education centers: WIOA funding may cover the cost if you qualify.
✓Private schools: set their own prices and schedules.

Complete 120 Hours

Rhode Island requires 45 more hours than the federal minimum.

120 Hours

Total training

40 Hours

Hands-on practice

You need at least 16 hours of classroom instruction before you work directly with patients.

Pass the Exam and Get Licensed

A written (or oral) test and a skills test of 5 tasks, through Credentia. Then apply to the Department of Health for your license.

Written or oral test	$55
Skills test	$110
License application	$35
Attempts	3 within 12 months

Your employer may cover it: Medicare and Medicaid nursing homes must pay exam fees for their nurse aides, including retests. And if you stay with the same facility for 6 months after you're licensed, it must refund your $35 license fee.

Renew Every Two Years

All licenses expire June 30 of every other year. Renewal costs $35.

●Work at least 8 hours as a nursing assistant in the past 24 months. Private duty work doesn't count.
●Complete 12 hours of in-service training each year at the facility where you work, and keep proof for 3 years.
●Lapsed 2 years or more? You'll need to retrain and retest.

💰 How to Get CNA Training Free in Rhode Island

Several Rhode Island employers train new CNAs at no cost. Classes open only at certain times, so check each program for its next start date.

Brown University Health

✨ Free 14-Week Program

ℹ️Classroom learning, work-readiness training, and a clinical rotation at a Brown University Health location.

⚡Recruitment is closed until 2027. Sign up on their site for updates.

🌐brownhealth.org

Saint Elizabeth Community

✨ Free With a 1-Year Commitment

ℹ️8 weeks of evening classes in Warwick. You start by attending one of their hiring events.

⚡After you graduate, you must work there for one year, at least 24 hours a week.

🌐stelizabethcommunity.org

South County Hospital

✨ Paid While You Train

ℹ️Students get an hourly stipend during training and a guaranteed full-time job when they finish.

⚡Contact the hospital's HR department for the next class.

Nursing Home Training

✨ Free When You're Hired

ℹ️If a Medicare or Medicaid nursing home employs you or offers you a job, it can't charge you for training or testing.

⚡Ask local nursing homes about nurse aide trainee jobs.

WIOA Funding Through DLT

✨ Up to $7,500, If You Qualify

ℹ️The RI Department of Labor and Training can pay for approved training at programs like CCRI if you're unemployed, laid off, or low-income.

⚡Apply at a netWORKri center before you enroll.

🌐dlt.ri.gov

Get Paid Back After You're Hired

✨ 12-Month Rule

ℹ️Paid for training yourself? If a nursing home hires you within 12 months of finishing, it pays you back in two halves: after your first 130 hours of work, and after the next 130.

⚡Keep every receipt.

Rhode Island CNA Pay

Rhode Island CNAs earn about $2 an hour more than the national median. All of Rhode Island is part of the Providence-Warwick metro area, which also takes in nearby Massachusetts.

Area	Median Hourly	Median Annual	CNAs Employed
Rhode Island (statewide)	$22.33	$46,440	10,220
Providence-Warwick metro (RI and nearby MA)	$22.27	$46,330	13,030
United States	$20.32	$42,260	1,448,910

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Nursing Assistants (31-1131). Medians exclude overtime and shift differentials.

What It Costs to Get Certified

Train through an employer and most of this is covered.

Tuition

$0 to $4,500

Free through several employers. Other programs listed by the state range from $775 to $4,500.

State Exam

$165

$55 for the written or oral test, $110 for the skills test. Each retake costs the same again.

License

$35

Paid to the Department of Health. Refunded by your employer if you stay 6 months.

Renewal

$35

Every two years. Licenses expire June 30 of every other year.

Moving to Rhode Island? (Endorsement)

Rhode Island licenses nursing assistants from other states by endorsement. There are two ways to qualify.

Licensed CNA With Work Experience

You need a current license in good standing, training that meets Rhode Island's requirements, a passed state exam, and a letter from an employer showing at least 3 months of full-time work as a nursing assistant.

Trained in a 100-Hour Program

If you finished a state-approved program of at least 100 hours, with at least 20 hours of supervised clinical training, and passed a nursing assistant exam, you can apply with proof of both.

Questions? Call

(401) 222-5888

RI Department of Health, Licensing

CNA Schools in Rhode Island

State-approved nursing assistant programs across Rhode Island that you can enroll in on your own: colleges, adult education centers, private schools, and home care agencies. Search by name, city, or county, or filter by county.

Program	City	County	Phone
911 Programs22 Veterans Memorial Dr, Warwick, RI 02888	Warwick	Kent	(401) 773-7716
Access Healthcare702 Warren Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914	East Providence	Providence	(401) 438-4747
Ace Home Health Aid Training School815 Reservoir Ave, Cranston, RI 02910	Cranston	Providence	(401) 452-4545
American Safety Programs and Training75 Commerce Drive, Warwick, RI 02886	Warwick	Kent	(401) 273-6900
Aquidneck Island Adult Learning Center23 America's Cup Avenue, Newport, RI 02840	Newport	Newport	(401) 847-7171
Beulah Educational Services807 Broad St, Suite 230, Providence, RI 02907	Providence	Providence	(401) 644-1757
Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), Center for Workforce and Community Education1762 Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln, RI 02865	Lincoln	Providence	(401) 285-1214
Cranston Adult Education Programs83 Rolfe Street, Cranston, RI 02910	Cranston	Providence	(401) 270-8166
Crossroads Rhode Island160 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02903	Providence	Providence	(401) 521-2255
Divine Trinity School of Certified Nursing Assistant1923 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886	Warwick	Kent	Call school
Divine Trinity School of Certified Nursing Assistant728 Valley Street, Providence, RI 02908	Providence	Providence	Call school
Empower Training Academy1160 Post Road, Unit 10, Warwick, RI 02888	Warwick	Kent	(401) 216-8818
Genesis Center620 Potters Ave, Providence, RI 02907	Providence	Providence	(401) 781-6110
Health Care Connections Nursing Services425 Willet Avenue, Riverside, RI 02915	Riverside	Providence	(401) 437-3515
Health Care Educational Resources804 Dyer Avenue, Unit #2, Cranston, RI 02920	Cranston	Providence	Call school
Health Care Educational Resources567 South County Trail #305, Exeter, RI 02822	Exeter	Washington	(401) 667-0471
HITEP515 Elmwood Ave, Suite B, Providence, RI 02907	Providence	Providence	(401) 785-2202
Home Instead Home Care100 Jefferson Blvd, Suite 310, Warwick, RI 02888	Warwick	Kent	(401) 214-2470
Joy CNA School845 Allens Avenue, Providence, RI 02905	Providence	Providence	(401) 632-5915
Ken's CPR & Healthcare Training16 Main Street, East Greenwich, RI 02818	East Greenwich	Kent	Call school
Northeast Healthcare Academy80 Douglas Pike, Heritage House, Smithfield, RI 02917	Smithfield	Providence	(856) 242-7242
Phenix Home Care227 Phenix Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920	Cranston	Providence	(401) 943-6230
Providence College1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI 02918	Providence	Providence	(401) 865-2320
RI Allied Health and Safety Institute7 Thomas P. Whitten Way, Providence, RI 02903	Providence	Providence	(401) 391-2230
The Salome Gomez Institute1150 New London Avenue, Suite LL2, Cranston, RI 02920	Cranston	Providence	(401) 473-3920
TruePath Clinical Training33 Acorn Street, Providence, RI 02903	Providence	Providence	(800) 350-8945
Westerly Education Center23 Friendship St, Westerly, RI 02891	Westerly	Washington	(401) 584-4931
Woonsocket Education Center115 Main Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895	Woonsocket	Providence	(401) 488-4138
Your Choice of Training Program422 Post Rd, Warwick, RI 02888	Warwick	Kent	(401) 919-5532
Zenith CNA Academy (Harbor of Hope)100 East Avenue, Pawtucket, RI 02860	Pawtucket	Providence	(401) 332-0157

No programs match. Try a nearby city or pick "All counties."

Before you call: Ask for the total price, including the $165 Credentia exam and the $35 license fee, and whether the program accepts WIOA funding through the RI Department of Labor and Training.

Source: Rhode Island Department of Health, approved Nursing Assistant Training Program license search (October 2026). High school and school-district career and technical center programs are not included. Know of a closed program or a wrong number? Report a correction.

Rhode Island Nursing Homes and Hospitals That Train CNAs

These nursing homes and hospitals are approved to run their own nursing assistant classes. They usually train people they plan to hire, and nursing homes can't charge employees or people they've offered a job for training or testing. Search by name, city, or county, or filter by county.

Program	City	County	Phone
Alpine Nursing Home557 Weaver Hill Road, Coventry, RI 02816	Coventry	Kent	(401) 397-5001
Briarcliffe Manor49 Old Pocasset Road, Johnston, RI 02919	Johnston	Providence	(401) 944-2450
Brown University Health (Lifespan)1 Hoppin St, Suite 106, Lifespan Medical Simulation Center, Providence, RI 02903	Providence	Providence	(401) 444-8490
Elderwood of Scallop Shell at Wakefield55 Scallop Shell Way, Wakefield, RI 02879	Wakefield	Washington	(401) 789-3006
The Friendly Home303 Rhodes Ave, Woonsocket, RI 02895	Woonsocket	Providence	(401) 769-7220
Grace Barker Nursing Center54 Barker Avenue, Warren, RI 02885	Warren	Bristol	(401) 245-9100
Grand Islander Center (Genesis HealthCare)333 Green End Avenue, Middletown, RI 02842	Middletown	Newport	(401) 849-7100
Holiday Retirement Home30 Sayles Hill Road, Manville, RI 02838	Manville	Providence	(401) 765-1440
Kent Regency660 Commonwealth Avenue, Warwick, RI 02886	Warwick	Kent	(401) 739-4241
Overlook Eden14 Rock Avenue, Pascoag, RI 02859	Pascoag	Providence	(401) 568-2549
Saint Elizabeth Community2350 Post Road, Suite 101, Warwick, RI 02886	Warwick	Kent	(401) 773-7494
South County Hospital100 Kenyon Ave, Wakefield, RI 02879	Wakefield	Washington	(401) 788-8724
South Kingstown Nursing and Rehabilitation2115 South County Trail, West Kingston, RI 02892	West Kingston	Washington	(401) 783-8568
St. Antoine Residence10 Rhodes Avenue, North Smithfield, RI 02896	North Smithfield	Providence	(401) 767-3500
Trinity Health & Rehabilitation4 St Joseph St, Woonsocket, RI 02895	Woonsocket	Providence	(401) 765-5844
Valley View Health & Rehabilitation4 Saint Joseph Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895	Woonsocket	Providence	(401) 765-5844
West View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center239 Legris Avenue, West Warwick, RI 02893	West Warwick	Kent	(401) 828-9000
Westerly Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center280 High Street, Westerly, RI 02891	Westerly	Washington	(401) 348-0020

No programs match. Try a nearby city or pick "All counties."

Before you call: Ask for staff development or HR and say you want to be hired as a nurse aide trainee. Ask when the next class starts, whether you're paid while you train, and how long you must work there after you certify.

Rhode Island CNA Questions, Answered

Who licenses CNAs in Rhode Island?

The Rhode Island Department of Health approves training programs and issues nursing assistant licenses. Credentia gives the state exam.

How long is CNA training in Rhode Island?

At least 120 hours, including at least 40 hours of hands-on practice. You need 16 hours of classroom instruction before you care for patients directly.

Can I get CNA training for free in Rhode Island?

Yes. Brown University Health and Saint Elizabeth Community run free programs, South County Hospital pays a stipend while you train, and nursing homes can't charge employees for training. WIOA funding through the Department of Labor and Training may also cover a program if you qualify.

How many times can I take the CNA test?

Three times, and you must pass both parts within 12 months. Each retake costs the same as the first try. After three failures, you need to complete another approved training program.

What do I need to renew my license?

Every two years, by June 30: at least 8 hours of work as a nursing assistant in the past 24 months, 12 hours of in-service training per year, and the $35 renewal fee. Private duty work doesn't count toward the work requirement.

Can I work while I wait to take the exam?

You may be able to. If you apply for your license by exam, the Department of Health can issue a 120-day temporary permit while you finish testing.

Sources

Last verified: October 2026. Fees and class dates can change, so confirm with the program and Credentia before you enroll. See something out of date? Report a correction.