Nevada · personal care aide (PCA)
Nevada calls personal care aides personal care attendants (PCAs). There is no state exam or certificate, but attendants at licensed agencies must finish agency training before working alone and take 8 hours of training every year. Family members who are not legally responsible for the client can sometimes be paid through Medicaid.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Personal care attendant (PCA), attendant |
| Training | Agency training with supervised on-the-job instruction before working alone. No set hour minimum. Covers first aid and CPR, personal care, infection control, fall prevention, and more. |
| Exam | No state exam. Your agency administrator checks your skills in each required area. |
| Certification | None. CPR and first aid certification is due within 6 months of hire. |
| Background check | Fingerprint-based state and FBI check within 10 days of hire, repeated at least every 5 years, plus TB testing |
| Yearly training | 8 hours a year, which can include elder abuse prevention, cultural competency, and infection control |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Agency licensing | Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (personal care agency license) |
Training
Nevada does not set a minimum number of hours. Instead, licensed personal care agencies must give each attendant a training program with supervised on-the-job instruction before they work on their own. Topics include documentation, client rights, aging and disability, communication, first aid and CPR, personal care techniques, emergencies, nutrition, toileting, skin care, fall prevention, infection control, and body mechanics.
After that, you need 8 hours of training each year. State law also requires training in elder abuse prevention, cultural competency, and infection control, and those hours can count toward the 8. You must earn CPR and first aid certification within 6 months of hire.
A 2025 state law tells the Board of Health to set required training for unlicensed caregivers, including family caregivers paid by Medicaid. When those new rules take effect was not confirmed.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Yes, in some cases. Nevada Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) can be given by a family member or friend who completes specific training through a licensed PCS agency or an Intermediary Service Organization (ISO), which supports self-directed care.
Legally responsible individuals cannot be paid for PCS. Nevada Medicaid defines them as spouses, legal guardians, and parents of minor children.
Read our full guide: how to get paid to care for a family member.
Compare
All three help people with daily care. Training, tasks, and pay differ.
| Personal care aide | Home health aide | CNA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training | Agency training, no set hours, 8 hours yearly | 75 hours federal minimum, including 16 hands-on | State-approved program, 75 hours or more |
| Medical tasks | Mostly not. Help with daily living, like bathing, dressing, meals, and housework | Some, like vital signs, under nurse supervision | Yes, under nurse supervision |
| Where you work | Clients' homes, group homes, assisted living | Clients' homes, through home health agencies | Nursing homes and hospitals |
| Median pay (NV) | $16.19 an hour* | $16.19 an hour* | $21.87 an hour |
*Federal pay data groups personal care aides with home health aides. Many PCAs later become CNAs, which opens more jobs and higher pay.
FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most.
No personal license or certificate is required. The agency you work for must be licensed, and it must train you and check your skills before you work alone.
There is no set hour minimum to start. You finish your agency's training program before working alone, then take 8 hours of training every year.
Yes, in some cases. A family member or friend can provide Medicaid Personal Care Services after specific training through a licensed agency or an ISO. Spouses, legal guardians, and parents of minor children cannot be paid.
Yes. Attendants at licensed personal care agencies need CPR and first aid certification within 6 months of hire.
Home health and personal care aides in Nevada earn a median of $16.19 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.