CNA Training in
Bradenton, Florida

If you hope to work in the healthcare industry in Florida, Premier Nursing Academy offers free CNA (certified nursing assistant) training for students in the Bradenton and Sarasota areas. In as few as four weeks, our state-approved CNA program with a proven record of success can get Bradenton-area candidates out of the classroom and into their careers. Not only does Premier Nursing Academy offer free CNA training, but we also provide guaranteed employment for all of our graduates, as all students must be accepted by a local employment partner as part of their enrollment process.

Our Bradenton location opened in November 2020, and it’s the second Premier Nursing Academy branch in Florida (the other being in Pinellas Park). Our expert team is thrilled to provide our state-approved CNA classes focused on career readiness to up-and-coming CNAs like you. We are proud to connect students with our employer partners in Bradenton, Sarasota, Sun City, Palmetto, and other surrounding areas.

You can choose between a daytime or evening course schedule based on your needs. Learn more about our CNA classes below, including upcoming start dates and schedules.

Premier Nursing Academy –
Bradenton

5720 14th St. W
Bradenton, FL 34207

941.217.7360

How to find us: We are located in the Southwood Shoppes Shopping Mall

Upcoming Class Start Dates

COVID-19 Update:

All students and staff are required to wear masks while inside our facility.
Due to State of Florida Department of Health notices and for the safety of the residents of our employer partners, all instructor-supervised clinical instruction will be completed within our simulation lab instead of on-site at a facility. This will not affect our student’s ability to become licensed certified nursing assistants.
Visitors have been restricted from entering our facility. Students and staff must complete a daily health screening prior to entry.

Day class schedule
Monday – Thursday, for 4 weeks
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Evening class schedule
Monday – Friday, for 6 weeks
5:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Start Date	Day Class	Evening Class
4/26/2021 – Bradenton
5/24/2021 – Bradenton
6/21/2021 – Bradenton

Apply Now!

Free CNA Classes in Bradenton

Premier Nursing Academy’s CNA instruction is offered in multiple schedule formats to accommodate students with different needs. Consult our class schedule to see upcoming class start dates and get to know the instructors in each location.

After graduates have completed our Florida Board of Nursing-approved course of instruction, they have the skills and are provisionally able to work for their matched employer even before passing the Nurse Aide Exam. Upon passing the exam and completing other background requirements for the state, you’ll be a fully licensed CNA in Florida.

Both day and evening class schedules available
4 to 6 weeks training
Daytime sessions run Monday – Thursday for 4 weeks
7.5 instructional hours per day
OR
Evening sessions run Monday – Friday for 6 weeks
4 instructional hours per day
120 instructional hours
80 hours of classroom-based didactic learning
40 hours of hands-on clinical-based instruction, mostly conducted on-site with one of our employer partners

What is a CNA?

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide basic patient care and perform administrative tasks under registered nurses’ watchful eyes. Their jobs may include completing paperwork and updating records, taking vitals, and helping patients with everyday needs.

Becoming a CNA could be the first step in your medical career, or you could choose it as a lifelong job.

How to Become a CNA in Bradenton

Becoming a CNA in Florida, including Bradenton, is done in an unusual way. Unlike many other states, Florida is a “challenge state,” meaning you don’t need to complete training (under one of the three possible routes) to become a CNA. However, you need to pass a state-administered test and meet other requirements, some of which do include training. These requirements are:

Finishing a training program and passing your nursing assistant competency exam; OR
Reaching at least the age of 18, having a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent, and passing the nursing assistant competency exam; OR
Undergoing a program via the Enterprise Florida Jobs and Education Partnership Grant and passing the nursing assistant competency exam

While the idea of only passing an exam to become a CNA may be appealing, it’s worth remembering many employers prefer fully-trained CNAs.

Pros and Cons of Being a CNA in Bradenton

Working as a CNA in the Bradenton area comes with positives and negatives.

Pros of Being a Bradenton-area CNA

Bradenton is part of Sarasota’s municipal area, and Sarasota has a lot going for it. It was named the best place to retire and 16^th best place to live in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The report also called it the second-best place to live in Florida.

Additionally, the Sarasota-Bradenton area is home to several hospitals, and the county the cities are in has over 80 assisted living facilities. It’s not uncommon for primary care and other medical facilities to hire CNAs, and there are many of those workplaces in the area as well. This means you may have a lot of options when it comes to finding the career for you.

If you’re interested in working with older adults, you may be in luck. Thanks to it being the number one place to retire in the U.S., many people in this age group may eventually need CNAs’ assistance.

Cons of Being a Bradenton-area CNA

While the area is cheaper than, say, Miami, the cost of living is on the rise. Additionally, the area isn’t particularly youth-oriented, with most activities and attractions geared toward older adults. So, if you’re looking for vibrant nightlife or low cost of living, it may be worth considering working in other parts of Florida

How Much do CNAs Make in Bradenton and the Surrounding Areas?

As of 2019, CNAs in Florida earned a median salary of $27,100 per year, ranging from $21,090 to $36,600. Those in the Bradenton and Sarasota region often earn even more:

Location	Median CNA Salary
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton	$29,840
Palmetto, Holmes Beach, and Anna Maria	$29,066
Sun City	$29,262

North Port-Sarasota-Bradentonsalary data are from O*Net (2019). The others are fromSalary.com (2021).

CNA pay varies based not just on your amount of training or years worked but also on your workplace. If you work in a specialized hospital, you may earn more than those in assisted living facilities, for instance.

CNA Job Growth in Florida

Nursing careers, including CNAs, are in crisis mode because there are more positions than people to fill them. Florida is especially hurting, as the number of new CNAs is dropping every year. This could benefit you as a new CNA, as there’s a definite need for people to enter the field.

CNA jobs are growing nationwide, and Florida expects even more jobs to open than the nation as a whole.

Florida CNA Growth 2018-2028: 11%
National CNA Growth 2019-2029: 8%

Data from O*Net

In hard numbers, the U.S. anticipates 174,000 new CNA jobs, while Florida expects 12,170—or 7% of all new CNA jobs.

CNA Jobs Near Bradenton

Though Premier Nursing Academy graduates are already accepted to a job with a sponsoring employer when they enroll, there are many job opportunities for CNAs in Bradenton generally. As of August 2020, a search for CNA jobs in or near Bradenton, FL, lists many recent openings for certified nursing assistants. Employers include hospitals and medical centers, such as Manatee Memorial Hospital and Blake Medical Center, senior living and care facilities such as Greenbriar Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and Braden River Rehab Center, and home health care services such as Sonas Home Health Care and Home Helpers of Bradenton.

The long-term prospects of being a certified nursing assistant in the Bradenton area are strong, whether your goal is to maintain steady employment as a CNA or move into other health care careers. A 2019 study by WalletHub ranked Bradenton as the second best city in Florida for health care quality, including measures such as health care facilities per capita and home care facilities per capita.