CNA job description template: setting, registry lines, the four-month trainee rule and resident assignment
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Most CNA postings read the same: "Provide quality care to residents, assist with ADLs, CNA license required." That wording does not tell an aide whether the job is a 30-bed memory care unit or a hospital med-surg floor, how many residents they will have on days versus nights, or whether you take trainees still finishing their program. It also says "license" where most states keep a nurse aide registry. A useful CNA job description names the setting, the assignment size and the shift, states the registry line in your state's words, and is clear about whether trainees can apply. Below are the setting choices, the federal and state lines with sources, a copy-ready template, screening and scorecard rows, and the mistakes that bring in the wrong applicants. For the call itself, use CNA screening questions.
Not legal advice. The nurse aide rules below were checked against 42 CFR Part 483, the California Department of Public Health and the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook as of October 2026. States add their own training, registry and background check rules; confirm them for the facility's state before posting.
Decide the setting first
The setting changes the rules that apply, the pace and the must-haves. Pick one row before you write anything else.
| Setting | What the day looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled nursing facility (Medicare or Medicaid certified) | Fixed resident assignment, ADLs, meals, turns, vitals, charting in a point-of-care system | Active on the state registry, or enrolled in a program with completion inside the four-month window |
| Short-term rehab unit | Faster turnover, post-surgical residents, more transfers and mobility work | Mechanical lift and gait belt use; experience with admissions and discharges |
| Memory care | Residents with dementia, redirection, exit-seeking, behavior charting | Has worked with residents with dementia and can describe de-escalation |
| Assisted living | Lighter care, medication rules set by the state, more independence | Check whether the state requires a separate assisted living or medication aide credential |
| Hospital floor | Patient care technician tasks, vitals rounds, sometimes blood draws or EKGs | Hospital experience or the extra skills the unit uses; see patient care technician screening questions |
Then settle three numbers with the director of nursing: residents per aide on each shift, the shift lengths, and how often aides float between units. Put them in the posting. If the job is in clients' homes, it is a different role with different training rules; start from home health aide screening questions instead.
The registry and training lines, with sources
For nursing facilities that take Medicare or Medicaid, the federal requirements for participation set the baseline every posting should match (42 CFR 483.35(d)):
- The four-month rule. A facility must not use anyone as a nurse aide for more than four months on a full-time basis unless they have completed a state-approved training and competency evaluation program (or a competency evaluation) and are competent to provide nursing and nursing-related services.
- Registry verification. Before an aide works, the facility must receive registry verification that they met the competency requirements, and must seek information from every state registry it believes has information on the person.
- The 24-month lapse. If an aide has gone 24 consecutive months without providing nursing or nursing-related services for pay, they must complete a new training and competency evaluation program or a new competency evaluation.
- Reviews and in-service. The facility must review each aide's performance at least once every 12 months, and in-service training must be at least 12 hours a year (42 CFR 483.95(g)).
The training program itself must be at least 75 clock hours, with at least 16 hours of supervised practical training and 16 hours on set topics before any direct resident contact (42 CFR 483.152). States can go further: California requires 160 hours, a minimum of 60 hours of classroom theory and 100 hours of supervised clinical training (California Department of Public Health). BLS notes that aides who pass the competency exam are placed on a state registry and must be on it to work in a nursing home (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 27, 2026).
What this means for the posting: write "active on the [state] nurse aide registry" rather than "CNA license"; if you hire trainees, say the program must be completed and the aide listed within four months; and add a line asking aides from other states to apply, since you will check every registry they have been on.
The CNA job description template
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) — [Long-Term Care / Short-Term
Rehab / Memory Care / Hospital], [Days / Evenings / Nights],
[Full-Time / Part-Time / PRN]
[Facility], [city, state]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per hour, plus [shift differential $N/hour,
weekend differential $N/hour, other premiums with conditions].
[Benefits summary, if required.]
SUMMARY
You will care for about [N] residents on [unit] during a [8 / 12]-
hour [day / evening / night] shift, working with [N] nurses and
[N] other aides. Our residents are mostly [long-term / post-surgical
rehab / living with dementia]. You will report to the [charge nurse /
unit manager].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Help residents with bathing, dressing, toileting, eating and
grooming, following each care plan.
- Reposition, transfer and walk residents using [gait belts /
mechanical and sit-to-stand lifts] and the transfer status on the
care plan.
- Take and record vitals, weights, intake and output in [system].
- Watch for and report changes in condition, skin, pain or behavior
to the nurse right away.
- Answer call lights, keep rooms safe and follow infection control
and isolation procedures.
- [Memory care: redirect and engage residents, and document
behaviors.]
YOU MUST HAVE
- Active, in good standing on the [state] nurse aide registry.
[Or: enrolled in a state-approved nurse aide program, with
completion and registry listing within four months of hire.]
- Current [BLS / CPR] [or within N days of hire].
- Availability for [shift pattern, every other weekend, holidays].
- Ability to perform the duties above, with or without reasonable
accommodation.
NICE TO HAVE
- Experience in [memory care / rehab / hospital].
- Experience with [point-of-care charting system].
- [Language] for residents and families who speak it.
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply. Aides
listed in another state are welcome; we check every registry.
FIXED CONDITIONS
- Offers subject to registry verification, [background check,
health screening, TB test] as required by law.
- [Annual in-service training of N hours, paid.]
[EEO STATEMENT]
To request an adjustment to apply or interview, email or call
[contact].Pay, EEO and health requirements
Pay. Post the hourly range and each differential (shift, weekend, holiday, pickup) as separate lines with their conditions, and check your state's pay transparency rules. For outside reference, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for nursing assistants and orderlies linked above (last modified August 27, 2026) publishes pay data; this page does not quote figures.
EEO and health. Keep the EEO statement short and cover the characteristics the EEOC lists. Describe physical work as tasks (transfers with a lift, repositioning with a second aide) instead of asking about health. TB tests, immunizations and physical exams belong after a conditional offer; see pre-employment medical exams under the ADA.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registry status | "Which state registries are you listed on, and when was your last paid shift as an aide?" | Not scored: verified on each registry | Names every state and a recent paid shift inside 24 months |
| Assignment size | "On your last unit, how many residents did you have on your shift, and how did you plan the first two hours?" | Time management | A number, a plan (who needs help first, meal and med timing), and how they ask for help |
| Safe transfers | "A resident's care plan says two-person assist with a lift, and no one is free. What do you do?" | Resident safety | Waits and calls for help; does not transfer alone; tells the nurse |
| Change in condition | "Tell me about a time a resident seemed different from usual. What did you notice and who did you tell?" | Observation and reporting | A specific sign (confusion, skin, intake), told the nurse right away, charted it |
| Shift reliability | "The role is nights, three 12-hour shifts a week plus every other weekend. Does that work with your other commitments?" | Not scored | Knockout confirmed |
Full question sets with red flags are in CNA screening questions, and the wider panel structure for nursing and allied roles is in the interview guide for healthcare roles.
Common mistakes in CNA job descriptions
"CNA license required"
Most states call it certification or registry listing. Use your state's words so candidates and your own team know what you will check.
No assignment size or shift detail
The number of residents per aide on each shift is what experienced aides compare between jobs. Leaving it out draws applicants who quit in the first week.
Shutting out trainees by accident
If your facility sponsors students or hires aides who are finishing their program, say so and state the four-month deadline. "One year of experience required" turns away new aides you might want.
A lifting number instead of the task
"Must lift 50 pounds" says little when transfers are done with a lift and a second aide. Describe the real tasks and add an accommodation contact.
Blanket record lines
Certified facilities must not employ anyone with a registry finding of abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment of residents or misappropriation of their property (42 CFR 483.12(a)(3)), and states can add their own background check rules. State the checks you run rather than writing "no criminal history" into the posting; see ban-the-box interview questions.
Before you publish
- Setting, unit, residents per aide and shift length are in the summary.
- The registry line uses your state's term, and the trainee line states the four-month deadline if trainees can apply.
- Pay and every differential appear as separate lines.
- Health screening is listed as a post-offer condition, with an accommodation contact.
- The EEO statement closes the posting.
Questions people ask
Can a nursing home hire someone who is not yet a CNA?
Federal rules for Medicare and Medicaid nursing facilities allow a facility to use someone as a nurse aide for up to four months on a full-time basis while they complete a state-approved training and competency evaluation program. After that, the person must be competent and on the registry. If you hire trainees, say so in the posting and state the deadline.
How many training hours does a CNA need?
The federal minimum for an approved nurse aide training program is 75 clock hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training, with 16 hours of set topics before any direct resident contact. States can require more; California, for example, requires 160 hours, 60 in the classroom and 100 in supervised clinical training.
Should a CNA posting say license or certification?
Use your state's term. Most states certify nursing assistants and list them on a nurse aide registry, and the facility must verify the registry before the aide works. Writing 'active on the [state] nurse aide registry' is clearer than 'CNA license' and tells candidates exactly what you will check.
What happens if a CNA has not worked for two years?
Under the federal rule, if an aide has gone 24 consecutive months without providing nursing or nursing-related services for pay, they must complete a new training and competency evaluation program or a new competency evaluation before working as a nurse aide in a certified facility. Ask about the last paid shift on the screen.