Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs in Oklahoma City, OK
Certified nursing assistants in Oklahoma City usually earn about $15 to $19 an hour, and INTEGRIS Health will pay for your training outright. Hospitals on NW Expressway, Memorial Road and NE 13th Street all staff aides around the clock. Here are the current openings, then who is hiring and how to get certified.
Current certified nursing assistant Openings in Oklahoma City, OK
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Certified Nursing Assistant Work in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City's aide jobs follow its hospital map. INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center off NW Expressway and INTEGRIS Health Southwest Medical Center on S Western Ave anchor the west and south sides, the Oklahoma City VA sits in the Oklahoma Health Center on NE 13th Street east of downtown, and Memorial Road in far north OKC carries Oklahoma Heart Hospital North and Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital. Oklahoma Heart Hospital South adds a second cardiac campus at I-240 and Sooner Road.
What sets the metro apart is how many employers will train you. INTEGRIS runs a paid CNA program through its Pathway to Nursing track, and the hospital titles vary more than the work does: you will see nurse tech, nursing assistant, patient care assistant and nursing support on the same job board. Many hospital aide postings here run 12-hour shifts, days or nights.
Top Oklahoma City Employers Hiring Certified Nursing Assistants
These Oklahoma City employers hire nursing assistants for hospital, rehab and veterans care:
- INTEGRIS Health - the Oklahoma City-based system pays tuition, fees, books and testing for its CNA program, with paid class hours and a $1,000 retention bonus.
- Oklahoma City VA Health Care System - the federal medical center at 921 NE 13th St hires GS-3 to GS-5 nursing assistants, including rotating night shifts.
- Oklahoma Heart Hospital - the physician-owned heart hospital, with campuses on Memorial Road and at I-240 and Sooner Road, hires through a dedicated nursing support track.
- Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital - the inpatient rehab hospital at 5401 W Memorial Rd hires patient care assistants and nurse technicians on 12-hour day shifts, with a nursing assistant certificate preferred.
Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries in Oklahoma City
- Entry level: about $15 to $17 per hour for newly certified aides.
- Experienced: roughly $17 to $19 per hour with a year or two on a hospital unit.
- Senior / top of range: about $19 to $21 per hour, and federal VA nursing assistant pay runs $38,287 to $55,961 a year.
These are estimates built from federal wage data for the Oklahoma City metro and local postings. Night and weekend shifts, hospital versus long-term care settings, and federal pay grades move the number most.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Oklahoma City
In Oklahoma, nurse aides are certified through the Oklahoma State Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry, not the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. You complete a state-approved training program and pass the competency test to be placed on the registry; federal rules set those programs at no less than 75 clock hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training, and Oklahoma requires at least 16 hours of training before any contact with a resident. Metro Technology Centers teaches Long Term Care Aide training in its Nursing Services major, with its Health Careers Center on the Springlake Campus at 1900 Springlake Dr, and INTEGRIS will sponsor the training if you commit to working for it.
What the Job Involves
Certified nursing assistants handle the hands-on care that keeps a unit running: bathing, dressing and toileting patients, turning and repositioning them, helping with meals, taking vital signs, recording intake and output, answering call lights and helping nurses move patients safely. In a hospital you also stock rooms, transport patients and report changes in condition to the charge nurse.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Oklahoma nurse aide certification on the OSDH registry
- BLS (CPR) certification, often required within 30 days of hire
- Accurate vital signs and charting
- Safe patient lifting and transfer technique
- Patience and clear communication with patients and families
- Reliability on 12-hour and night shifts
Career Path and Advancement
For many Oklahoma City aides, the CNA job is the first rung on the nursing ladder. INTEGRIS builds its Pathway to Nursing around that idea, and the local next steps are clear: a Practical Nursing program at Metro Tech leads to an LPN license, and OSU-OKC's Career Ladder pathway or the ADN programs at OCCC and Rose State lead to an RN. Aides who stay in direct care move into lead aide, medication aide, monitor tech or unit secretary roles.
Related Careers in Oklahoma City
If nursing assistant work interests you, these Oklahoma City roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Who certifies nursing assistants in Oklahoma?
The Oklahoma State Department of Health runs the Nurse Aide Registry, which approves training programs and lists certified aides. The Oklahoma Board of Nursing licenses RNs and LPNs, not aides, so the registry is where an employer will check your status.
How much do CNAs make in Oklahoma City?
Most aides in the metro earn about $15 to $19 an hour, with the top of the range near $21. Federal nursing assistant jobs at the Oklahoma City VA pay $38,287 to $55,961 a year depending on grade.
Can I get CNA training for free in Oklahoma City?
Yes, through an employer. INTEGRIS Health covers tuition, fees, books and the testing fee for its CNA program and pays you for class hours, in exchange for a work commitment of 2,080 hours.
How long does it take to become a CNA in Oklahoma?
Federal rules set nurse aide training at no less than 75 clock hours, so most programs finish in a few weeks to a couple of months, followed by the competency test. Oklahoma also requires at least 16 hours of training before any direct contact with a resident.
What does CMA mean on an Oklahoma nurse aide job?
On Oklahoma's Nurse Aide Registry, CMA means certified medication aide, a separate credential layered on top of nurse aide certification. It is not the same as a certified medical assistant, so read the posting closely.
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