COVID-19 Updates

Nurse Aide Examination - COVID-19 Modifications for Instructors and Candidates (PDF)

Temporary Health Care Workers Urgently Needed in Long-term Care and Assisted Living Facilities

September 15, 2021: MDH Options for Nurse Aides working under the Federal 1135 Waiver

In preparation for the end of the Federal Emergency 1135 Regulatory Waiver of Training and Certification of nurses, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is offering options for a limited time to the nursing aides working under the 1135 waiver, and who provided essential care and protections for Minnesota’s elderly when they were needed the most, to become certified.

To be eligible to work as a nurse aide following the expiration of the waiver, those who have not passed a competency evaluation and who are not currently listed in the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry must do one of the following within four months:

• Challenge and pass the competency examination within the first three attempts. Anyone who successfully challenges the competency evaluation does not need to complete nurse aide training.
• Complete training by enrolling in a Minnesota-approved training program before taking the competency examination. MDH will allow facilities to credit training received while working in a long-term care facility under the waiver towards their required 75-hours of training.

See the documents below for the full details of the guidance and options available:

• Placement on Minnesota’s Nursing Assistant Registry for Nurse Aides Working during the 1135 Waiver
• Nurse Aides Working Under 1135 Waiver during a Public Health Emergency