Louisiana requires 80 hours of CNA training and uses Prometric to administer the state competency exam. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) Nurse Aide Registry manages all certified nursing assistant credentials — a distinction from states where the Board of Nursing oversees certification. Louisiana's healthcare system is heavily concentrated in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, with Ochsner Health standing as the dominant private employer of CNAs in the state. Louisiana also faces one of the most significant rural healthcare workforce shortages in the South, with many rural parishes having no certified CNA training programs, creating strong incentives and sometimes paid training for candidates willing to work in underserved areas. CNA salaries in Louisiana range from $24,000 to $30,000 per year, with Ochsner Health and academic medical centers in New Orleans offering the highest wages in the state.
Louisiana law requires a minimum of 80 hours of DHH-approved CNA training, including at least 16 hours of classroom/theory instruction and 16 hours of supervised clinical practice at a licensed Louisiana nursing facility. Programs must be approved directly by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals — not the Board of Nursing. Training is available through Louisiana community and technical colleges (LCTCS system), American Red Cross chapters, and some long-term care facilities that offer employer-based programs. The 80-hour requirement slightly exceeds the federal OBRA minimum of 75 hours.
Louisiana uses Prometric to administer the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) competency exam — both the written knowledge test and the clinical skills evaluation. The written section contains 60 multiple-choice questions with a 90-minute time limit; passing requires a minimum score of 70%. The clinical skills evaluation requires candidates to correctly demonstrate 5 randomly selected skills from a standardized list. Candidates have up to 3 attempts within 24 months of completing their training program. Testing centers are located in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, and other major Louisiana cities.
Louisiana requires a criminal background check for CNA candidates seeking to work in any Medicaid/Medicare-certified facility. The background check is conducted through the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and includes both state and national criminal history. The Louisiana DHH maintains a Nurse Aide Abuse Registry separate from the main certification registry — any individual listed on the abuse registry for findings of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or misappropriation of resident property is permanently barred from working as a CNA in Louisiana. All employers are required to verify DHH registry status before hiring.
Before beginning clinical rotations at a Louisiana nursing facility, CNA students must provide a negative TB test (Mantoux PPD or QuantiFERON Gold) within the past 12 months, physician clearance for physical fitness, and current CPR/BLS certification from the American Heart Association or American Red Cross. Most DHH-approved programs also require current immunizations including the Hepatitis B series, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and seasonal influenza vaccine. Individual program requirements may exceed DHH minimums — verify with your specific training provider before enrollment.
New Orleans and the surrounding metro area — including Jefferson Parish (Metairie), St. Tammany Parish (Slidell, Covington), and St. Bernard Parish — represent Louisiana's largest and highest-paying CNA market. Ochsner Health, Louisiana's largest private employer and the dominant healthcare system in the state, operates 40+ hospitals and medical centers statewide with its flagship Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson Highway as the primary hub. Ochsner is by far the single largest CNA employer in Louisiana and regularly offers employer-sponsored training and tuition reimbursement programs. Tulane Medical Center (HCA Healthcare) and University Medical Center New Orleans (UMC, the state's only Level I trauma center and academic medical center) are the other major hospital CNA employers in the city. Training programs are available at Delgado Community College (City Park and West Bank campuses), Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center affiliated programs, and Ochsner Health's own workforce development program. CNA wages in the New Orleans metro average $14–$18/hour, with Ochsner Health and UMC positions reaching $17–$20/hour. The post-Hurricane Katrina healthcare rebuild has permanently expanded the metropolitan healthcare infrastructure, sustaining strong long-term demand for CNAs across acute care, SNF, and home health settings. CNA scholarships may be available through Louisiana Workforce Commission programs for eligible candidates in Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Tammany parishes.
Baton Rouge and the surrounding East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, and Ascension Parish corridor is Louisiana's second-largest CNA market and one of the fastest-growing healthcare regions in the state. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center — a 1,000+ bed Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System flagship — is the largest hospital in the Baton Rouge metro and a top CNA employer. Baton Rouge General Medical Center (two campuses), Lane Regional Medical Center (Zachary), and Woman's Hospital (a specialty women's and children's hospital) are the other major acute care CNA employers in the region. Ochsner Health also operates multiple Baton Rouge area facilities. Baton Rouge Community College and Sowela Technical Community College offer DHH-approved CNA programs. The Louisiana State University (LSU) main campus in Baton Rouge does not offer direct CNA training, but LSUHSC's presence supports ongoing demand for healthcare workers across the region. CNA wages in Baton Rouge average $13–$17/hour. The corridor south from Baton Rouge through Gonzales and Prairieville (Ascension Parish) has seen rapid residential growth, driving new healthcare facility openings and steady CNA demand. CNA registry status can be verified through the Louisiana DHH Nurse Aide Registry online portal.
Shreveport and Caddo Parish in northwest Louisiana form the state's third-largest healthcare market, with a distinct identity anchored by major academic medical centers. Willis-Knighton Health System — the largest private healthcare employer in northwest Louisiana — operates four hospital campuses in Shreveport and Bossier City and is one of the state's largest CNA employers outside of Ochsner. Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport (formerly LSU Health Shreveport and University Health), a Level I trauma center and major teaching hospital, recruits CNAs actively for both acute care and long-term care settings. Christus Health Shreveport-Bossier operates two hospital campuses in the region. Bossier Parish Community College and Red River Technical College offer DHH-approved CNA training programs for the northwest Louisiana market. CNA wages in Shreveport average $12–$15/hour — lower than the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metros but with a substantially lower cost of living. The Shreveport-Bossier City metro also has a significant VA population (Overton Brooks VA Medical Center) creating consistent demand for VA-affiliated and community home health CNA positions. Travel CNA contracts are available in northwest Louisiana through national staffing agencies.
Lafayette and the Acadiana region — including Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, and Vermilion parishes — form a strong mid-sized CNA market with a distinct Cajun cultural identity that permeates the healthcare environment. Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center (Lafayette, Franciscan Missionaries system) and Lafayette General Medical Center (Ochsner Lafayette General) are the two primary hospital CNA employers in Acadiana. Opelousas General Health System (St. Landry Parish) and Iberia Medical Center (New Iberia) are the major regional hospitals for surrounding parishes. South Louisiana Community College offers DHH-approved CNA training in Lafayette, Abbeville, and Morgan City. CNA wages in the Lafayette metro average $12–$15/hour. The oil and gas industry's connection to the region creates some volatility in ancillary healthcare spending, but long-term care demand driven by the region's aging population (one of the oldest median age profiles in Louisiana) remains stable. Bilingual (English-French/Cajun) CNA candidates have an advantage in the Acadiana region. Working as a CNA in Acadiana often means a tight-knit community healthcare environment with strong patient-family engagement.
Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana — including Calcasieu, Cameron, Beauregard, and Jeff Davis parishes — represent a growing but historically underserved CNA market. Lake Charles Memorial Hospital (a regional referral center) and CHRISTUS Ochsner St. Patrick Hospital are the two primary hospital CNA employers in the Lake Charles metro. The region has faced significant healthcare workforce challenges following Hurricanes Laura (2026) and Delta (2026), which damaged healthcare infrastructure and displaced workers. Reconstruction and new healthcare investment have created elevated short-term demand for CNAs throughout the region. Sowela Technical Community College (Lake Charles) offers DHH-approved CNA training. CNA wages in Lake Charles average $12–$15/hour. Southwest Louisiana's proximity to the Texas border (Beaumont is less than 45 minutes away) means CNAs in the region can access Texas employment opportunities — Texas offers substantially higher CNA wages ($28K–$35K average), though reciprocity paperwork with the Texas DADS registry is required. CNA reciprocity from Louisiana to Texas is available for active, unrestricted DHH registry holders. The region's petrochemical industry workforce creates demand for occupational health CNAs at refinery and industrial facility clinics.
Search the Louisiana DHH website for a list of approved nurse aide training programs. Options include LCTCS community and technical colleges (Delgado, Baton Rouge Community College, South Louisiana Community College, Sowela), American Red Cross chapters, and some long-term care facilities offering employer-sponsored programs. Ochsner Health offers a workforce development CNA training pathway for prospective employees.
Obtain your TB test within 12 months, physical examination clearance, current immunizations, and CPR/BLS certification. Submit to a criminal background check through the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification. Most programs require these documents before clinical placement begins. Some employers offer sponsored training programs that cover all prerequisites for accepted candidates.
Attend your Louisiana DHH-approved program for at least 80 hours including classroom theory (minimum 16 hours), skills lab, and supervised clinical practice (minimum 16 hours) at a licensed Louisiana nursing facility. Full-time accelerated programs complete in 3–4 weeks; part-time evening programs take 6–10 weeks. Ochsner-sponsored programs may include guaranteed job placement upon program completion and passing the Prometric exam.
After completing your DHH-approved training program, register for both the written knowledge and clinical skills exam sections through Prometric — the Louisiana state exam vendor. You will need your program completion certificate. Testing locations include New Orleans, Metairie, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lafayette. Exam fees must be paid at registration.
Take the NNAAP written knowledge test (60 questions, 90 minutes, 70% to pass) and the clinical skills evaluation (5 randomly selected skills, all must be passed). Both parts must be passed within 24 months of completing training. You have up to 3 attempts. Use our free CNA practice test to prepare specifically for the NNAAP format used by Prometric in Louisiana.
After passing both exam components, Prometric notifies the Louisiana DHH and you are placed on the Louisiana DHH Nurse Aide Registry. Registry status can be verified through the DHH website. Processing typically takes 2–4 weeks. Your employer is required to verify your DHH registry listing before you can begin working in a Medicaid/Medicare-certified facility in Louisiana.
Apply to hospitals, SNFs, home health agencies, ALFs, or staffing companies in Louisiana. Top employers include Ochsner Health (statewide), University Medical Center New Orleans, Willis-Knighton (Shreveport), Our Lady of the Lake (Baton Rouge), and Tulane Medical Center (New Orleans). Staffing agencies in New Orleans and Baton Rouge can place you in per-diem or travel assignments at premium pay rates.
Louisiana has one of the most severe rural healthcare workforce shortages in the United States. More than 60% of Louisiana's 64 parishes are classified as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and the shortage of certified nursing assistants in rural parishes is particularly acute. This shortage has real consequences — multiple rural Louisiana nursing homes have closed in recent years due to inability to staff certified positions, leaving elderly and medically complex residents without local care options.
Which parishes are most affected? The rural shortages are most severe in northern Louisiana (Winn, Jackson, Sabine, Red River, De Soto, Natchitoches, Grant, LaSalle, and Caldwell parishes), the Acadiana wetlands (St. Mary, Assumption, Terrebonne, and St. James parishes), and the Florida parishes (Washington, St. Helena, East Feliciana, and West Feliciana parishes). Many of these areas have fewer than one CNA per 1,000 residents, far below the national average.
What does this mean for CNA candidates? For candidates willing to work in rural or underserved Louisiana parishes, the employment opportunities are exceptional and the incentives can be significant:
Important note on rural facilities: While the shortage creates opportunity, candidates should thoroughly research any rural Louisiana nursing facility before accepting employment. Some facilities with extreme staffing shortages have received regulatory citations from the Louisiana DHH for care quality issues directly linked to understaffing. Verify a facility's DHH inspection history and CMS star rating before committing. See our full guide to working as a CNA for how to evaluate employers and facilities before accepting an offer.