Yesterday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Nurse Aide Registry Services (NARS) announced its testing vendor, D & S Headmaster (“D&S”), will begin offering the nurse aide certification exam in Haitian Creole, in addition to Spanish, Chinese, and English. Starting November 18, CNA candidates can indicate their intent to take the CNA exam in Haitian Creole during the exam registration process. Administration of exams in Haitian Creole will begin December 2. Individuals who have completed an approved Massachusetts Nurse Aide Training Program or have an approved Nurse Aide Training Waiver Application may apply to take the CNA exam in English, Spanish, Chinese, or Haitian Creole. Having the nurse aide certification exam available in Haitian Creole is an important step in Mass Senior Care’s collaborative efforts with state officials and members to recruit and train Haitian immigrants for direct care roles in nursing facilities.
As a reminder, employers are able to see in which language a CNA has passed the exam through a notation on the Nurse Aide Registry Inquiry System (NARIS). Regarding hiring CNAs who have passed the exam in a language other than English, employers should follow their facility hiring policy concerning screening, as well as facility policy concerning employee training. Employers should evaluate the individual hiring needs of their facility when evaluating the hiring of CNAs who have passed the exam in a language other than English. To learn more about this change, visit www.mass.gov/nurse-aide-registry-program.