> ⚠️ PUBLISHER NOTICE — DO NOT PUBLISH WITHOUT VERIFICATION: AVI Career Training is a COE-accredited beauty and wellness school. This article was produced for planning and review purposes only, based on a client-submitted brief that assumes a Nurse Aide program exists or is being added. Confirm with AVI leadership that this program is active, SCHEV-approved, and enrolling students before this content goes live. Publishing without verification risks FTC deceptive advertising exposure, COE compliance violations, and student harm. All program details below (hours, tuition, exam requirements) must be verified against current AVI program documents before publishing.

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A Day in the Life of a Nurse Aide Student at AVI

AVI Career Training’s nurse aide program in Northern Virginia is a 150-hour, hands-on program covering vital signs, patient transfers, personal care, and infection control — structured to prepare you for the Virginia Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation and get you working fast.

If you’ve been searching for a CNA program near Fairfax County that gets you into the workforce without a four-year degree or a mountain of prerequisites, this page walks you through exactly what your training days will look like.

Apply Now at AVI Career Training →

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What Your Morning Looks Like as a Nurse Aide Student

Your first hour as a nurse aide student at AVI sets the pace for everything that follows — focused, active, and never just sitting in a lecture hall waiting to take notes.

When you arrive at AVI Career Training’s campus at 1595 Spring Hill Rd in Vienna, Virginia, you’re not walking into a passive classroom. You’re walking into a training environment built around doing. Mornings typically open with a brief skills orientation — your instructor outlines the day’s objectives, connects them to real clinical scenarios, and explains what competency you’ll be building toward.

From there, your cohort breaks into the day’s first skills block. This might mean practicing how to measure and record vital signs on a training manikin, reviewing proper hand hygiene protocols, or running through the communication techniques CNAs use with patients who have memory or mobility challenges.

One of the first things students notice is the tone. This isn’t a lecture-heavy environment where an instructor talks at you for two hours. Questions are encouraged. Mistakes during practice are part of learning, not something to be embarrassed about. Instructors at AVI are licensed professionals who’ve worked in real healthcare settings — and they teach the way they were trained: practically and directly.

Consider Marcus, a 34-year-old warehouse supervisor from Herndon who enrolled in AVI’s Nurse Aide program after his company downsized. He’d never worked in healthcare. On his first morning, he expected to spend the day reading a textbook. Instead, his cohort was practicing proper patient positioning before 10 a.m. “I was nervous I’d be the oldest one there and the most lost,” Marcus said. “By day three I realized everybody was nervous — and everybody caught up fast.”

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The Skills You’ll Practice — Hands-On from Day One

AVI’s Nurse Aide program covers every core competency Virginia requires — and students practice those skills in a lab environment, not just on paper.

This is where certified nurse aide training in Northern Virginia at AVI stands apart from programs that lean heavily on online modules or passive instruction. The 150-hour curriculum is built around active skill repetition, because the Virginia Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation tests you on both knowledge and physical performance of caregiving tasks.

Core Skills Covered in the Program

Here’s a breakdown of the competency areas you’ll work through during your training:

Instructors walk through each skill step-by-step, then watch students perform it and give direct feedback. You’ll repeat skills multiple times across different sessions — not because you’re doing it wrong, but because muscle memory and confidence matter when you’re working with real patients.

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Afternoons, Lab Hours, and How the 150 Hours Are Structured

CNA training at AVI is structured across 150 hours to progressively build your skills — starting with foundational knowledge and advancing through clinical preparation by the end of the program.

Virginia requires nurse aide candidates to complete a state-approved training program of at least 120 hours, including both classroom instruction and clinical practice. AVI’s program exceeds that at 150 hours — giving students more repetition, more scenario practice, and more time with instructors before they sit for the competency evaluation.

How the Hours Break Down

A general structure across the 150-hour program looks like this (verify exact breakdown with AVI program documents):

Afternoons often move into extended lab rotations. You might spend a session practicing transfer techniques with a partner, running through a timed vital signs exercise, or working through a simulated patient scenario with an instructor acting as the evaluating nurse.

Meet Daria, a 28-year-old originally from Fairfax County who had been working as a retail manager for six years. She enrolled in AVI’s nurse aide program because she wanted to pivot into healthcare but couldn’t afford to stop working entirely. AVI’s scheduling gave her the structure she needed. “The afternoon lab hours were where it actually clicked for me,” she said. “You’d practice something in the morning, then come back to it again in the afternoon — and by the end of the day it felt natural.”

By the final weeks of the program, students are running through competency simulations — practicing exactly the kind of tasks the Pearson VUE evaluator will ask them to demonstrate. The transition from student to candidate feels less like a jump and more like the next logical step.

See If You Qualify — Start Your Application →

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What Virginia Requires to Become a Certified Nurse Aide

To become a Certified Nurse Aide in Virginia, you must complete a state-approved training program of at least 120 hours and pass a two-part competency evaluation administered by Pearson VUE.

Here’s exactly how the process works:

Step 1: Complete a State-Approved Training Program

Virginia’s requirements, established under federal CMS guidelines and enforced by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), mandate at least 120 hours of approved training — a minimum of 75 classroom hours and 40 clinical hours. AVI’s program is 150 hours, exceeding that threshold. (Verify current requirements at Virginia Department of Health’s Nurse Aide Registry before publishing.)

Step 2: Register for and Pass the Pearson VUE Competency Evaluation

The Virginia Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation has two parts:

Both parts are administered through Pearson VUE. You must pass both to be listed on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry. AVI’s 150-hour program is structured to prepare you for both components.

Step 3: Get Listed on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry

Once you pass the competency evaluation, your name is added to the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry — the state’s official record of certified CNAs. Employers in Virginia are required by law to verify that a CNA is listed on the registry before hiring them. Being on it means you’re cleared to work.

For up-to-date information on Virginia’s nurse aide requirements, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Nursing Assistants profile and the Virginia Department of Health’s Nurse Aide Registry page.

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Tuition, Financial Aid, and What You Should Know Before You Enroll

AVI’s Nurse Aide program is a short-term certificate program under 600 hours — which means federal financial aid (Title IV / FAFSA) is not available for this program.

This is something to understand clearly before you enroll. Because the program is under the 600-hour federal threshold, it does not qualify for Pell Grants or federal student loans. This applies to all short-term programs at this length, regardless of the school.

What Payment Options Are Available?

Options to discuss with AVI admissions include:

Call AVI directly at (703) 943-9841 to get accurate tuition figures and understand your payment options before committing.

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Is AVI’s Nurse Aide Program Right for You?

AVI’s Nurse Aide program is built for people who want a direct path into healthcare work — without years of prerequisites or a four-year degree requirement.

Here’s who tends to succeed in this program:

Common Questions Before Enrolling

Do I need any prior experience? No. The 150-hour program is designed to take you from zero experience to competency-evaluation ready. You don’t need a healthcare background to start.

How fast can I start working after I finish? Once you pass the Pearson VUE competency evaluation and get listed on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry, you’re cleared to work. Many graduates are employed within weeks of passing their exam.

Is this program offered at the Vienna, VA campus? Yes. AVI Career Training is located at 1595 Spring Hill Rd #720, Vienna, VA 22182 — in the Tysons Corner area of Northern Virginia, easily accessible from Fairfax County, Arlington, Reston, and the broader DMV area.

If this sounds like the right move, the first step is simple: start your application and speak with AVI’s admissions team about your schedule, your timeline, and what to expect.

Apply to AVI’s Nurse Aide Program →

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Frequently Asked Questions — Nurse Aide Training in Northern Virginia

Q: What does a CNA student do every day in class?
A: A typical day in AVI’s Nurse Aide program includes classroom instruction in the morning covering a specific skill area — such as vital signs, infection control, or patient communication — followed by hands-on lab practice where students perform and repeat those skills under instructor supervision. The program is structured around doing, not just reading or watching.

Q: How many hours is CNA training in Virginia?
A: Virginia requires a minimum of 120 hours for state-approved nurse aide training programs. AVI Career Training’s Nurse Aide program is 150 hours, exceeding the state minimum to give students additional practice time and stronger exam preparation.

Q: How long does it take to become a certified nurse aide in Virginia?
A: The training program at AVI is 150 hours. After completing the program, students register for and take the Virginia Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation through Pearson VUE. From enrollment to certification, the total timeline depends on program scheduling — contact AVI at (703) 943-9841 for current session start dates.

Q: Is CNA training hard for beginners with no medical experience?
A: No prior medical experience is required to enroll. AVI’s program is designed for beginners. Skills are taught progressively, with instructors giving direct feedback during hands-on lab practice. Most students report that confidence builds quickly once they start repeating clinical skills in the lab environment.

Q: What happens after you finish CNA training — do you take a state exam?
A: Yes. After completing the program, graduates register for the Virginia Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation administered by Pearson VUE. The exam has two parts: a written knowledge test and a hands-on clinical skills demonstration. Passing both parts earns your listing on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry, which is required before you can work as a CNA in Virginia.

Q: Is financial aid available for CNA training at AVI?
A: Federal financial aid (FAFSA / Title IV) is not available for AVI’s Nurse Aide program because it is under 600 hours. Payment plan options and private financing may be available. Contact AVI admissions at (703) 943-9841 to discuss your options.

Q: Where is AVI Career Training located?
A: AVI Career Training is located at 1595 Spring Hill Rd #720, Vienna, VA 22182 — in the Tysons Corner area of Northern Virginia. The campus serves students from across Fairfax County, Arlington, Reston, and the broader DMV area.

Q: Is the nurse aide program near Fairfax County?
A: Yes. AVI’s Vienna, VA campus is located within Fairfax County and is accessible from throughout Northern Virginia, making it one of the most conveniently located nurse aide schools near Fairfax County and the Tysons Corner area.

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