Explore two different career paths beginning as a certified nursing assistant at Northwell Health.

At Northwell, our nurses are encouraged to grow in their career. They are supported with an accredited nurse residency program for new hires, fellowships, continued education with tuition reimbursement and scholarship opportunities.

When you explore a career well cared for in nursing, you’ll find a fulfilling career with opportunities to expand your clinical skills, pursue new certifications and advance. Many nurses get their start as a certified nursing assistant.

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) assist patients in obtaining maximal level of independence in activities of daily living. They also assist in performing direct and indirect patient care in accordance with the policies and procedures. CNAs also perform additional related duties such as taking vital signs, performing quality control checks and maintaining required documentation.

Here are the qualifications required for a certified nursing assistant at Northwell:
• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Current nursing assistant certification in New York State is required, plus specialized certifications as needed.
• One to three (1-3) years of relevant experience or successful completion of Northwell’s CNA certification program is required.

Ready to explore a career in nursing at Northwell? Below, learn how you can begin your journey and see how Angela and Ryan took different paths. Their inspiring career journeys demonstrate how a starting role as a certified nursing assistant can unlock many career opportunities in nursing within Northwell.

For the complete job profiles of each role, we invite you to visit NorthwellCareers.com or view our available certified nursing assistant roles here.

Angela
• 2006 – Certified Nursing Assistant, South Shore University Hospital
• 2010 – Patient Representative, South Shore University Hospital
• 2012 – Service Excellence Coordinator, South Shore University Hospital
• 2014 – Service Excellence and Patient Information Manager, South Shore University Hospital
• 2018 – Community Relations Director, South Shore University Hospital
• Current position – Principal, Public and Media Relations, South Shore University Hospital

Ryan
• 2016 – Certified Nursing Assistant, Stern Family Center for Rehabilitation
• 2018 – Respiratory Therapist, North Shore University Hospital
• 2021 – Senior Respiratory Therapist, North Shore University Hospital
• 2024 – Respiratory Therapy System Educator, North Shore University Hospital
• Current position – Lead Respiratory Therapist, North Shore University Hospital