#CNA

Advancing Your CNA Career: Opportunities Beyond the Basics

By Vitali on April 30, 2025

You’ve become a Certified Nursing Assistant. You’ve earned your license. You’ve put in the work—long hours, emotional moments, meaningful connections. But now you’re asking: what’s next?

This is one of the most powerful questions a CNA can ask.

Because the truth is, your certification isn’t a ceiling—it’s a launchpad.

Whether you want to expand your skills, grow your income, or eventually become a nurse or administrator, the path from CNA to something more is already within reach.

Let’s walk through the very real, very achievable options for advancing your CNA career in 2025 and beyond.

Why Advance Your CNA Career?

For most CNAs, advancement is about one or more of the following:

Higher pay
More responsibility and recognition
A shift into a specialty or leadership role
A stepping stone to nursing, therapy, or administrative positions

The good news? Every one of these paths is open to you. You just need a strategy—and a little inspiration.

Path 1: Specialize as a CNA

You don’t have to leave the CNA title to grow.

Many CNAs elevate their careers by becoming experts in one area of care, such as:

Memory care (working with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients)
Pediatric care (supporting children in hospitals)
Rehabilitation (helping patients recover after surgery or injury)
Hospice and palliative care (end-of-life support)

These specialties often offer higher pay and more autonomy—and they’re deeply fulfilling.

How to Specialize:

Take additional certification courses (often online)
Ask for cross-training in your current facility
Let your supervisor know your goals

Path 2: Become a CNA Team Lead or Preceptor

Leadership isn’t just for nurses. In many healthcare settings, experienced CNAs can rise into:

Preceptor (mentoring new CNAs)
Shift lead (overseeing CNA teams)
Scheduler or staffing coordinator

These roles may come with small raises, but more importantly, they build your leadership skills—and make your resume pop.

Path 3: Transition Into Nursing

This is one of the most popular advancement routes—and for good reason. Many CNAs use their role as a launchpad into becoming:

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
Registered Nurses (RNs)
Nurse Practitioners (with additional schooling)

Why CNAs Have an Advantage:

You’ve already worked in patient care
You’ve seen the healthcare system from the inside
You understand time management, stress, and real patient needs

Paths to Nursing:

LPN program (12–18 months)
ADN or BSN programs (2–4 years)
Many schools offer CNA-to-LPN or CNA-to-RN bridge programs

And don’t forget: many employers offer tuition reimbursement if you continue your education while working.

Path 4: Become a Medical Assistant or Lab Tech

If nursing isn’t your goal, there are other hands-on clinical roles that offer career growth:

Medical Assistant (MA)
Patient Care Technician (PCT)
Phlebotomist
Medical Lab Technician

These roles may involve more procedures, diagnostics, or administrative tasks—and often come with better hours and higher pay.

Training ranges from 4 months to 2 years, depending on the path.

Path 5: Move Into Administration or Healthcare Management

Love healthcare but want to step away from the bedside? There’s room for you too.

Many CNAs transition into roles like:

Admissions coordinator
Medical billing or records specialist
Office manager
Healthcare recruiter or trainer

These positions value your clinical background and offer growth in pay and schedule.

Pro Tip:

Consider taking classes in business, human resources, or medical coding to boost your skills

Path 6: Become an Instructor or Trainer

If you’ve been in the field for a while and love to teach, you might be a natural educator.

As a CNA instructor or clinical skills trainer, you’ll:

Teach new CNA students
Run labs and practice sessions
Mentor students through clinicals

You’ll need a few years of experience and possibly a train-the-trainer course, depending on your state.

It’s a fulfilling way to “give back” to the profession.

How to Know You’re Ready for the Next Step

Here are some signs you’re ready to grow:

You’re feeling bored, stuck, or burned out
You want more control over your schedule
You crave bigger challenges and opportunities
You’ve maxed out your facility’s pay scale

If any of this rings true, it’s time to explore what’s next.

Real CNA Career Journey: From Entry-Level to ICU

Let’s take Maria. She started as a CNA at 19 in a long-term care facility. Within two years, she:

Became a preceptor for new hires
Took night classes to become an LPN
Transferred to a hospital step-down unit

By 25, she was working in the ICU as a registered nurse, supporting new CNAs, and mentoring students. Her CNA experience made her faster, smarter, and more compassionate than most of her peers.

Maria didn’t just grow—she transformed.

Tools to Get Started

Want to level up? Start here:

Talk to your supervisor or HR about advancement opportunities
Enroll in a continuing education course (online or local)
Research bridge programs and application deadlines
Update your resume with every skill and certification

If you’re not sure what path fits, speak to a career counselor at a local community college. They’ll help you explore financial aid, timelines, and school options.

Final Thoughts

Your CNA career is only the beginning. Whether you stay in direct care or branch into nursing, education, or leadership, you already have the foundation to succeed.

Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to grow. Your patients need leaders. Your team needs mentors. And your future is waiting.

You became a CNA to help others—now it’s time to help yourself grow too.

Explore CNA Career Advancement Resources and Programs

Up next: Not sure which path to take? Compare “CNA vs. Medical Assistant: Choosing the Right Path for You.”