Points of interest…
- Miami Dade College charges $1,479 for its 120-hour CNA course.
- Median CNA pay here is $18.28 hourly, $38,010 annual.
- Florida does not accept online-only CNA training for state certification.
Miami Dade College lists its in-person CNA program at 120 hours, which means a Doral resident can complete training in weeks rather than years and then apply to hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies across one of South Florida's largest healthcare job markets.
The catch is approval. Only training from a Florida-approved program qualifies a student to sit for the state certification exam, so that is the first filter, ahead of price or schedule.
Doral sits between Sweetwater, Medley, Miami Springs, and Hialeah, and programs in those neighboring communities are a short drive away. Cost, free options, and class schedules vary widely across them.
Why Doral Is a Practical Place to Start a CNA Career
A Metro Full of Employers
Doral sits inside the Miami metro, so a new CNA considering CNA programs in Florida is not limited to one local employer. Major hospital systems such as Baptist Health, Jackson Health, and UHealth are within commuting distance, along with a dense network of nursing homes, rehab centers, and home health agencies.
The commute range is wide. From Doral, CNAs can reasonably reach Sweetwater, Miami Springs, Medley, Hialeah, and Kendall. West Palm Beach marks the far edge of the metro, and it is a long drive for a daily shift.
What a CNA Does in Florida
A Florida CNA provides hands-on daily care under the direction of a nurse. Typical duties include:
- Personal care: bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting.
- Nutrition: feeding and monitoring what residents eat and drink.
- Mobility: turning, transferring, and walking patients safely.
- Observation: taking vital signs and reporting changes to nurses.
Long-term care facilities are the most common first employer for graduates of CNA training programs, which makes them a natural starting point for gaining experience.
The Bilingual Advantage
Miami-Dade's patient population is diverse, and many residents and families are more comfortable in Spanish. A CNA who speaks both English and Spanish can communicate more clearly, build trust faster, and ease handoffs with the nursing team. Employers notice that, and it can set you apart when applying.
Florida CNA Training Requirements, State Approval, and Online Courses
Can you complete CNA training fully online in Florida, and how do you know a Doral-area program counts toward state certification? The short answer: online-only coursework does not meet Florida's complete approved CNA requirements.1 The Florida Board of Nursing requires a minimum of 120 total training hours, structured as 80 classroom hours and 40 clinical hours.2
Florida's minimum training requirements
At least 20 of the 40 clinical hours must take place in a licensed nursing home or licensed long-term care facility.2 Simulation can cover no more than 20 clinical hours,3 and students need at least 16 classroom hours in communication, infection control, safety and emergency procedures, and resident rights before direct resident contact.2 Clinical training must be supervised by a registered nurse,2 and direct-care training groups may not exceed one instructor for every 15 students.4
How to verify a Doral-area program
Search the Florida Board of Nursing's Nursing Assistant Training Program page for the current approved list, then filter for Miami-Dade County or Doral. Confirm the record is for an approved nursing assistant or CNA program, not merely a licensed private career school. Get written confirmation of the total hours, clinical site, Board approval status, and eligibility to sit for the Florida CNA competency exam.
Why "100% online" claims need a closer look
A fully online course may be useful as exam prep, but it cannot replace the required supervised clinical experience. A hybrid program only qualifies if it is Board-approved and still provides the required clinical hours, including the licensed nursing home or long-term care component.1 Do not accept a "fully online CNA certification" claim , even for fast CNA programs with state approval , without seeing the program's current Board approval record. Before paying, ask how many supervised clinical hours are included, who supervises them, and whether completion makes you eligible to test.
What CNA Training Really Costs in Doral (Beyond Tuition)
Tuition is only one part of the bill. Miami Dade College lists a $1,479 course fee for its 120-hour in-person CNA program, and Miami-area CPR/BLS certification typically runs $80 to $97. Background checks, scrubs, supplies, the state exam, and transportation vary, so budget for them separately.
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Questions to Ask Yourself
Is the program on the current Florida Board of Nursing approved list, and where do clinical hours actually take place?
Only a state-approved program qualifies you to sit for the certification exam. Confirm the approval is current, and ask whether clinicals run in a nearby nursing home or hospital versus a lab-only simulation.
Can you qualify for CareerSource or employer-sponsored funding before paying tuition yourself?
CareerSource South Florida and some long-term care employers cover training for eligible candidates. Checking first can turn a program you'd pay for into one that costs you little or nothing out of pocket.
Do you need a four-week accelerated cohort, or an evening and weekend schedule that fits around a current job?
Fast-track classes get you testing sooner but demand full-time availability. If you're working, an evening or weekend format may be the only realistic way to finish without quitting your paycheck.
Will the school share its first-attempt state exam pass rate?
A program that readily reports its pass rate signals confidence in its instruction. Vague or missing numbers are a warning sign that graduates may struggle to certify on the first try.
CNA Schools in and Near Doral, FL
The options below serve Doral students by focusing on programs that are reachable from the city and offer the core Nursing Assistant training required for Florida certification. Because Doral is part of the Miami metropolitan area, the most relevant campuses are located in nearby Miami rather than in Doral itself.
Factors considered
- First-year retention rates
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- Approximate net price
- Program schedule flexibility
- Local commute practicality
Data sources
- BEA state price parities, used to adjust tuition — bea.gov
- College Scorecard post-completion earnings data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Program-level records maintained in house
- Original research on individual programs
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) — nces.ed.gov
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | FVI School of Nursing and Technology | Miami, FL | $35,000 – $40,000/yr (est.) | Spanish-speaking students needing fast campus training | |
FVI School of Nursing and Technology is a Miami-based private career school with a nursing assistant program that can be completed in about nine weeks. The school's overall graduation rate is 89%, and its institution-wide average net price is approximately $35,514. Instruction is campus-based with day and evening sections, and the program includes a 40-hour clinical externship plus CPR/BLS certification. For a Doral commuter, the Miami campus on Flagler Street is just east of the city, making it one of the closest practical options for in-person training.
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| #2 | South Florida Institute of Technology | Miami, FL | ~$32,000/yr (est.) | Weekend learners needing focused exam prep | |
South Florida Institute of Technology offers a compact Nursing Aide Exam Preparation course in Miami for students who already have some nursing-related background. The institution-wide average net price is approximately $28,570, and the program meets for 24 clock hours over six Saturdays. Because the campus is in Miami, Doral residents can reach it with a short commute for weekend exam preparation.
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| #3 | Fort Myers Technical College | Fort Myers, FL | |||
| #4 | South Florida State College | Avon Park, FL | $4,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
| #5 | Cape Coral Technical College | Cape Coral, FL | ~$1,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #6 | Gulf Coast State College | Panama City, FL | ~$5,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #7 | Saint Johns River State College | Palatka, FL | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #8 | Indian River State College | Fort Pierce, FL | ~$4,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #9 | Santa Fe College | Gainesville, FL | ~$11,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #10 | Chipola College | Marianna, FL | $1,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
What CNAs Earn in the Miami Metro
Nursing assistants in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro earn a median of $18.28 per hour, or $38,010 per year.
Doral CNA Program FAQs
It depends on your pathway. If you use the exam-based route without completing an approved training program, Florida Statutes Section 464.008 requires you to be at least 18 and have a high school diploma or GED. Approved training programs do not have a single statewide minimum age rule.
Yes, some approved programs let you complete the classroom portion online or as a hybrid, but you must complete the required 40 clinical hours in person under supervision.1 An online-only course does not meet Florida's clinical training requirement, and you still need to pass the state competency exam.
Yes, in many cases. Florida offers certification by endorsement if you are currently certified in another state, appear on that state's CNA registry, and have no abuse, neglect, or exploitation findings.1 Apply through the Florida Board of Nursing using the Florida CNA Endorsement Application. Without an active out-of-state credential, you may need to take the exam through Prometric.
Certification renews every two years with a fee of about $20 to $50.1 CNAs must complete 24 hours of in-service training during each renewal period and keep documentation. If certification lapses for 24 consecutive months without paid nursing-related work, you must complete a new training and competency evaluation program.1
