Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs in Kansas City, MO
Certified nursing assistants in Kansas City start around $16 to $18 an hour, and hospital nights and federal grades push pay well past $25. Some hospitals here will even pay you to train. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get on the Missouri registry.
Current certified nursing assistant Openings in Kansas City, MO
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Certified Nursing Assistant Work in Kansas City
Kansas City's hospitals, long-term care buildings and the VA all run on nursing assistants. On the Missouri side the work clusters on Hospital Hill, where Children's Mercy's Adele Hall campus sits on Gillham Road, and at the Kansas City VA Medical Center on Linwood Boulevard. Across State Line Road, The University of Kansas Health System's Bell Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas and AdventHealth Shawnee Mission on West 74th Street hire for inpatient units around the clock, and nursing facilities such as Ignite Medical Resort and Hilltop at Blue River host clinical training for local CNA students.
What sets this metro apart is how many employers will hire you before you are certified. KU Health runs a paid six-month Patient Care Assistant training program for people who do not yet hold a CNA, and AdventHealth lists CNA certification as preferred rather than required on its night medical-surgical posting. Titles vary by employer: Children's Mercy calls the role Care Assistant, the VA calls it Nursing Assistant, and KU Health uses Patient Care Assistant, so search all three.
Top Kansas City Employers Hiring Certified Nursing Assistants
These Kansas City employers have posted nursing assistant roles on their own career sites:
- The University of Kansas Health System - runs a paid Patient Care Assistant (CNA) training program for its acute inpatient units at Bell Hospital, with a January 2027 cohort.
- Children's Mercy Kansas City - the pediatric system hires care assistants and care techs for inpatient and emergency units at Adele Hall and its Overland Park campus.
- Kansas City VA Medical Center - hires nursing assistants for inpatient, emergency and post-anesthesia care through USAJOBS at GS-3 to GS-5.
- AdventHealth Shawnee Mission - the Johnson County hospital hires CNAs for medical-surgical night shifts, with certification preferred.
Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries in Kansas City
- Entry level: about $16 to $18 an hour for new aides and trainees.
- Experienced: roughly $18 to $22 an hour with hospital experience or night shifts.
- Senior or federal: about $22 to $30 an hour at the top of hospital ranges and VA grade steps.
These are estimates drawn from local postings: Children's Mercy lists care assistant pay from $17.15 to $17.67 an hour, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission's night CNA role lists $16.42 to $26.28, and the VA's nursing assistant announcements paid $39,345 to $64,239 a year. Night and weekend shifts, hospital versus nursing home settings and federal grade steps move pay the most. Missouri's $15.00 minimum wage sets the floor, but local postings run above it.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Kansas City
In Missouri, CNAs are certified by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). The state requires an approved course of 75 classroom hours plus 100 hours of supervised on-the-job training, followed by a two-part exam with a written or oral test and a skills practicum, after which you are placed on the state registry. Metropolitan Community College runs a CNA course through MCC-Penn Valley with 175 contact hours, clinical training at Ignite Medical Resort on Carondelet Drive and Hilltop at Blue River, and the state exam included in tuition. You can also be hired first and trained on the job through programs like KU Health's Patient Care Assistant track.
What the Job Involves
Nursing assistants help patients bathe, dress, eat, walk and use the bathroom, turn and reposition patients who cannot move on their own, take vital signs, record intake and output, answer call lights and report changes to the nurse. On a hospital unit that means fast turnover and frequent admissions; in long-term care it means getting to know the same residents day after day.
Skills Employers Look For
- A CNA certification or willingness to train
- Current BLS (CPR) certification
- Accurate vital signs and charting
- Safe lifting, transfers and fall prevention
- Patience and respect for patients and families
- Reliability on nights, weekends and holidays
Career Path and Advancement
A CNA job is a direct first step into nursing in Kansas City. From there you can add MCC's Level I Medication Aide or Certified Medication Technician course, move into patient care tech roles, or enroll in the Practical Nursing certificate or the associate degree nursing program at MCC-Penn Valley. Beyond that, the ladder runs to LPN, then RN, with hospital systems from Hospital Hill to Johnson County hiring at each step.
Related Careers in Kansas City
If nursing assistant work interests you, these Kansas City guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Who certifies CNAs in Missouri?
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services certifies nurse assistants and keeps the state registry. You qualify by completing a state-approved course of 75 classroom hours and 100 hours of on-the-job training and passing the two-part final exam.
How long does it take to become a CNA in Kansas City?
MCC's CNA course totals 175 contact hours, and its fall 2026 clinical block runs about five weeks. Paid hospital programs take longer; KU Health's Patient Care Assistant training program runs six months on the job.
How much do CNAs make in Kansas City?
Local postings put most nursing assistants between about $16 and $26 an hour. Children's Mercy lists care assistants from $17.15 an hour, and VA nursing assistant grades reach about $64,000 a year at the top of GS-5.
Can I get hired as a nursing assistant without a CNA?
Yes, at some employers. KU Health's Patient Care Assistant training program is built for people without a CNA, and AdventHealth Shawnee Mission lists CNA certification as preferred, not required, on its night medical-surgical posting.
What shifts do CNAs work in Kansas City hospitals?
Hospitals staff nursing assistants around the clock, so expect days, nights, weekends and holidays. Postings state the shift up front, such as AdventHealth Shawnee Mission's full-time night medical-surgical CNA opening, so check before you apply.
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