Your path to a CMA license starts with our...

Medication Aide course

  • Top-rated and most affordable Medication Aide course in the country
  • Expert instructors with decades of industry experience
  • Flexible schedules
  • Prepares you for the CMA exam
  • You may qualify for financial assistance

Course duration: 4 weeks or 6 weeks.

Available schedules: Hybrid (4 weeks) and Weekend (6 weeks).

Enrollment is ongoing for all 2023 Medication Aide courses. Scroll down for course details or get info on how to register.

Medication Aide course info

Course Description

The Medication Aide course at Mid-America College of Health Sciences is a 75-clock-hour course that is designed to enrich students with the knowledge and skills to be successful as medication aides upon completing the course and passing the state examination.

The role of a Medication Aide is to ensure that clients in nursing communities receive their prescribed medication therapy as outlined by the prescribing physician and nursing community protocols. The Medication Aide administers medications under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and works with other care team members like the Nurse Aide.

Applicants may sign up for a Hybrid or Weekend schedule of classes. Students taking the hybrid schedule of classes are required to have a working computer, basic knowledge of Microsoft office suite, and a reliable Internet service.

Course Topics

The course content includes but is not limited to:

  • Medication Administration Methods
  • Medication Compliance
  • Infection Control
  • Drug References
  • Basic Anatomy and Physiology of body systems
  • Common Diseases and Medication-Related Treatments

CNA & CPR/BLS certifications are required

An active CNA and a current CPR/BLS (AHA certification only) certifications are required. If you’re not a CNA and CPR-certified, you can take our Nurse Aide course and CPR/BLS class to satisfy the requirements.

Prerequisite Exams & Courses

  • Current Kansas CNA License
  • Current CPR/BLS Certification from the American Heart Association (AHA)
  • Reading Assessment

Orientation:

Successful applicants are required to attend a mandatory orientation on the Wednesday preceding the course start date from 2:00 – 3:00 pm.

Orientation will cover a variety of information such as the course schedule, expectations, requirements, etc. The required Reading Assessment will be taken during this time as well. Students that miss orientation will be required to switch to a later program start date. 

General Admission Requirements

Along with the specific prerequisites stated in the previous section, prospective applicants must submit or meet each of the requirements listed below, and copies of required documents must be submitted to the admissions office before the first day of class.

Enrollments are conditional all fees, paperwork, and admission requirements are completed. 

  • Must be at least 18 years old
  • Valid State ID
  • Valid SSN Card
  • CPR/BLS Certification from the American Heart Association (AHA)
  • Negative Tuberculosis (TB) Test Result
  • Plain Black Scrub Set and White Undershirt

Clinicals

Clinicals are an integral part of the Medication Aide course. Clinical days and times are within the course dates but times may vary to align with a nursing community’s shift schedule. Your instructor will provide you up to date info about the clinicals for your class.

clinicals
Students and their instructor during a clinical at a nursing community.

Course Schedule

Our Medication Aide courses run from 4 to 6 weeks training, with a laboratory and clinical component at nursing communities located in Kansas under the supervision of experienced registered nurses (RNs). Students will have the option to select from one of two classes (Weekend and Hybrid) that suite their schedule.

The Hybrid schedule will be a mix of online lectures, one lab session, and 3 days of clinical rotations at nursing communities. The online portion of this course will be done via Blackboard.

Upon completion of the Medication Aide course, students are awarded a Certificate of Completion. The next step after that will be to take the Kansas State Medication Aide Certification Exam. Passing that exam makes you a Certified Medication Aide in the state of Kansas.

Schedule
Class Time
Clinicals
Weekend (6 weeks. Sat. & Sun.)
7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
25 hours
Hybrid (4 weeks)
Self-paced and lab
25 hours

Available Start Dates

Our Hybrid Medication Aide course is 4 weeks of self-paced online instruction with in-person labs and clinical rotations. The online portion of this course will be done via Blackboard. The course schedule, including dates/times of in-person labs and clinical, is reviewed with students during orientation and again on the first day of class.

Students taking the hybrid schedule of classes are required to have a working computer, basic knowledge of Microsoft office suite, and a reliable Internet service.

The following start dates are available:

  • Oct. 2 – 31, 2023
  • Nov. 1 – 30, 2023
  • Dec. 1 –  31, 2023

The following dates are available for the Weekend (6-week) Medication Aide course:

  • Future dates TBA

Financial assistance is available

If you qualify, KC Scholars or Catholic Charities NEK will pay for all or part of your tuition and fees for the Nurse Aide course.

Cost & Registration

The Nurse Aide program is $850.00 this includes the cost of tuition, textbook, lab supplies, and fee for one attempt of the Kansas CNA State Exam. There is an additional $25.00 non-refundable registration fee. 

Tuition and fees are due in full before the first day of class unless the student has been approved for funding by a third-party sponsor or has been approved for a tuition payment plan. Payment plans are only available for the 6-week program schedules. Approval and signed agreement are required for all payment plans.

Students may qualify for financial assistance through KC Scholars, Kansas Workforce, Missouri Full Employment Council (FEC), and more. Please see our Financial Assistance page for more details.

To speak with a member of our admissions staff about this program, text (913) 708-8323 or stop by our facility at 10000 W 75th Street, Suite 241, Merriam, KS 66204. If you’ve made the decision to enroll, you may kickstart the enrollment process by clicking that button and register today.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Receiving a Certificate of Completion at the end of this course does not make you a Certified Medication Aide, or CMA. To become a CMA, you must also take and pass the the Kansas State Medication Aide Certification exam.

Your registration for this Medication Aide course entitles you to one attempt of the CMA exam, which you’ll take in our testing center. You’ll earn a CMA certification if you pass. Otherwise, you’ll have to register for another attempt at your own expense.

You have a total of 2 attempts within a year, counting from the start date of your Medication Aide course

Yes. It expires in two years.

You can verify or check the expiration date of your CMA certificate at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Nurse Aide Registry. Relevant instructions are on that page.

You’re required to take a CMA Update class before your license expires. More info on that is available on the CMA Update page.