Lawmakers, state agencies and providers press for fixes to nurse aide training, testing and staffing

Members of the Pennsylvania House Health Committee and the Committee on Aging and Older Adult Services convened a joint informational hearing to examine the nurse aide training and competency program and longstanding problems with testing access and staffing for long‑term care on May 1, 2025.

The hearing focused on three linked problems: a shrinking network of approved training programs, delays and cancellations in skills testing managed by the vendor Credentia, and a broader workforce shortfall that has left nursing homes unable to staff licensed beds.

In opening remarks, Rep. Rapp, chair of the House Health Committee, said lawmakers were seeking concrete improvements because "we cannot continue to allow qualified nurse aid candidates to get lost in a bureaucratic system as our nursing homes struggle to meet staffing demands." The panel heard testimony from officials at the Department of Education (PDE), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Human Services (DHS), the State Board of Nursing, long‑term care trade groups, a bedside nurse aide, and Credentia representatives.

Judd Pittman, director of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education at PDE, summarized the state’s role in program approvals and curriculum oversight. He noted federal law — the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) and related Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements — requires states to review and approve nurse aide training and maintain a registry. Pittman told the committee PDE currently approves about 22 programs per…