October cohort
October 12, 2026 – November 13, 2026
Space available · confirmed September 26, 2026
Your nursing journey can begin with care
You want to become a nurse. Start by learning to care for someone today.
Maybe you already picture yourself in nursing school. Maybe you are still figuring out what that path asks of you. Either way, you do not have to wait for a future degree to begin learning what it means to show up for a person who needs help.
At Taylor Nursing Academy in Grandview, Missouri, CNA training brings you into the work of direct care: listening, helping someone move safely, protecting their dignity, noticing a change, and speaking up. Those are meaningful skills on their own. They can also give you real experience to carry into a later nursing goal.
Taylor Nursing Academy offers CNA training. It does not offer an LPN program. CNA certification is not required by every practical nursing school.
Where nursing begins
Before you learn to lead a care team, learn what care feels like to a patient.
Think of a resident who needs help getting out of bed. The task has steps: explain what you are doing, prepare the space, support a safe transfer, and tell the nurse if something seems different. But the person also needs time, privacy, and the confidence that you are paying attention.
That is part of a CNA’s daily work. Taylor’s training gives you room to practice the skills and the judgment that make everyday care feel respectful. If you later pursue LPN or RN education, you will bring your own experience of being close to patients and working alongside a care team. If you decide CNA work is your path for now, that work matters just as much.
Skills you can put into practice
Learn the work behind the nursing goal.
Taylor’s five-week, 175-hour CNA course begins with classroom and skills practice in Grandview and continues in supervised clinical training. You learn how to help with daily activities, support safe movement, take vital signs, prevent infection, observe and report changes, communicate clearly, and respect residents’ rights and choices.
These are not shortcuts to an LPN license. They are an introduction to caring for real people in a healthcare setting.
Be present with people.
Learn to explain care, listen, and help someone feel seen while meeting everyday needs.
Practice with purpose.
Build safe, repeatable habits in the classroom and skills lab before supervised clinical work.
Understand the team.
Notice changes, document or report what you observe, and learn when to bring the nurse into the conversation.
Two roles, different responsibilities
CNA and LPN: where does each path lead?
Both roles serve patients. The training, scope of practice, and credentials are different.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | Licensed Practical Nurse |
|---|---|
| Provides direct support with daily care and observes and reports changes to the care team. | Provides nursing care within the practical nurse’s licensed scope of practice. |
| Completes a nurse aide training pathway and the applicable state competency requirements. | Completes an approved practical nursing program and the applicable licensing requirements. |
| Can be an earlier opportunity to learn about patient care and healthcare routines. | Is a separate, longer education and licensure path. |
Taylor teaches the CNA step. If LPN is your long-term goal, compare approved practical nursing programs and their admission requirements separately. Each school decides whether CNA experience or certification is relevant to its application.
A question worth asking
Do you have to become a CNA before LPN school?
No. CNA certification is not required by every practical nursing program, and Taylor would never tell you that it is the only route to nursing school.
So why might you choose it? Because you want to find out what direct care is like before making a longer commitment. Because you want to grow more comfortable communicating with patients. Because you are ready to begin learning in a healthcare setting while you research prerequisites and plan your next step. Some people also work as CNAs while studying, depending on the roles available and their own schedules.
Your future LPN school will set its own admissions requirements. Taylor can help you understand its CNA course and class options; the separate nursing school can tell you what it requires.
A path you can make your own
Your next step does not have to be your last step.
- Begin with CNA training at Taylor.Learn and practice direct-care skills in the classroom, lab, and supervised clinical setting.
- Complete the separate Missouri competency evaluation.Course completion prepares you for the knowledge and skills tests; certification is a separate step.
- Gain experience if it fits your plan.Explore CNA roles and learn from working with patients and a care team. Employment depends on the employer and available opportunities.
- Research your nursing-school options.Compare approved LPN programs, their prerequisites, costs, schedules, and admission requirements.
- Apply to the program you choose.An LPN program and its licensing process are separate from Taylor’s CNA course.
You can take a different route or pace. What matters is choosing a next step that makes sense for your life and the kind of care you hope to give.
Make a plan you can live with
See how CNA training fits your week and your budget.
Taylor publishes upcoming class dates, weekday hours, training locations, tuition, and separate state-testing costs. Review them before you commit your time or arrange work, childcare, or transportation.
The school application, a Missouri grant application, and optional third-party financing are separate decisions. Applying to Taylor does not reserve a seat or guarantee funding.
Ask Taylor a QuestionNovember cohort
November 2, 2026 – December 4, 2026
Space available · confirmed September 26, 2026
Dates published 2026-09-03. Space was confirmed by Taylor on September 26, 2026 for the listed upcoming classes. Dates, locations, and availability may change; applying does not reserve a seat.
Answers for the road ahead
Questions future nurses often ask
For more about Taylor’s CNA course, costs, and enrollment, read the full FAQ or talk with admissions.
Does Taylor Nursing Academy have LPN classes?
No. Taylor Nursing Academy offers CNA training in Grandview, Missouri. If practical nursing is your long-term goal, Taylor can help you begin with direct-care training while you research LPN programs offered by other schools.
Is CNA certification required before I apply to LPN school?
Not by every school. Requirements vary, so check the admissions page for each practical nursing program you are considering. CNA training may be worthwhile for the patient-care experience even when it is not a prerequisite.
Will CNA training make nursing school easier?
It can make patient interaction and some clinical routines more familiar, but no course can promise an academic result. Nursing programs teach a broader scope of knowledge and skills. Think of CNA experience as a chance to learn from care itself, not as a substitute for LPN coursework.
Could I work as a CNA while completing prerequisites or attending nursing school?
Some students do. Whether that works for you depends on employment opportunities, your schedule, the nursing program’s demands, and the applicable credential requirements.
Am I certified when I finish Taylor’s CNA course?
Course completion and Missouri certification are separate. Taylor’s course prepares students for the state competency evaluation. You must meet the applicable testing and registry requirements separately.
How do I decide whether to start now?
Look at the published class schedule, tuition and testing costs, and what your week can realistically hold. Then ask Taylor about the CNA course and ask any future nursing school about its own admission requirements. You do not have to have your entire career mapped out to take an informed first step.
Begin with someone who needs care
Your nursing goal is big. Your first act of care can be close to home.
The people you may care for someday will not know every plan you made to get there. They will know whether you listened, helped them feel safe, and treated them with respect. Taylor can help you start learning that work now.
Taylor offers CNA training, not an LPN program. Admission, class placement, certification, financing, and future employment each have separate requirements or decisions.
Read about tuition and testing costs, funding options, and the Missouri Board of Nursing’s LPN licensing process.