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Virginia, now enrolling

Virginia Medication Aide training, from CNA to med tech

Apex's Virginia Medication Aide program is a 68-hour course approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing. Classes are live online, with day or evening cohorts, plus in-person clinical days in Richmond, Manassas, Portsmouth or Radford. Tuition is $925, all-inclusive, and the program takes about 6 weeks.

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Approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing, Program Approval No. 0030000391.

Approval

Is the Apex program approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing?

You become eligible to test as a Medication Aide after you complete the program.

Yes. Apex is listed on the Virginia Board of Nursing roster of approved Medication Aide training programs under Title 18VAC90-60 of the Virginia Administrative Code. Your certificate of completion includes our program approval number, and it is recognized by Virginia assisted living employers.

Program approvalApex's Virginia Medication Aide Program Approval No. is 0030000391.
Clinical partnerApex clinical training runs in partnership with Commonwealth Senior Living.
Class sizeApex in-person classes are capped at 10 students each.
PrerequisiteYou need an active CNA, PCA or Direct Care credential to enroll.

Your instructors

Who teaches the Virginia Medication Aide program?

Four licensed nurses with decades of combined assisted living medication experience. Real practitioners who teach from the job.

Melissa Flowers, RN

Program Director

Senior Director of Health and Wellness at Five Star Senior Living since 2020, with clinical oversight across 44 communities in 6 states.

RN, compact licenseBSN, Walden UniversityWound certifiedCertified Dementia Practitioner

Christy Ruiter, BSN, RN

Lead Instructor

Registered nurse with more than 8 years of hospital nursing across critical care, ICU, PACU, hybrid OR and interventional radiology. Certified Medication Aide Instructor with a hands-on, confidence-building teaching style.

RN, BSNMedication Aide InstructorBSN, Western Governors

Elvira Whitaker, LPN

Clinical Instructor

Licensed Practical Nurse with more than 35 years serving aging and disability communities. Former Director of Long-Term Support Services with deep experience in regulatory compliance and dementia care.

LPNNurse Aide TrainerDementia care certified

Ronjeanna L. Harris, LPN

Clinical Instructor

Licensed Practical Nurse with more than 28 years in healthcare, including 16 years in skilled nursing. Certified Medication Aide Instructor and CPR Instructor.

LPNMedication Aide InstructorCPR Instructor

68 hours

How are the 68 hours split?

The program takes about 6 weeks from start to finish.

40

Live online class hours

Live on Zoom, in a day or an evening cohort.

20

Hours of skills practice

Supervised and in person, with 1 instructor for every 10 students.

8

Hour insulin module

In person, covering diabetes care and safe insulin administration.

Curriculum

What does the Virginia Medication Aide curriculum cover?

7 units based on the Virginia Board of Nursing-approved Medication Aide curriculum, with extra clinical hours. Open any unit to see what it covers.

Unit 1. Legal and ethical issues (7 topics, about 6 hours)

  • Ethical and legal standards, and the scope of practice for Medication Aides in assisted living facilities.
  • What happens after a violation, including loss of registration, loss of eligibility and disciplinary action.
  • Client rights, including informed consent, taking part in care planning, refusing treatment, privacy and freedom from chemical or physical restraints.
  • What Medication Aides may do, including giving insulin by prescriber order and EpiPen and Glucagon in emergencies only.
  • What Medication Aides may never do, such as pouring for others, pre-pouring, moving labels, writing prescriptions or giving IM, IV, NG or non-insulin injections.
  • Mandated reporting to Adult Protective Services, and when and how to report.
  • Confidentiality, HIPAA awareness and documentation standards.

Unit 2. Preparing for safe administration (8 topics, about 10 hours)

  • OSHA and standard precautions, including gloves, hand hygiene, sharps disposal, biohazard waste and PPE.
  • Cleaning, disinfecting and packaging infectious waste.
  • Emergency response, including calling 911, helping the client and collecting the medical record for the provider.
  • Communicating with clients who are cognitively impaired or have aphasia.
  • Behavior management using antecedent, behavior and consequence, plus directing and redirecting.
  • Measuring and recording temperature, pulse, breathing, blood pressure and pulse oximetry.
  • Using 24-hour time in documentation.
  • The 6 rights of medication administration. Right client, right medication, right dose, right route, right time and right documentation.

Unit 3. The basics of medication administration (9 topics, about 10 hours)

  • Medication forms, routes, measurements and timing.
  • Generic and brand names, and where medications come from.
  • How medications are classified, and drug schedules I through VI.
  • Over-the-counter medications, which still need a provider order and documentation.
  • How the body absorbs, distributes, breaks down and removes medications.
  • What changes how a medication works, such as age, weight, disease, diet and exercise.
  • Reference sources and the required forms, including the prescriber order, the MAR and the medication error report.

Unit 4. Prepared instillations and treatments (6 topics, about 12 hours)

  • Why each client receives each medication, and the delivery system used.
  • Routine, PRN and single-dose orders, and why Medication Aides may not give stat orders.
  • Reading the label 3 times, checking expiration dates and allergies, and taking vital signs when needed.
  • The one-hour window before and after the scheduled dose time.
  • Hands-on practice with every permitted route, from oral and eye drops to inhalers and patches.
  • The EpiPen emergency protocol.

Unit 5. Storage and disposal of medication (6 topics, about 4 hours)

  • Storage standards, including medication-only cabinets and original pharmacy containers.
  • Why only a pharmacist may move or change a label.
  • Separating internal and external medications, and storing by temperature.
  • Counting controlled substances by facility protocol.
  • Disposal and loss documentation.

Unit 6. Special issues in medication administration (8 topics, about 6 hours)

  • How aging changes the way medications work, and adverse reactions in older adults.
  • The 4 classes of psychotropic medications and the conditions they treat.
  • Recognizing and avoiding chemical restraints, and using behavior management instead.
  • Recording behavior as objective facts, not opinions.
  • The Beers Criteria, a list of medications that may be unsafe for older adults.
  • Active and passive refusal of medications, and how to respond and document.

Unit 7. Insulin administration (7 topics, about 6 hours)

  • Type 1 and type 2 diabetes, causes and management.
  • High and low blood sugar, their signs and what to do.
  • Blood glucose monitoring and documentation.
  • Giving insulin with a syringe, a pen and other devices, including mixing 2 insulin types.
  • Why non-insulin injections are not permitted for Medication Aides.

Schedule

When are Virginia Medication Aide classes held?

Same curriculum, same instructors, same hours. Pick the schedule that fits your life.

Day cohort10:00 AM to 3:00 PMMonday to Friday, live online
Evening cohort6:30 PM to 9:30 PMMonday to Saturday, live online
Clinical and exam daysDaytimeIn person, for both cohorts
Next class. The November cohort is full. The next cohort starts in December. You choose day or evening and your clinical location when you enroll.

Tuition

How much does Virginia Medication Aide training cost?

One fee covers everything. Most programs charge for the course, then again for materials, then again for the certificate. We do not.

Apply now

Virginia

Medication Aide (Med Tech) training

$925all-inclusive

68 hours, about 6 weeks

  • Tuition for all 68 hours
  • Training materials and resources
  • Clinical coordination at a partner site
  • Certificate of completion
  • Background check
  • Instructor access and exam-prep support

You can pay in full or split your tuition into payments with Klarna.

After you apply

What happens after you apply?

  1. Apply

    Send the form and tell us whether you want the day or the evening cohort.

  2. Review

    We check your prerequisites and get back to you, usually within a few business days.

  3. Set up

    Approved applicants get the next steps, including tuition, the background check and the enrollment agreement.

  4. Start class

    Your class details arrive before day one.

Reviews

What do students say about the Virginia program?

Christy was an excellent Med Tech instructor. She was patient, encouraging, and made the class feel comfortable and welcoming. She explained the material clearly and gave us practical examples that helped connect what we were learning to real situations in senior living. I left the course feeling much more confident and prepared.

Medication Technician studentTaught by Christy Ruiter, RN

Melissa was extremely knowledgeable and professional throughout the Medication Technician course. She took the time to make sure every student understood the material and was always willing to answer questions or explain something again. Her teaching style was organized, supportive, and easy to follow. I would highly recommend her as an instructor.

Medication Technician studentTaught by Melissa Flowers, RN

Apex provided a professional and supportive learning environment. The instructor made sure we understood medication safety, documentation, resident rights, and proper administration procedures. I left the class feeling prepared to use what I learned on the job.

Medication Technician studentApex Medication Aide class
Read all reviews

Locations

Where are the in-person clinical days?

At a Commonwealth Senior Living partner community in Richmond, Manassas, Portsmouth or Radford. You pick your location when you enroll.

RichmondManassasPortsmouthRadford

Questions

Questions people ask

Call or text (929) 459-7160 if your question is not here.

Ask us on (929) 459-7160

What do I need to become a Medication Aide in Virginia?

You need an active CNA, PCA or Direct Care credential, completion of a Virginia Board of Nursing-approved Medication Aide course, and a passing score on the state competency exam. Apex covers the course. The exam is run by a contracted testing service.

Will this program prepare me for the state exam?

That is the whole point of the curriculum design. Every unit ends with exam-style practice questions, and the final week of clinical follows the testing format.

Is this an online Medication Aide program?

It is hybrid. The classroom portion is live online in day or evening cohorts. Skills practice and clinical hours are in person at Commonwealth Senior Living partner communities.

Can I work while taking this class?

Yes. The program is designed around work. Most students are working CNAs or PCAs adding the credential, and the evening cohort exists for second-shift caregivers.

Can my employer pay for my class?

Many employers do. Ask your administrator about tuition assistance, or have them contact Apex about reserving your seat.

Where will my clinical training take place?

At a Commonwealth Senior Living partner community in Manassas, Portsmouth, Radford or Richmond. In-person classes are capped at 10 students each.

Contact us

Apply for Virginia Medication Aide training

Send the form with your name, your current credential and whether you want the day or the evening cohort. We usually reply within a few business days.

Call(929) 459-7160 Text(929) 459-7160 Emailmeghan@apex1consulting.com Email HR and job seekershr@apex1consulting.com
Office400 Dutch Neck Road, A10, East Windsor, NJ 08520

Talk to Apex

Be ready for the state exam, and the job after it

Call, text or send the form to start your application.

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