In Tennessee, the terms "medication aide," "med tech," "med pass," and "MA-C" all point to the same credential: a Medication Aide-Certified issued by the Tennessee Board of Nursing under Tennessee Code Annotated 63-7-127. Most Nashville-area training programs run a different path from what candidates expect. They are hosted by specific long-term care employers, and several are restricted to current employees. The most accessible facility-based option in the metro is NHC Place Sumner in Gallatin, which accepts public applicants. Beyond the metro, online-clinical hybrid programs like Legacy Senior Living (Cleveland TN) and We Care Online give Nashville candidates additional paths. State requirements are strict: an active Tennessee CNA certification with 365 days of continuous full-time work at no more than two facilities, completion of a 60-hour Board-approved program within a 14 to 30 day window, and a two-part exam administered by D&S Headmaster.

Key Points

• The Tennessee Medication Aide-Certified (MA-C) credential is issued by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. The role allows experienced CNAs to administer routine medications under nurse supervision in long-term care settings.
• Eligibility requires 365 days of continuous, uninterrupted, full-time CNA work at no more than two different facilities, plus an active Tennessee CNA certification, GED or HS diploma, and a clean criminal background check.
• The required training is a 60-hour Board-approved program: 40 classroom hours (in-person or distance learning) plus 20 in-person clinical hours under one-on-one nurse supervision.
• Headmaster exam fees are $42.50 for the Knowledge Exam and $95.00 for the Skill Test, paid separately to the testing vendor.
• Many Nashville-area Medication Aide training programs are restricted to current employees of specific long-term care facilities, which makes employment the typical entry point rather than the result of training.

Medication Aide Training Programs in the Nashville Area

The Tennessee Department of Health publishes the official list of Board-approved Medication Aide training programs, which is the canonical source for verifying any program before signing up. The current Middle Tennessee landscape is concentrated around long-term care operators.

Within the Nashville metro, NHC Place Sumner in Gallatin runs the most accessible Board-approved program, open to current NHC employees and to the public. NHC is one of the largest long-term care operators in Middle Tennessee, with multiple facilities feeding into the Place Sumner training program. Nashville Health Career Center also operates a Board-approved program in Nashville proper, but enrollment is restricted to current employees of four CareRite facilities (Nashville Center, Trevecca Center, Creekside Center, and Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing). Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Murfreesboro appears on the state directory with an NHC clinical partnership, and public slots are limited there as well.

For Nashville candidates willing to travel or use a hybrid format, Legacy Senior Living in Cleveland TN runs an open-enrollment program with public tuition of $1,500 and free seats for Legacy and Dominion Senior Living team members. We Care Online delivers a Tennessee Certified Medication Aide program with online didactic instruction and facility-based clinical hours, though students must register through a sponsoring long-term care facility rather than directly with the provider. Signature HealthCare also runs Board-approved programs at several Tennessee locations, all restricted to Signature staff.

The Employer Loop: Why Most Nashville Programs Require Employment First

The Tennessee Medication Aide credential structure creates a specific pattern that most search results miss: in the Nashville metro, the cleanest path to certification often runs through employment before training, rather than the other way around.

Most Board-approved programs in the area are hosted by long-term care employers like NHC, CareRite, and Signature HealthCare. These employers prioritize their own CNAs for training slots, since the 365-day continuous work requirement already maps to their staff. Employer-sponsored training also fits the workforce model: the facility covers the cost, the CNA gains an upgraded credential, and the facility retains a worker who can now administer medications.

The practical implication for a Nashville candidate: if you are already a CNA at NHC, CareRite, or a similar long-term care facility, your employer is the primary route to MA-C certification, and training is often free. If you are not yet employed by one of these systems, the cleaner first step is securing a CNA position at one before pursuing the medication aide credential, rather than searching for an open-enrollment program that may not exist nearby. Open-enrollment options like Legacy Senior Living and We Care Online exist, but they involve travel, higher cost, or facility-sponsorship logistics.

Tennessee Medication Aide Requirements

State requirements are set by Tennessee Code Annotated 63-7-127 and Tennessee Board of Nursing Rule 1000-05-.07. The full path involves three sequential blocks.

Eligibility prerequisites:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Hold a high school diploma or GED
• Hold an active Tennessee CNA certification on the Nurse Aide Registry
• Have 365 days of continuous, uninterrupted, full-time CNA work in a nursing home, assisted-care living facility, or PACE setting, at no more than two different facilities, within the last year
• Provide a recommendation from the facility where you are employed or contracted
• Have no encumbrances on any professional license or certificate
• Pass a TBI and FBI criminal background check

Training program structure:

• Minimum 60 total hours: 40 classroom hours (in-person or through distance learning) plus 20 clinical hours (in-person only, under one-on-one nurse supervision)
• The classroom component must be completed satisfactorily before clinical work begins
• The entire program must run no fewer than 14 calendar days and no more than 30 calendar days from start date
• The program must appear on the Tennessee Board of Nursing's current approved list

Examination:

• Administered by D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) through the TMU portal at tn.tmutest.com
• Two parts: a multiple-choice Knowledge Exam ($42.50) and a hands-on Skill Test ($95.00)
• Candidates must apply to the Board within 30 days after completing training and test within 90 days of becoming eligible
• The certification process must be completed within 365 days of filing the initial application
• After 2 failed attempts, candidates must repeat the training program

Once certified, the Medication Aide-Certified credential is valid for 2 years and renews on the certificate-issuance cycle, with 6 contact hours of continuing education per year (5 in pharmacology, 1 in medication administration) required for renewal.

Medication Aide Salary in Nashville

BLS does not track Medication Aide as a separate occupation, so Nursing Assistants is the closest proxy for wages and outlook.

• Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin metro median annual wage (Nursing Assistants, BLS May 2025): $39,510
• Tennessee state median annual wage (Nursing Assistants, BLS May 2025): $37,990
• National 2024-2034 projection: 2% growth, about 211,800 annual openings (BLS OOH)

Medication Aides typically earn at the higher end of the Nursing Assistant range because of the added pharmacology training and the narrower scope of facilities where they work. Long-term care facilities, assisted living communities, and PACE programs are the typical employer settings.

How Long the Path Takes

The training itself is short, but the prerequisites and exam steps add real time:

• The 365-day continuous CNA work requirement is the longest gate, and there is no waiver for it
• Training program: 14 to 30 calendar days (program duration is set by rule, not the school)
• Application to Board: within 30 days after training completion
• Exam: within 90 days of being made eligible by the Board
• Total time from training start to active MA-C certification typically runs 2 to 4 months, assuming the candidate already has the required 365 days of CNA work behind them

How Much Medication Aide Training Costs in Nashville

Costs vary widely by program and by whether the candidate is sponsored by an employer:

• Employer-sponsored training at NHC, CareRite, or Signature HealthCare programs: Often free for current employees as a workforce-development benefit
• Legacy Senior Living open-enrollment tuition: $1,500 for non-employees
• We Care Online program: Tuition varies by enrollment channel; students register through a sponsoring TN facility
• Headmaster exam fees (paid separately): $42.50 Knowledge Exam + $95.00 Skill Test = $137.50 total, verified in the Tennessee Medication Aide Candidate Handbook

There is no published average tuition figure for Nashville-area Medication Aide training because most programs do not publish public rates. Tennessee residents pursuing the credential may also qualify for federal WIOA workforce training funding through local workforce development boards, depending on the program's participating-provider status.

Where Medication Aides Work in Nashville

Medication Aides in Nashville work across long-term care, assisted living, and skilled nursing settings:

• NHC HealthCare facilities across the Middle Tennessee region (one of the largest long-term care employers in the state)
• CareRite Centers (Nashville Center, Trevecca Center, Creekside Center, and Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing)
• Signature HealthCare facilities across Tennessee
• Brookdale Senior Living and other assisted living communities in the Nashville metro
• Standalone skilled nursing facilities and PACE programs operating in Davidson, Sumner, and Williamson counties

Tennessee law restricts Medication Aide practice to nursing homes, assisted-care living facilities, and PACE programs. Hospitals, outpatient clinics, and physician offices are outside the MA-C scope of practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I become a certified medication aide in TN?

You must hold an active Tennessee CNA certification, have 365 days of continuous full-time CNA work at no more than two facilities, complete a 60-hour Board-approved Medication Aide training program (40 classroom hours plus 20 clinical hours), pass both the Knowledge Exam and Skill Test administered by D&S Headmaster, clear a TBI and FBI criminal background check, and submit your application to the Tennessee Board of Nursing within 30 days of completing training. Dreambound can help you compare TN Board-approved programs by location and current availability.

What are the duties of a medication aide?

Medication Aides administer prescribed routine medications via oral, topical, and metered-inhaler routes under nurse supervision in long-term care settings. They monitor residents for adverse reactions, document medication administration accurately (including PRN doses), measure vital signs related to medication administration, and follow strict protocols for medication storage, handling, and disposal. They do not administer injectable medications and do not perform diagnostic procedures.

What certification do I need to administer medication in Tennessee?

In long-term care facilities, assisted-care living facilities, and PACE programs, only the Tennessee Medication Aide-Certified (MA-C) credential issued by the Tennessee Board of Nursing authorizes a non-nurse to administer routine medications. Licensed nurses (RNs and LPNs) can administer medications under their nursing license, and the MA-C credential extends this authority by delegation to qualifying CNAs.

Can I complete Medication Aide training entirely online in Tennessee?

No. Tennessee Board of Nursing Rule 1000-05-.07 allows the 40-hour classroom component to be completed through distance learning, but the 20 clinical hours must be in-person under one-on-one nurse supervision in an approved nursing home, assisted-care living facility, or PACE setting. No fully online Medication Aide program is approved in Tennessee.

Choosing Your Path to Nashville Medication Aide Work

The Medication Aide credential is a workforce-development credential at its core, designed to extend medication administration capacity in Tennessee long-term care. Almost every detail of the rules, the program structure, the 365-day prerequisite, the facility-restricted training, reflects that design.

For a Nashville candidate, this means treating the search for "medication aide classes" as the wrong starting question. The right starting question is "which long-term care facility do I want to grow with?" Once that decision is in place, the training pathway tends to follow. Compare Medication Aide programs on Dreambound to see which Nashville-area facilities run their own training and confirm any program appears on the Tennessee Board of Nursing's approved list before signing up.

Read More

• How to Become a Certified Medication Aide in Tennessee
• Is Medication Aide a Good Job? Pros and Cons
• How Long Does It Take To Become a Medication Aide
• Cheapest and Fastest Medication Aide Programs
• Online Medication Aide Classes