Become a CNA in Alaska

(found 24 schools, updated in March 2017)

The Certified Nursing Assistant, also called a Certified Nurse Aide, enjoys a rewarding healthcare career in Alaska helping patients and clients enjoy the highest quality of life possible in a variety of medical and long-term care facilities. This is an excellent entry-level career choice for people who want to start earning money in 2017 after a short training period or who want to work in healthcare facility before deciding to pursue a nursing or other type of healthcare degree.

5 Steps to Becoming a CNA in Alaska

The Alaska Board of Nursing administers the Alaska statutes governing Certified Nurse Aides and is responsible for certification and recertification of Nurse Aides. There are five steps an applicant can take to ensure a smooth journey towards becoming a CNA in Alaska.

Step 1: Research and Select a Program

CNA programs in Alaska are located throughout the state. The programs are offered at technical centers, medical centers, community colleges, universities and residential or long-term care facilities. There are also several school districts offering CNA training to high school students only, and CNA training is available through the Job Corps for Health Occupations.

State-Approved CNA Programs in Alaska

State-approved CNA programs must offer at least the minimum 140 hours of classroom and clinical training hours as required by law. However, programs are structured differently from school to school in terms of location, enrollment period, age requirements and so on. The most important point to keep in mind is that students should only attend a state-approved CNA program in Alaska.

Anchorage

Alaska CNA Program

Address: PO Box 220553, Anchorage, AK 99522
Phone: (907) 267-9113
Email: marcusmurchison@yahoo.com

Anchorage School District

Website: www.asdk12.org/schools/kcc/pages
Address: King Career Center 2650 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 742-4136
Email: Hudson_Emelyn@asdk12.org
Special Requirements: high school students only
Program Period: spring semester only
Clinical Training: 60 hours in nursing home and assisted living facilities
Estimated Tuition Fees and Costs: $300 including clinical training costs and licensing exam fees

Caregiver Training Academy

Address: 203 West 15th Avenue #104, Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 258-0535
Email: ctaanchorage@alaska.net

Charter College

Website: www.chartercollege.edu
Address: 2221 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 277-1000
Email: Michelle.Muller@chartercollege.edu

Trinion Quality Services

Website: trinionqcs.com/index.php/main
Address: 3700 Woodland Dr, Suite 500, Anchorage, AK 99517
Phone: (907) 644-6050
Email: twelton@trinionqcs.com

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Bethel

Bethel CNA Program

Website: www.bethel.uaf.edu
Address: Kuskokwim Campus, UAF PO Box 368, Bethel, AK 99559
Phone: (907) 543-0528
Email: mtweiss@alaska.edu
Registration Deadline: March 9, 2017
Program Period: March 20, 2017 – May 18, 2017
What to Learn: Nurse Aide training including First Aid & CPR
Estimated Tuition: $2,037 (standard), $1,587 (Delta), $1,137 (high school students)
Estimated Fees and Costs: $147 (books), $260 (state application fee), $55 (fingerprint card/photo, background check)

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Chugiak

Chugiak-Eagle River Health Education CNA Program

Website: www.chugiak.org/education
Address: 22424 N Birchwood Loop, Chugiak, AK 99567
Phone: (907) 688-2609
Email: education@mtaonline.net
Estimated Tuition Fees and Costs: $1,600 plus $200 state exam fee

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Cordova

PWSCC

Address: PO Box 160, Cordova, AK 99574
Phone: (907) 424-7598
Email: spharding@pwscc.edu

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Fairbanks

UAF Community Technical College

Website: www.ctc.uaf.edu/programs/health/nurs-aid.html
Address: 604 Barnette Street Room 401, Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: (907) 455-2876
Email: cmwinfree@alaska.edu
Program Length: one semester
Clinical Practicum: 48 hours at a long term care center or assisted living home

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Homer

Kachemak Bay Campus-Kenai Peninsula College

Address: 533 E Pioneer Ave, Homer, AK 99603
Phone: (907) 235-7743
Email: ciswartz@kpc.alaska.edu

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Juneau

University of Alaska Southeast

Website: www.uas.alaska.edu
Address: 11120 Glacier Hwy, Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 796-6131
Email: smalter@uas.alaska.net
Application Start Date: November 1, 2016
Registration Start Date: November 28, 2016
Program Start Date: Spring 2017
Program Length: 9 credits including minimum 75 lecture hours and 80 clinical hours
Program Outcome: 98% of graduates passed the Alaska CNA exam

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Ketchikan

University of Alaska Southeast

Website: www.uas.alaska.edu
Address: 2600 7th Avenue, Ketchikan, AK 99901
Phone: (907) 228-4537
Email: Abby.kosmos@uas.alaska.edu
Program Length: 10 weeks, two days weekly (8am – 5pm)
Program Period: Spring 2017
Scholarship and Financial Aid: Spring 2017 Semester CNA Scholarship (learn more)

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Kodiak

Kodiak College

Website: www.koc.alaska.edu
Address: 117 Benny Benson Dr, Kodiak, AK 99615
Phone: (907) 486-1266
Email: Charissa.overman@yahoo.com
Program Name: Certified Nurse Aide Course
Application Deadline: November 4, 2016
Program Period: January to May 2017
Program Length: 60 hours of classroom instruction and 80 hours of supervised clinical training
Class Size: 10 students
Estimated Tuition Fees and Costs: $1,183 (resident tuition), $100 (background check and fingerprints), $85 (uniform pants, shoes, top, wristwatch, etc.), $125 (books and supplies), $100 (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR certification), $260 (state examination), and other costs
Scholarship and Financial Aid: CNA Plus Annual Scholarship (learn more)

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Kotzebue

Alaska Technical Center

Address: PO Box 51, Kotzebue, AK 99752
Phone: (907) 442-3733
Email: clincoln@nwarctic.org

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Nome

UAF Northwest Campus/NSHC-Nome

Address: PO Box 400, Nome, AK 99762
Phone: (907) 455-2876
Email: cmwinfree@alaska.edu

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Palmer

Alaska Job Corps

Website: alaska.jobcorps.gov
Address: 800 E Lynn Martin Dr, Palmer, AK 99654
Phone: (907) 861-8808
Email: graham.tami@jobcorps.org
Special Requirements: 17 ½ – 24 year old
Program Length: 9 to 15 months

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Petersburg

Petersburg Medical Center

Website: www.pmcak.org
Address: PO Box 589, Petersburg, AK 99833
Phone: (907) 772-4291
Email: amenish@pmc-health.org

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Sitka

University of Alaska Southeast – Sitka

Website: www.uas.alaska.edu
Address: 1332 Seward Ave, Sitka, AK 99835
Phone: (907) 747-9476
Email: Radams58@uas.alaska.edu
Program Length: a semester (Fall or Spring semester)

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Soldotna

Heritage Place

Address: 232 Rockwell, Soldotna, AK 99669
Phone: (907) 252-7337
Email: rtruesdell@cpgh.org
Special Requirements: not accepting remedical students

Kenai Peninsula College Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

Website: www.kpc.alaska.edu
Address: 156 College Road, Soldotna, AK 99669
Phone: (907) 262-0344
Email: slhorn@kpc.alaska.edu
Program Length: 80 hours of supervised clinical training and 60 hours of classroom and lab instructions
Estimated Tuition Fees and Costs: $1,044 (tuition), $42 (technology fee), $135 (lab fees), $279 (background check and CNA certification examination fees), $133 (books), $40 (scrubs) and other costs
Scholarships: South Peninsula Hospital Foundation Scholarship (learn more)

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Valdez

Providence Valdez Medical Center

Address: PO Box 550, Valdez, AK 99686
Phone: (907) 834-1801
Email: Renea.mitchell@providence.org

Prince William Sound College

Website: pwsc.alaska.edu
Address: PO Box 97, Valdez, AK 99686
Phone: (907) 834-1645

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Wasilla

Mat-Su Career & Tech High School

Address: 2472 Seward Meridian, Wasilla, AK 99654
Phone: (907) 352-0426
Email: Shawn.glenn@matsuk12.us
Special Requirements: high school students only

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Wrangell

Wrangell Medical Center

Website: www.wrangellmedicalcenter.org
Address: PO Box 1081, Wrangell, AK 99929
Phone: (907) 874-7000
Email: Sue.nelson@wrangellmedical.org
Program Length: 9 college credits, a semester long
Program Period: Fall or Spring semester

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Step 2: Review Training Costs

Costs of CNA programs in Alaska range from $1,500 to $2,500, depending on the program chosen. Training expenses include tuition, fees, books, supplies, uniforms, drug screening, background check, health exam and CNA examination.

Financial aid is available at many of the schools and technical centers. Some of the organizations and agencies offering financial assistance include the Department of Labor, community foundations, educational facilities, Native American Councils, and state agencies administering Workforce Investment Act or other skills training funds.

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Step 3: Meet Prerequisites

Besides completing a state-approved nurse aide program application in the state, each training candidate will need to meet specific prerequisites. The prerequisites can vary, but as a minimum they will include the following:

• Meet school admission requirements
• Provide high school or college transcript, or high school diploma or GED
• Be at least a senior in high school
• Provide proof of English proficiency which can be passing an English Placement Exam or providing high school or college transcripts
• Pass a health screening exam
• Pass a drug test
• Pass an Alaska criminal background check
• Show proof of CPR training (unless included in CNA training program)

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Step 4: Complete CNA Training

In Alaska, state-approved Nurse Aide training programs are required by law to include:

• 60 hours of classroom and laboratory training
• 80 hours of skills and clinical training, of which 48 hours has to be in a long-term care facility, assisted living home or an acute care facility

What to Learn

CNA classes in the state cover many different topics and skills which are all focused on helping patients or residents be as healthy and safe as possible. Classroom training covers topics that include:

• Infection control
• Respecting client rights
• Interpersonal skills
• Safety procedures
• Reading and recording vital signs
• Observing, reporting, and documenting the patient’s status
• Observing, reporting, and documenting changes in patient body functioning
• Safe procedures for personal hygiene and grooming, i.e. skin care, bed bath, oral hygiene, patient positioning, etc.
• Disability awareness
• Legal and ethical responsibilities
• Dementia care

This is entry level health services training. However, the Nurse Aide holds a critical position in medical facilities because he or she is the person who has the most regular contact with patients or residents.

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Step 5: Get Certified by CNA Examination or Endorsement

After completing a state-approved Nurse Aide training program in Alaska, there are two ways to get certified:

• Certification by Examination
• Certification by Endorsement

Certification by Examination

CNA Certification by Examination is a common path and is initiated by submitting the Application Form Certified Nurse Aide by Examination to the Nurse Aide Registry. The Board of Nursing gives the applicant permission to sit for the CNA state exam. Applicants are eligible to take the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) certification exam within two years of completing a state approved Nurse Aide training program.

CNA State Examination

The Nurse Aide examination is administered by Pearson VUE and consists of two parts.

• Written examination – Consists of 70 multiple choice questions. If the exam is administered orally, the exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions and 10 reading comprehension questions; It is strongly advised that exam candidates take the practice exam and self-assessment reading tests found online at Pearson VUE and on other sites
• Skills Evaluation – Perform five randomly selected nurse aide skills

Get Certified

Pearson VUE mails the examination results to the Alaskan candidate. If the candidate passes, his or her name is added to the Nurse Aide Registry, indicating all certification requirements have been met. At that point, the applicant has earned CNA certification in Alaska.

Certification by Endorsement

Besides certification by examination, there is another certification pathway called Certification by Endorsement. Briefly, Certification by Endorsement recognizes prior training and does not require taking the exam. This certification process is initiated by submitting the Application for Nurse Aide Certification by Endorsement to the Board of Nursing.

Requirements

There are strict requirements that must be met. The certification applicant must have successfully completed a state-approved Nurse Aide program, possess an unencumbered Nurse Aide certification earned in the U.S. or Canada and complete a competency evaluation. Depending on where certification was earned, it might be necessary to also prove an English proficiency examination was passed with minimum scores.

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How to Keep CNA Certification Active in Alaska

Alaska renews certifications biennially (every two years) during an announced period ending March 31 of even-numbered calendar years. For example, the renewal period in 2016 was February 1 to March 31. If the Nurse Aide gets certified during the biennial period, the certification is valid only up to the March 31 biennial renewal date.

Renewal Requirements

To renew CNA certification in Alaska, the applicant must do a minimum of 160 hours of paid work in the United States or Canada during the certification period. If the applicant works less than 160 hours, it is necessary to complete a competency evaluation before the certification will be reviewed. The exception is the CNA who has been certified for less than 12 months before the next biennial renewal period.

During the period of valid certification, the CNA needs to complete 12 continuing education requirements. Once again, there is an exception if the CNA has been certified for less than 12 months before the next biennial renewal period.

Lapsed Certification

A Nurse Aide with CNA certification that has been lapsed for less than 12 months before the renewal period can renew certification, if able to meet the paid employment and continuing education requirements. A CNA who has a lapsed certification that is more than one year but less than five years can be reinstated by meeting the continuing education requirements and verifying employment for the number of hours that would have been required to maintain current certification for the entire period (160 hours must be within the last 24 months of application), OR by completing a competency evaluation within 24 months of application.

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Salary and Job Outlook for CNAs in Alaska

The average annual CNA salary in Alaska was $37,520 as of the last salary survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in May 2016. This salary equates to $18.04 an hour, making the state first on the list of top paying states for Certified Nursing Assistants in the country. The average annual CNA salary in the United States is $27,650. For the period 2014-2024, the employment projection for Alaska reports a 10.2 percent increase in the number of CNA jobs. | See Job Openings

CNA Salaries in Alaska

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Nearby or Bordering States

There are no U.S. states bordering Alaska. The nearest U.S. state is Washington State which is approximately 500 miles to the south.