CNA Training in Alaska | 5 Best Programs To Start a Career in Health Care

If you’re thinking of enrolling in CNA training in Alaska, you’ve come to the right place. CNA jobs are rewarding and can pay quite well! There are several reasons why people get into the field, and you don’t have to spend a ton of money on classes to get there! 

Today we wanted to teach you everything there is to know about getting your CNA license in Alaska, what the job entails, what the salary is like and more! We’ve even included a detailed list of schools you can choose from! Let’s get started by talking a little bit about what training looks like for certified nursing assistants! 

CNA Training in Alaska

Certified nursing assistants work in various different places in Alaska. Some work in hospitals, others work in nursing homes and some work in clinics!

When you’re a CNA you perform duties like checking blood pressure, recording a patient's vital signs, help nurses with paperwork and more. 

When you enlist in CNA training in Alaska, you’ll be taught how to do everything listed above. You’ll also be taught how to perform certain examinations and how to monitor and restock specific hospital supplies.

If you’re interested in becoming a CNA, you’ll need to take part in training, classes and pass specific certification. 

Certification Procedures for CNA’s

Working in Alaska, there is a trial period of 120 days as a CNA. After this time frame you must get yourself a place on Alaska’s state nurse registry. When you get certified, it’s to show that you’re knowledgeable and know how to perform the tasks that may be required during the job. 

Once you complete 160 hours of paid work, you’ll have to train again and take the exams to show that everything you know is up to date. While you’re in your training period, you can only do specific tasks. Training usually lasts about four months and you must be certified and properly registered before a job can offer you full time employment. 

Alaska Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries

In Alaska, CNA’s make anywhere between $12.67 per hour, all the way up to $20.21 per hour. The median hourly wage seems to be around $15.47.

Depending on the city you’re available to work in and how many years of experience you have can really shift the amount you’re making. 

On average, it looks like jobs for certified nursing assistants in Alaska pay anywhere between $29,000 to $43,000 per year. If you’re available to work in a big city like Anchorage, you’re more likely to make a bit more money. 

CNA Training Schools in Alaska

There are several training schools for CNA in Alaska. We’ll talk about five of them in detail below. You can find CNA training schools throughout the state that come in at a variety of different prices. 

They’ll all teach you relatively the same thing, but different people enjoy different types of learning environments. These training schools will teach you everything you need to know to not only pass the exam, but to be an amazing certified nursing assistant! 

CNA Exams in Alaska

Once you’ve graduated from a training school, you have two years to take the CNA exams in Alaska.

The exam is multiple parts, but starts off with 70 multiple choice questions. If you struggle with reading English, there is also an audio exam option available. After you take the multiple choice part of the exam, then you have an evaluation of your actual skills.

This is done by creating a real life scenario that a patient needs care. During this time, you’ll have to complete five duties, given to you at random. You have to perform all five duties properly, or you’ll fail the exam.

You get three chances to pass the exam in its entirety. 

Alaska Nurse Aide Registry

As you’ve read, you have to be registered as a CNA in Alaska before you can be offered a full time job. You can do so by clicking here to find out more. If you’re moving to Alaska from out of state, you’ll be able to transfer your license if you have an endorsement. There is a form that you’ll need to fill out that must be notarized. 

The Alaska Nurse Aide Registry also has the power to take away certification from any nurse, nursing assistant or aide that violates the law while on the job. 

Alaska State – Training Centers That Are WIA Approved

WIA stands for Workforce Investment Act. It was passed in the late 1990’s by Congress. What the WIA does is allow federal funds to be used for training purposes. This helps people to work their way up the ladder, increase their wage and learn more skills about their jobs. 

Below are some of the training centers in Alaska that are WIA approved:

  • Seward Mountain Haven / Seward Providence

  • Alaska’s Institute of Technology – AVTEC 

  • Heritage Place / Central Peninsula Hospital 

  • Older Persons Action Group 

  • Alaska Job Corps (acceptance is only for high school students)

  • Corinne Gaither 

CNA Schools in Alaska 

You’ve read a bit about CNA schools in Alaska, but below are in-depth descriptions about five popular schooling options. Take a look and see if there’s on that will work for you! 

University of Alaska Anchorage, Kodiak College

If you’re in the larger city of Anchorage, you could consider Kodiak College. They have certified nursing assistant courses that are taught by professionals that know the field.

You’ll get hands on opportunities at local health care offices. This helps you build the skills you need to be able to do the job in the real world. 

You’ll learn about the patient’s bill of rights, ethical standards and legal issues that can come with the career choice. They’ll also teach you all about how the body is structured and how it functions. You’ll be taught how to take vitals, give bed baths, along with a bunch of medical terminology. 

You’ll need at least 140 hours worked for this course to be considered completed. The hours get divided up between clinical training and classroom work. If you’re accepted into the CNA program at Kodiak College, you’ll have to take a seven credit course that involves exams and lectures. 

University of Alaska Southeast, Ketchikan

Another great option for schooling is the University of Alaska Southeast, Ketchikan! The Ketchikan campus is one of three, the other two are in Juneau and Sitka. At Ketchikan, you’ll be taking a ten week course that meets two times a week. 

Classes are always between 8:00am and 5:00pm. The first half of training is done in the classroom. This is where you’ll learn medical terminology and the skills needed to become a CNA in Alaska. 

The rest of the course is a series of clinicals where you apply what you learned in the classroom.

In order to take part in clinicals, you must pass the classroom portion of the courses with at least a “C” grade. 

CNA’s are in short supply in Alaska, and this school is well aware of it. They’ll teach you everything you need to know in order to be successful at your job. 98% of all the CNA students that take the state exam pass it and are almost immediately employed. 

This course is designed to train health care assistants in basic skills necessary to assist nurses in a variety of health care settings and to be efficient health care team members. The training course is 9 credits and that are a minimum of 75 hours of lectures and 80 hours of clinicals.

Alaska Vocational Technical Center

Third on the list of CNA schools in Alaska is the Alaska Vocational Technical Center. This place has a number of different programs you can take, including nursing assistant. 

If you’re a busy individual, you’ll enjoy hearing that the nursing assistant program here is just eight weeks long and it is running throughout the entire year. You’ll be able to start the program within any two month time period! 

Within these eight weeks you’ll have a mixture of classroom time, lab skill practices and clinicals. There is a requirement of at least 228 hours in order to move on to the final state exam. 

Alaska CNA Program

Another place where you can get your CNA training is the Alaska CNA program! Here you’ll only need to take the six week training course. The first three weeks are spent in the classroom learning everything there is to know about becoming a nursing assistant. 

You’ll spend another full week on skills lab and then you’ll get plenty of hands on experience in the final two weeks of clinicals. There are CNA classes available throughout the year that can be found on their website. 

Lastly, one thing that sets this school apart from others is that at the end of the course, you’ll be able to fill out a survey, letting them know how they did with teaching you what you need to know to perform your job well! 

Seward Mountain Haven

Seward Mountain Haven is a nursing home in Alaska. Just like hospitals and clinics, nursing homes require certified nursing assistants as well! At Seward Mountain Haven, you’ll find four homes that have 10 residents in each home. 

Working at a place like this will give you the opportunity to give elders the best end-of-life care available! With the skills you’ll learn as a CNA you’ll be able to take their vitals, provide them with comfort and help with a number of other needs. 

It may be worth noting that this is a religious facility and that can affect whether or not some people would like to work there.