CERTIFIED NURSE AIDE (CNA)
Kickstart a Meaningful Career
Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) provide important care in long-term care and hospital facilities by helping patients with daily activities. Alaska is facing a shortage of CNAs to work in hospitals and nursing homes - now is a great time to become a part of the patient care team as a CNA.
What does a CNA do?
Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) provide patients with direct everyday care and are the eyes and ears for clinical staff. Working in the medical field is always a BIG team effort. In facilities like hospitals or nursing homes CNAs help people with basic activities such as moving, eating, dressing, and bathing. They also support nurses by taking vital signs like temperature and blood pressure and they watch for warning signs of an infection.
What makes a good CNA?
CNAs provide personal care to those they serve. Here are some important qualities successful CNAs have:
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Caring and kind
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Strong, both mentally and physically
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Team player
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Good communicator and listener
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Reliable
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Flexible - open to doing something different each day
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Good time management skills
CNA career paths can lead to becoming:
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Licensed Practical Nurse
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Registered Nurse
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Nursing Home Administrator
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Nurse Educator or Professor
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Physical Therapist
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Physician
Why become a CNA?
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A college degree is not required to become a CNA - training takes weeks rather than years.
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Many jobs and good salary - Alaska has the nation's highest average CNA salary ($42,500 per year.)
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Great way to begin a nursing or other healthcare career.
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Make a difference by helping people who need care.
CNA roles include:
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Patient Care Technicians
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Critical Care Technicians
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Travel CNA
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Qualified Medication Aide
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Home Health Aide
For more information about getting trained or certified to be a CNA in Alaska, visit the Board of Nursing website.
Train to Become a CNA
Training in Alaska is provided by State Approved Nurse Aide Training Programs. Training includes a total of 140 hours that includes both classroom/online and clinical/hands-on instruction. Scholarships are available to support training costs.
There are two paths to complete training to become at CNA:
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On-the-Job Training Programs ("earn & learn")
Many hospitals and nursing homes will hire you as a nurse aide and then provide free training while you work and earn a paycheck.
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Nurse Aide Training Programs
With the train first, work later path you can get training at a vocational training center or university that includes hands-on sessions at a hospital or nursing home. No employment commitment is required. You decide where you want to work after you have completed your training. Find a list of state-approved training programs here.
The list below includes CNA training programs at healthcare facilities (Facility-Based) and also training centers or colleges/universities (Training Program.) Reach out to each organization directly for more information about the programs they offer, costs, and details.
Looking for training in a specific community or facility? Use the arrows next to the header in each column to sort by that column, or enter a place name in the Search box at the top right of the chart. The facilities with "yes" in the Earn & Learn column offer on-the-job training opportunities.