Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant in Alaska

Why become a certified assistant nurse in Alaska? If you are the sort of person who enjoys helping people, then it could be a job that you find very personally rewarding. A Certified Nursing Assistant, or CNA, works with nurses directly to provide care for people who are sick or disabled. In order to become a CNA, you must first attend a course, program or school and pass an exam to qualify.

There are a number of Certified Nursing Assistant classes available in Alaska. There is a present dearth of CNAs working in Alaska and it has been predicted that this shortfall will heighten during the next decade. It is therefore a good time to consider attending a Certified Nursing Assistant class in Alaska, in order to get the skills and qualities needed to work as a CNA. Health institutes all over the state are always on the look-out for new workers skilled in nursing, and work is extremely easy to find for CNAs.

In Alaska, there is certainly a growing demand for CNA training. Numerous colleges are entering into partnerships with health establishments to provide Certified Nursing Assistant classes and programs. One such example is the recent partnering of AVTEC and Providence Health Systems. The partnership is what helps to offer the CNA training in Anchorage. The program they offer runs for eight weeks, and consists of classroom lectures, laboratory experience and clinical training and experience. The class runs with a sum training time of two hundred and thirty hours. Some classes can be fast paced so it is important that students are attentive and punctual. Usually, students are required to be present for 6 hours daily. The course is broken into two semesters

•    Laboratory practice  and classroom instruction occur throughout the initial 4 weeks
•    The remaining four weeks students undertake practical situations in medical settings

Most CNA courses will teach the student to care for a steadily increasing number of residents, often in real nursing homes and assisted care facilities. The aim is usually to mimic the real job of a CNA, so students will take on a number of responsibilities and tasks. Other skills relating to organization and being able to manage your time are also developed on Certified Nursing Assistant courses. One feature of all nursing assistant programs in Alaska is the provision of fundamental skills for life support course, as this is compulsory in the state. Often, to get on a program, certain criteria for enrollment have to be met by the prospective student before acceptance. The minimum education requirement is commonly either a HS diploma or equivalent. Prospective students also sometimes have to undergo a series of interviews.

Another example of a recent partnership for CNA training in Alaska is the collaboration between Wildflower Court and the University of Alaska. There are numerous Certified Nursing Assistant programs available throughout Alaska, however, and a full list is given at the bottom of this article.

Here is a selection of just 10 of the institutes offering Certified Nursing Assistant classes in Alaska:

•    AVTEC, Anchorage
•    Providence Wesley Rehabilitation Nurse Aide Training Program, Seward
•    University of Alaska Southeast CNA Program, Sitka
•    South Peninsula Hospital CNA Course, Homer
•    PWSCC and Cordova Community Hospital, Cordova
•    Providence Valdez Medical Center CNA Training Program
•    U of A Southeast Nursing Assistant Program, Ketchikan
•    Kodiak CNA Course
•    Providence Alaska Medical CNA Training in Anchorage
•    Petersburg General Hospital Certified Nursing Assistant Training
•    Kenai Peninsula College CNA Program, Soldotna
•    Fairbanks School District CNA Program

The typical course duration for CNA training programs in Alaska is considerably greater than that of other states. The average figure in Alaska is 140 hours, whereas the statewide average is 80. The best institutions in Alaska have total program durations of about 230 hours. After the completion of any course, the candidate may take the certification exam and, if successful, become a fully qualified and licensed Alaskan CNA.