Get CNA Certified in Alabama

Want to Become a CNA in Alabama? 

What are the CNA requirements in Alabama? Here’s how to prepare for your CNA state exam and how to become a Certified Nurse Assistant in Alabama.

How to Become a CNA in Alabama

The Alabama Department of Public Health oversees the training and requirements of CNA schools in Alabama. Nurse Aide Training students must have up-to-date immunizations, TB skin test, and Hepatitis B series.

A CNA certificate program in Alabama must include 75 total hours of instruction; this includes 16 hours of supervised clinical training and 16 hours of lab training. Students must be under the supervision of a licensed nurse or registered nurse when providing care to patients (known in Alabama as residents). You can find a CNA school near you in Alabama by using our Free CNA School Finder on this page. Just enter your zip code. There are many flexible program options for local, hybrid, or online Nursing Assistant classes in Alabama.

The CNA curriculum in Alabama is broken down into the following categories:

I. Longterm Care Assisting - Before having direct contact with residents, students learn communication, infection control, resident rights, resident independence, and safety procedures such as the Heimlich maneuver.

II. Basic Nursing Skills - Students learn how to measure height and weight and and record vital signs such as temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. They also learn how to care for a dying resident.

III. Personal Care Skills - Students learn hands-on care such as bathing, dressing, oral hygiene, feeding, hydration, and how to safely move bed bound residents.

IV. Mental Health and Social Services - Students learn the stages of the aging process, how to respond to resident behavioral problems, and the role of family support.

V. Care of Cognitively Impaired Residents - Students learn how to communicate and work with residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

VI. Basic Restorative Services - Students learn how to provide exercise for long-term care residents and how to use assistive devices for transfer and ambulation.

VII. Resident Rights - Students learn how to help residents participate in social groups, provide security of the residents’ personal possessions, and how to promote a resident making their own choices.

A Closer Look at CNA Training

A typical CNA program in Alabama will include all the knowledge and skills you must perform for the Certified Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation Program. You can expect to learn CNA skills such as:

• Resident Rights

• Transfers, positioning and turning

• Safety/emergency procedures including the Heimlich maneuver

• Patient Bathing

• Awareness of developmental tasks associated with the aging process

• Maintenance of range of motion

• Using the resident’s family as a source of emotional support

• Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia

• Proper feeding techniques

Nurse Assistant schools in Alabama vary in price, and can be as low as a few hundred dollars or as high as a few thousand dollars. But you can always ask for financial aid or see if you qualify for scholarships. When comparing the cost of CNA schools, find out if the cost is all-inclusive or if you have to pay extra for textbooks, lab fees, uniforms, etc.

You can find a CNA school near you in Alabama using our free location tool. Just enter your zip code to find online and local CNA schools.

The CNA Test in Alabama

To become a CNA in Alabama, you must complete a state-approved Nurse Aide training program, and pass both the written and skills sections of the Alabama State CNA test. The Alabama Department of Public Health partners with Prometric to administer the test. Once you graduate from your CNA school, you’ll need to complete the state test within 2 years and/or 3 attempts. The Alabama Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Exam consists of 2 sections: a Clinical Skills portion and a Written Knowledge portion.

The skills demonstration consists of a minimum performance of 5 tasks and is a timed test. Skills may include measuring a radial pulse, feeding a resident, providing resident with passive range of motion exercises, transferring the resident with a wheelchair, etc. You will perform the skills on a medical mannequin or a someone acting as a patient. In addition to the 5 skills you must also demonstrate proper handwashing and indirect care. The written potion of the test will be conducted on a computer and consists of 55 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 90 minutes. You may also opt to request the written portion as an oral exam.

If English is your second language, you can take CNA classes en Español as well. But be aware that you’ll need to take the CNA exam in English. To help prepare yourself for the exam, read through our Free CNA Practice Test.

To make an appointment to take the Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Competency Exam, contact one of the following approved test locations:

Your Choice CNA Academy, LLC, 850 9th St. NW, Alabaster, AL 35007, 205.602.6265

Saad’s CNA School, 1515 South University Blvd, Mobile, AL 36609, 251.343.9600 ext 133,

Northeast Alabama Community College, 138 Hwy 35 West, Rainsville, AL 35986, 256.228.6001 ext 323.

Once you have graduated from a CNA school and successfully passed the Nurse Aide state exam in Alabama, you can then be officially added to the Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry and be eligible to start working as a Nursing Assistant. Congratulations!

CNA Job Advancement

Becoming a Nursing Assistant in Alabama is a great first step to take to kickstart your medical career. It is the fastest and least expensive way to break into the field of nursing. It’s a rewarding career caring for patients and the additional perks are flexible shift hours and medical insurance. If you would like to advance your nursing career, you can promote to Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN) with additional schooling. There are 11,000 LPN jobs in Alabama and 51,000 RN jobs in Alabama.

It’s also a great idea to network with other medical professionals for jobs and school opportunities. You can join the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA) which is focused on CNAs or the Alabama State Nurses Association.

And for current news, CNA tips, and job information, become a regular reader of our CNA Blog.