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ALABAMA

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CNA Programs in Alabama

Alabama is found in the southeastern United States and has direct access to the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile. Often called the “Heart of Dixie,” Alabama is known for its red dirt, country charm, and friendliness. It is also known for being the heart of the civil rights movement. Montgomery, the capital city, is home to the Rosa Parks Museum and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s church. Other large cities include Huntsville, known for the Marshall Space Flight Center, and Birmingham, known for its steel industry. Alabama CNAs have plenty of room for growth and opportunity in this state of 4.8 million. The state has 97 hospitals and over 26,000 nursing homes, giving CNAs plenty of places to find jobs.

About Alabama

– Capital: Montgomery
– Minimum Wage: $7.25
– Number of Hospitals: 97
– Number of Nursing Homes: 26,685

Population

– Total Population: 4,849,377
– Population (ages 45-64): 1,286,061
– Population (ages 65+): 743,932
– Population (ages 85+): 83,567

Top Colleges & Unversities

– Auburn University
– Samford University
– University of Alabama

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in AL

Choose a Topic of Interest

CNA Training Requirements

Taking the Test (Procedure)

Out-of-State Applicants

Renewing & Expired Certification

Contacts & Additional Resources

The Alabama Department of Health regulates the CNA training programs throughout the state. Training is offered at a variety of vocational schools and nursing homes. Some high school students even have the opportunity to take CNA classes in their schools. CNA students are allowed to work for pay as unlicensed CNAs for up to 120 days while they train and take the competency evaluation. Nursing students and graduate nurses are not required to complete training before taking the competency examination if they have taken the fundamentals of nursing course.

Alabama CNA programs must have at least 75 hours of training. Of these 75 hours, at least 16 of them must be spent practicing CNA skills in an actual health care environment. This is the federal minimum requirement; many CNA programs offer more hours than this, and students who are considering moving to another state may want to attend a program with more hours.

Alabama does not have a minimum age or educational standard that individuals must reach before applying for CNA training. However, students should realize that having a high school diploma can greatly help them as they search for jobs in the future. In addition, some schools may require students without a diploma to take an assessment test before enrollment to determine reading competency. Students will need to have an FBI criminal background check, a drug test and two fingerprint cards completed. They must also be up-to-date on immunizations and have a recent negative tuberculosis screening.

The CNA competency evaluation is administered through the Alabama Department of Public Health in cooperation with Prometric. The test must be taken and passed within three attempts and within two years of having completed CNA training. If this timeframe is not met, students will be required to retrain. The fee to take the test is three-fold. The skills section costs $35, and the knowledge section costs $30 while the test site charges an additional administration fee of $40.

Prometric requires a two-part test. The knowledge test is usually administered on a computer, but students who speak English as a second language may request an oral test on their applications. The knowledge examination tests CNA theory. The test has 55 multiple-choice questions and must be completed in 90 minutes or less.

During the clinical skills test, students will be required to perform five CNA skills in front of a Nurse Aide Evaluator. Two of the skills will be hand washing and indirect care; the other three skills will be randomly chosen on test day. The skills are performed on a volunteer actor who will act like a weakened individual. Students are given between 31 to 40 minutes depending on the skills that are chosen.

Students will learn whether they have passed or failed each section while they are at the testing center. Those who fail will only need to retake the section that they have failed. Prometric will notify Alabama of passing scores within two business days.

Alabama does practice reciprocity for CNAs moving in from out-of-state. However, the process is much different from what is found in most other states. Alabama does not have a reciprocity application form that must be completed. Rather, the CNA should first acquire a job at a licensed facility before having his or her employer contact the Alabama Department of Public Health asking for reciprocity. Those who are unable to find a job in Alabama will generally not be able to transfer their certifications. In addition, the process is done on a case-by-case basis. Some CNAs may be required to retrain and retest. Reciprocity is free except in the cases of those who must retest.

Alabama does not have a renewal process for CNAs. Therefore, no additional fees are needed for CNAs who continue to work for pay. To remain an active CNA in the state, individuals must work at least 8 hours every 24 months performing health care-related tasks for pay. Those who let more than 24 months elapse between work will need to retrain and retest according to the state’s guidelines. Private duty work, home health work and continuing education hours do not count towards the eight required hours. In addition, Alabama CNAs do not have an actual certification number; instead, the state uses the individuals’ social security numbers on the registry.

Links
Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)
Alabama Board of Nursing
Alabama Nurse Aide Registry

Contacts
Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry
Alabama Department of Public Health
Division of Health Care Facilities

The RSA Tower, Suite 710
201 Monroe Street
Montgomery, AL 36104

Phone: (334) 206-5169
Fax: (334) 206-0361

Nurse Aide Registry Coordinator
Suniaja Smith, ASA
Phone: (334) 206-5169
E-mail: [email protected]

Employment Information for Alabama

Average Salary for CNAs in AL

As is the case in most of the Southeast, Alabama does not have a high pay rate for most anyone in a nursing-related field. However, CNAs do make a salary on par with the state’s income per capita of $23,680. CNAs can expect to make an average of $10.58 per hour or $22,000 per year although those working in larger cities may make more than this.

Job Outlook in AL

Alabama currently has 21,870 jobs for CNAs. Employment can be found in thousands of hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, such as Alzheimer’s units and assisted living centers. CNAs have no need to worry about future employment. Their futures are secure with the reality of increased health care that will be needed in the next 10 to 20 years as the 1.3 million residents between 45 and 65 years of age need increased care.

Employment Opportunities

Top Hospitals in Alabama
Hospital NameAddressCityStateZipPhoneWebsite
University Of Alabama Hospital At Birmingham619 19th Street SouthBirminghamAL35249205-934-4011Website
Huntsville Hospital101 Sivley Road SWHuntsvilleAL35801256-265-1000Website
Decatur General Hospital1201 Seventh Street SEDecaturAL35601256-341-2000Website
Andalusia Regional Hospital849 South Three Notch StreetAndalusiaAL36420334-222-8466Website
Athens-Limestone Hospital700 West Market StreetAthensAL35611256-233-9292Website
Atmore Community Hospital401 Medical Park DriveAtmoreAL36502251-368-2500Website
Baptist Medical Center East400 Taylor RoadMontgomeryAL36117334-277-8330Website
Baptist Medical Center South2105 East South BoulevardMontgomeryAL36116334-288-2100Website
Beacon Children'S Hospital150 Hospital DriveLuverneAL36049334-335-5040Website
Bibb Medical Center208 Pierson AvenueCentrevilleAL35042205-926-4881Website
Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center700 South 19th StreetBirminghamAL35233205-933-8101Website
Bradford Health Services At Huntsville1600 Browns Ferry RoadMadisonAL35758256-461-7272Website
Bradford Health Services At Warrior Lodge1189 Allbritt RoadWarriorAL35180205-647-1945Website
Brookwood Medical Center2010 Brookwood Medical Center DriveBirminghamAL35209205-877-1000Website
Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital105 U S Highway 80 EastDemopolisAL36732334-289-4000Website
Bryce Hospital200 University BoulevardTuscaloosaAL35401205-759-0799Not Available
Bullock County Hospital102 West Conecuh AvenueUnion SpringsAL36089334-738-2140Not Available
Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System215 Perry Hill RoadMontgomeryAL36109334-272-4670Website
Cherokee Medical Center400 Northwood DriveCentreAL35960256-927-5531Website
Choctaw General Hospital401 Vanity Fair AvenueButlerAL36904205-459-9100Website

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