CNA Classes in Alabama (Top Schools)

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) holds jurisdiction over Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs).

For you to be one, you must meet these two requirements:

• Complete the Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP)
• Pass the Alabama CNA Exam

The thing is, Alabama doesn’t grant certification to eligible CNAs.

Instead, you will be automatically added to the CNA Registry upon passing the exam.

Taking on a CNA Training Program in Alabama

To ensure standardized NATCEP, ADPH examines and approves the training facilities that offer it.

During training, you will spend a minimum of 75 hours of training, which includes:

• 16 hours of lab instruction
• 16 hours of supervised clinical training

After training completion, you will be able to show competence in providing basic care to residents.

Also, the training facility will award you a Certificate of Completion.

Below are some of the CNA training facilities approved by the state that you can check out.

Evaluating a CNA Candidate

Now that you completed training, you will now take the Alabama CNA Exam provided by the following ADPH-approved providers:

• Prometric
• Credentia

These two will administer the exam in nursing homes or qualified facilities in the state.

You will have to visit each test provider’s website for the exam specifics and fees.

Here are their contact details:

Prometric

Prometric
AL Nurse Aide
7941 Corporate Dr.
Nottingham MD 21236
Phone: 800.899.3978
Email: ALCNA@prometric.com
Website: https://www.prometric.com/nurseaide/al

Credentia

Credentia
Registration and Scheduling Services
3 Bala Plaza West
Suite 400A
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
Phone: (888) 204-6185
Website: https://credentia.com/test-takers/al

Generally, both test providers will have two components for the Alabama CNA Exam.

• Knowledge test (written or oral)
• Clinical skills test

Both tests are timed tests and have sets of nurse aide competencies that you must complete.

For the knowledge test, it’s a number of multiple-choice questions.

And for the clinical skills test, it’s demonstrating five nurse aide skills completely and accurately.

You have within 24 months of training completion to pass the Alabama CNA Exam.

Also, the ADPH has allowed three chances for you to pass both tests.

Otherwise, you’ll have to retrain again to retake the exam.

Exam Fees

The table below lists the exam fees for each test provider.

Reciprocity for Out-of-State CNAs

The way ADPH handles reciprocity is certainly unique compared to other states.

You can transfer your certification to Alabama only if your prospective employer contacts the state’s CNA Registry for reciprocity.

No reciprocity application and fee are required.

Do note that this only applies to out-of-state CNAs who are active and in good standing in another state’s registry.

If you can’t find a job at a licensed nursing facility, then you can’t become a CNA in Alabama.

Or, another alternative you can do is to take Alabama’s NATCEP and pass the CNA Exam so you can register as a CNA in the state.

Potential Salary

Like many other jobs, a CNA’s salary varies and depends on several factors, such as:

• Education
• Skills
• Certification
• Work experience
• Location

On average, you can expect to receive a $29,419 annual salary.

The table below shows how much you can receive if you are to work in the cities listed below.

CNA Schools by City

• Birmingham2 Schools
• Huntsville3 Schools
• Mobile1 Schools
• Montgomery3 Schools