If You Would Like To Be A Certified Nurse Aide In The State Of Alaska, Read This Article!

Basic Requirements

In order to be employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant (also called a CNA or Certified Nurse Aide) in AK, you need to be listed on the AK Board of Nursing’s Nurse Aide Registry. A lot of Home Health Agencies will search for Certified Nurse Aides, in particular, to hire as Home Health Aides, therefore this article can be applied to Home Health Aide training, also. To have eligibility to submit an application, you must meet at least ONE of these requirements:

– Successful completion of a state authorized Nurse Aide training course in the last 2 years.
– Possess a nurse’s license (valid or lapsed) that was issued by a state or territory of the US, or a province of Canada.
– Successful completion of at least 1 year of nursing education from a nursing school approved by a US state or territory, or a province of Canada. Your training must have been completed in the last 5 years, and include both school room and clinical instruction.
– Successful completion of a US corpsman or medic training program within the last 10 years, and service as a corpsman or medic in the United States military within the last 5 years.
– Successful completion of a nurse training program in another country other than Canada.

Applying to the Alaska Nurse Aide Registry

All of the documents mentioned below can be downloaded from the Alaska Board of Nursing’s Nurse Aide Registry site at www.commerce.state.ak.us/occ/pnua.htm.

Assuming that you have never been a CNA, and do not hold a valid CNA license in another state…

FIRST: Be sure that you meet one of the requirements above. If need to find an education course, try the list of state approved Nurse Assistant education courses.

SECOND: Complete and send in a notarized Application for Certified Nurse Aide by Examination. Your application must include a passport-size photo (2×2), and a check or money order for $279, made payable to the STATE OF ALASKA. It also must include a completed fingerprint card.

THIRD: Complete the first section of the “Verification of Training for the Alaska Nurse Assistant Registry” form (part of the application packet) and submit it to the institution where you finished your training program.

FOURTH: If your application is accepted, you must then take the CNA Certification Exam. Examination dates are located on the State of Alaska Online Public Notice website. Navigate to “By Department” -> “Commerce Community and Economic Development” -> “Public Notices: Licensing Examinations” -> “Nurse Aides”. This site also has a telephone number to call to enroll for the exam.

“What If I Already Have a Certified Nursing Assistant Certification From A Different State?”

If you have CNA license from another state, you need to submit an Application for Certified Nurse Aide by Endorsement, instead. To do so, you have to meet ALL the following requirements:

– Have evidence of completing of a state authorized Nurse Aide training program.
– Have a valid and current Certified Nurse Aide certification from a state or territory of the United States, or a province of Canada.
– Successful completion of a Nurse Aide competency examination that meets or exceeds Alaska state regulations.

The application procedure is the same as for a person that has not been licensed before, minus the competency evaluation.

Jon Stall is committed to helping individuals interpret Home Health Aide training requirements so they can improve their careers. His website has more info about how to become a CNA in Alaska.