CNA Training Programs in Alabama

Are there advantages in pursuing a CNA training program at a nursing home instead of at a technical school or community college? Nurse aide students who choose to enroll in CNA classes offered by long-term care facilities may enjoy certain benefits when compared to nurse aide students at two-year community colleges. Nursing homes are known to offer free CNA training and students benefit from obtaining a cost-free, on-the job education. In addition, a certified nursing assistant program conducted on site, at a long-term care facility, gives trainees the opportunity to fully experience what is like working as a nurse aide in a health care environment. Does a nurse aide in Alabama receive a CNA certificate? The answer is no. The state of Alabama does not issue a nurse aide certificate or a nurse aide license.

Any nursing home or long term care facility administrator who offers you a nurse aide job, will not ask for a CNA certificate to verify that you have passed the state nurse aide exam. The employer checks your nurse aide status with the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry to validate that you are indeed qualified for the nurse aide position. Even though there are no CNA certificates, each nursing assistant who has successfully passed the nurse aide certification exam will have a certification number. This number is the person's social security number and it is used by employers to check an individual's status on the Nurse Aide Registry. Average CNA salaries for jobs in Alabama which are close to $33,000 are about ten percent higher than average CNA salaries for the entire U.S.

CNA Programs in Fayette County

Morningside of Fayette Assisted Living
404 25th Street, Northwest, Fayette, AL 35555
Phone: 205-932-4003

Geneva County

Hartford Retirement Village, Inc.
12196 E State Highway 52, Hartford, AL 36344
Phone: 334-588-2306

Houston County

Wesley Manor Methodist Home - Dothan
718 Honeysuckle Rd., Dothan, AL 36305
Phone: 334-792-0921

Jefferson County

Lawson State Community College - Bessemer
1100 Ninth Avenue NW, Bessemer, AL 35022
Phone: 205-925-2515

Oaks On Parkwood Assisted Living Facility - Bessemer
2651 Laurel Oaks Drive, Bessemer, AL 35022
Phone: 205-497-4520

Lawson State Community College - Birmingham
3060 Wilson Road SW, Birmingham, AL 35221
Phone: 205-925-2515

American Red Cross - Birmingham
114 22nd Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233
Phone: 205-795-8740

Jefferson State Community College - Birmingham
2601 Carson Road, Birmingham, AL 35215
Phones: 800-239-5900 and 205-853-1200

Madison County

American Red Cross - Huntsville
1101 Washington Street NW, Huntsville, AL 35801
Phone: 256-536-0084

Montgomery County

American Red Cross - Montgomery
5015 Woods Crossing, Montgomery, AL 36106
Phone: 334-260-3980

Russell County

Chattahooche Valley Community College - Phenix City
2602 College Drive, Phenix City, AL 36869
Phone: 334-291-4929

Saint Clair County

Jefferson State Community College - Pell City
500 College Circle, Pell City, AL 35125
Phones: 800-239-5900 and 205-812-2700

Shelby County

Jefferson State Community College - Birmingham
4600 Valleydale Road, Birmingham, AL 35242
Phones: 800-239-5900 and 205-983-5911

Tuscaloosa County

Shelton State Community College - Tuscaloosa
9500 Old Greensboro Rd., Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
Phone: 205-391-2457

CNA Classes in Alabama ( Page 1 )

Nursing assistant programs prepare individuals for challenging the nurse aide certification exam and for entry level positions in health care environments. Each state has the authority to decide how many hours of training a nursing assistant course must consist of, as long as the minimum federal requirement of seventy-five hours is met. Students interested in attending CNA classes have a wide array of choices when it comes to selecting a training facility.

Nursing assistant courses are conducted at nursing homes, vocational schools, private schools, and community colleges. Program length, admission requirements, and cost of training vary depending on the policies of every training facility. Several states have implemented legislation which requires licensed long-term care facilities to reimburse CNA employees for the costs associated with training. An individual who has paid for nursing assistant training classes and who becomes employed by a nursing home within a year of obtaining certification, is eligible for financial reimbursement. Compared to other training programs in the health care field, nursing assistant classes are relatively short and inexpensive. Obtaining state certification as a CNA is the main requirement for securing a nurse aide job at a nursing home, hospital, rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility.

CNA Training Schools and Programs

CNA classes, schools and programs by state.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

C. Adams on November 8, 2014 at 11:22 AM
Is it possible to enroll in a CNA class without a high school diploma or GED?


Admin on November 8, 2014 at 05:34 PM
There are no federal regulations stating that individuals are required to have a high school diploma prior to attending nurse aide classes but some states such as Florida require a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to testing if you are under 18 years old and have not attended a training program. A program coordinator at the school or nursing facility which is offering CNA training classes may tell you if a high school diploma or equivalent (GED) is required in order to enroll in the nurse aide program. Some facilities do not require a diploma as long as you have completed a 10th grade high school education. In the state of Texas a high school diploma or a GED is not necessary in order to attend and complete a nursing assistant program.


How long do nursing assistant classes take to complete?

After becoming a CNA how much more training does it take to become an RN?

I am really interested in becoming a certified nursing assistant. I am in the military and we go out to sea continuously. I do not have too much time to actually attend a program until next year. Who offers online CNA classes?

How do I sign up for CNA training?

How long does it take to get a CNA certificate?

CNA Resources

CNA Training Requirements

There is a wide disparity between CNA training requirements among the states. The difference lies in the mandatory number of total training hours necessary to complete state-approved CNA classes.


While according to federal law each nursing assistant course should contain a minimum of seventy-five (75) instruction and clinical hours, individual states have the liberty to mandate extra training requirements for certified nursing assistants. The majority of states exceed the threshold federal minimum requirements for nurse aide training programs because they are considered insufficient to result in an optimal and safe level of care for clients.


A review of nationwide state requirements for nurse assistant courses has found that the following states have mandated highest number of CNA program hours: Maine with a minimum of 90 hours of theory, 20 hours of laboratory skills and 70 hours of clinical instruction for a total of 180 hours; California with one hundred and sixty (160) training hours; Delaware and Oregon each requiring one hundred and fifty (150) hours; followed by the state of Alaska with one hundred and forty (140) hours; Virginia, Arizona, and West Virginia have a minimum of one hundred and twenty (120) training hours for state-approved classes.

CNA Training Programs

Nurse Aide Registries

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