As many places are starting to do in recent years, Arkansas has a high demand for Certified Nursing Assistants, or CNAs. The Arkansas Nurse Registry office oversees all of the guidelines in regards to training and testing. They also maintain a current list of licensed CNAs along with records of any felony convictions. This office insures that the quality of care remains high statewide.
To work as a CNA in Arkansas, you’re required to successfully complete a state approved training course that consists of at least 75 hours of classroom instruction and 100 hours of clinical training. These programs can vary in the amount of hours. If you become licensed as a CNA in another state and relocate to Arkansas, you can apply for reciprocity.
Once you’ve passed the training course, you must pass the written and clinical skills sections of the state exam. Then you need to be fingerprinted and submit to a federal background investigation. CNAs in Arkansas start out making $9.21 an hour with increases with gained experience. Annual salaries ranges from $18,720 to $22,880.
If you’re looking for state approved CNA training programs in Arkansas, start with these:
- In Magnolia, Arkansas, you’ll find the Southern Arkansas University that offers a training class for $822. This covers fees for tuition, late registration, course change, graduation, learning strategies, transcript, and laboratory.
- Hope, Arkansas offers CNA training classes at the University of Arkansas Community College. Residents of Hempstead County pay $378; Arkansas residents and out of state are required to pay $413. This fee covers tuition only.
- If you live near Burdette, Arkansas, you can attend Arkansas Northeastern College for a CNA training program. The costs are $364 for residents of Arkansas, residents of other counties as well as residents of Missouri and Tennessee pay $434, and $784 for out of state and international residents.
- Malvern, Arkansas offers Ouachita Technical. Residents of Arkansas pay $489, $922 for out of state residents, and $1,415 international residents.
- Forrest City, Arkansas houses Crowley’s Ridge Technical Institute. To attend the CNA program there, it costs $760 for classroom and clinical training in the amount of 360 hours per semester.
- UAM College of Technology is located in Crossett, Arkansas. Their CNA training course costs $615, which also covers supplies and textbooks.
For further information about CNA training classes in Arkansas, contact the Arkansas Nurse Aide Registry.