Nurse Aide Training Programs in Arkansas

Did you know that the Arkansas Department of Human Services has chosen Prometric to be the company which develops and administers the Nursing Assistant Competency Exam? Furthermore, this company is also responsible for managing the Nursing Assistant (NA) Registry in Arkansas. A nurse aide who has successfully completed a training program in Arkansas must challenge and pass the CNA competency examination within one year of program completion. Each candidate is allowed to challenge this exam three times.

Those who fail to obtain a passing score on both the written and skills parts of the exam within twelve months (one year) of their CNA training or within three attempts, need to retrain and retest. Graduates of Arkansas-approved nursing assistant training programs have the option of choosing the site where they challenge the CNA examination. If the facility where you have completed your nurse aide training program is qualified to administer the CNA exam, you are allowed to take the test at that training site. Otherwise you should request testing at an approved Arkansas regional test site managed by Prometric.

CNA Training Programs in Arkansas County

M&M Education, Inc. - Stuttgart
707 West 20th Street, Stuttgart, AR 72160
Phone: 870-673-1657

Benton County

Arkansas Career Training of the Ozarks - Bella Vista
9 Professional Drive, Bella Vista, AR 72715
Phone: 479-876-5974

Clark County

Clark County Community Education - Arkadelphia
3021 Twin Rivers Drive, Arkadelphia, AR 71923
Phone: 870-246-6337

Clay County

Northeast Arkansas Innovative Training Center - Rector
324 S. Main Street, Rector, AR 72461
Phone: 870-595-2300

Columbia County

Compassion Certified Nursing Assistant School - Magnolia
600 Lelia Street, Magnolia, AR 71753
Phone: 870-235-1415

Craighead County

RSB Nursing Assistant Training Program - Jonesboro
1000 Caraway Road, Suite 210, Jonesboro, AR 72401
Phone: 870-926-9496

Desha County

New Educational Beginnings - McGehee
110 Hazel Street, McGehee, AR 71654
Phone: 870-222-6442

Garland County

Petra Allied Health, Inc. - Hot Springs
2212 Malvern, Suite 2, Hot Springs, AR 71901
Phone: 479-750-9876

Hot Spring County

Premium Health Care Training Academy I - Malvern
625 East Page, Malvern, AR 72104
Phone: 501-337-9155

Jefferson County

Integrity Healthcare Providers - Pine Bluff
6810 South Hazel Street, Pine Bluff, AR 71603
Phone: 870-718-0609

Olympic Healthcare - Pine Bluff
3077 West 28th Street, Pine Bluff, AR 71603
Phone: 870-536-7060

Lonoke County

Arkansas Academy for Nursing Assistants - Lonoke
1501 Lincoln Street, Lonoke, AR 72086
Phone: 501-940-1914

Miller County

Texarkana Nursing Academy
718 East 5th Street, Texarkana, AR 71854
Phone: 870-772-6860

Nevada County

Hillcrest Community Education - Prescott
1421 West 2nd Street N., Prescott, AR 71857
Phone: 870-887-3811

Perry County

Perry County CNA Training Center - Perryville
1115 Aplin Avenue, Perryville, AR 72126
Phone: 501-889-2422

Poinsett County

CNA School of North East Arkansas - Marked Tree
108 Nathan Street, Marked Tree, AR 72365
Phone: 870-588-5544

Pulaski County

Arkansas Academy for Nursing Assistants of Pulaski County - Jacksonville
704 Quince Hill Road, Suite A, Jacksonville, AR 72076
Phone: 501-940-1914

Dr. Emma K. Rhodes Education Center - Little Rock
1917 Wright Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204
Phone: 501-224-2752

MedLinc, Inc. - Little Rock
1501 North University, Prospect Bldg., Suite 300, Little Rock, AR 72207
Phone: 501-492-7200

Heartbeat to Heartbeat Certified Nursing Assistant School and Allied Health Studies - North Little Rock
324 West Persing, Suite 5, North Little Rock, AR 72114
Phone: 501-562-6540

Sebastian County

Petra Allied Health, Inc. - Fort Smith
4300 Rogers Ave., Greenpointe Center, Suite 42, Fort Smith, AR 72903
Phone: 479-750-9876

Area Agency on Aging of Western Arkansas, Inc. - Fort Smith
524 Garrison Avenue, Fort Smith, AR 72901
Phone: 479-783-4500

PRN Medical Services, Education Division - Fort Smith
4500 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith, AR 72903
Phone: 800-500-9295

Washington County

Preferred Medical Staffing - Fayetteville
908 Rolling Hills Drive, Suite A, Fayetteville, AR 72703
Phone: 479-582-0000

PRN Medical Services, Education Division II - Springdale
4400 South Thompson, Springdale, AR 72764
Phone: 800-500-9295

White County

White County Medical Center - Searcy
1200 South Main, Searcy, AR 72143
Phone: 501-380-3383

Yell County

River Valley Nurse Aide Training Center - Ola
Highway 10, Ola, AR 72853
Phone: 479-489-5111

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

Violet on September 02, 2011 at 04:03 PM
I have recently acquired my CNA certificate for the state of Ohio. I'm moving to the state of Arkansas in two months. What will I have to do to get it changed over from a different state? I also have more than 10 years of experience in this field.


Admin on September 03, 2011 at 08:08 PM
Having an active nursing assistant certification in Ohio makes you eligible to transfer your credentials to Arkansas. First contact the Arkansas Office of Long Term Care at 501.682.8430 to request the nurse aide reciprocity forms. Once your application for reciprocity is approved, you have to apply and challenge the Arkansas CNA exam. Passing the nursing assistant competency test in Arkansas will result in certification and eligibility to work as a CNA in this state. The application to challenge the Arkansas nursing assistant exam may be found here (complete and send this application after you have been approved for reciprocity): Arkansas Nursing Assistant Eligibility Screening Application.


How can I transfer my CNA certification from Arkansas to Minnesota?

Can I enroll in a CNA class without a high school diploma or GED?

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?

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

Alaska Wyoming Oklahoma Washington DC Delaware Maryland Maryland Delaware New Jersey New Jersey Connecticut Connecticut Rhode Island Rhode Island Massachusetts Massachusetts Vermont New Hampshire Vermont New Hampshire Missouri Indiana Pennsylvania Alabama Maine New York West Virginia Wisconsin Ohio Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Louisiana Mississippi Florida Georgia Tennessee Illinois Michigan Michigan Minnesota Utah Kentucky Kansas South Dakota Arizona Idaho Washington State California Arkansas Texas Nebraska North Dakota Iowa Hawaii Nevada Oregon New Mexico Colorado Montana