Alaska Vocational Technical Center Nursing School Review
Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC), is home to the two Alaska Institute of Technology campuses located in Seward and Anchorage. AVTEC is an initiative of the state government of Alaska to offer vocational training to the community in facilitation of quick entry in occupations.
It offers hands-on training on various fields that require skilled man-power. The college accepts interested students over the age of 18 and with high school or GED diplomas to enroll in the various courses. Students at AVTEC enjoy low tuition fees that enables them access satisfactory training required to secure jobs.
Nursing at Alaska Vocational Technology Center
AVTEC has two campuses: the main campus at Seward and the Allied Health center in Anchorage. All nursing/allied health programs are offered only at the Anchorage Area Training site. The allied health department offers three tracks designed for entry-level nursing positions. There is the nursing assistant course for students who wish to become nurse aides and the licensed practical nursing program. The Certified Nurse Aide Reciprocity (CNA) is designed for CNA’S from other states who wish to gain practice eligibility in the state of Alaska.
Certified Nurse Assistant
The CNA program is based in Anchorage and responds to the acute shortage of nurse aides across the state. The program usually has two classes running simultaneously with one class being in the clinical portion while the other is in the classroom instruction portion. The track runs for 8 weeks/ 38 training days and admission is continuous throughout the year.
Each cycle of the 8 weeks has 230 hours of learning with the first 4 weeks of study being in the lab skills, classroom instruction and basic life support skills. In the last four weeks, students become immersed in direct patient care. The format used is 1, 2 and 3 patients per student during the 1st, 2nd &3rd and 4th week in assisted living homes in Anchorage area. The actual breakdown of the 230 hours CNA course is 114 hours of classroom and lab, 108 hours of Clinical practice and 8 hours of Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers. Students who successfully complete the CNA program become eligible to take the Certified Nurse Aide Exam as required for certification by the state of Alaska.
CNA Reciprocity Course
The reciprocity course is meant to help CNA’s from other states to become eligible to work as CNA’s in the state of Alaska. The process of taking the reciprocity course is individualized for each student according to the screening results obtained by the Division of Occupational Licensing and sent to AVTEC. Prior to starting on the course, the CNA must obtain a letter from the Occupational Licensing division indicating the areas the student needs training on. Upon completing the required training hours, students apply for “Verification of Training for Alaska Nurse Assistant Registry and certification exam for licensure to work in Alaska
Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN)
The program prepares students to take the NCLEX-PN exam to become licensed practical nurses in nursing homes and long term care facilities. Applicants must be in possession of a current CNA certificate which must be maintained until completion of the program. Current certification in Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers is also required. Students without a high diploma must submit ACCUPLACER test scores. The program is designed to take 176 training days with 1212 hours of both classroom instructions and clinical practice. New students are admitted twice annually in January and mid August.
Note
The LPN program graduates may earn college credits that can be transferred to the 1st year of the 2-year Associate of Applied Science for registered nurse Programs at all University of Alaska system campuses.
Contact:
AVTEC-Alaska’s Institute of Technology
1251 Muldoon Road, Anchorage
AK 99504
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