Please contact your nurse when notary service is required. A notary public is a person authorized by the state of Alabama to officially witness signatures on legal documents, collect sworn statements and administer oaths. A notary public uses an embossing tool to verify his or her presence at the time the documents were signed. SAMC’s Case Management team has notary publics who can assist patients at the hospital with a variety of legal documents relating to power-of-attorney, guardianship and healthcare directives.