Certified nursing assistants are healthcare professionals who work alongside nurses and other healthcare professionals to provide primary hands-on healthcare. The professionals work under the supervision of registered nurses and assist patients with basic activities like bathing, feeding, grooming, and moving patients.
Part of their duty is to review patients’ charts to ensure that they’re following the proper diet, repositioning them as needed, measure food input and output, among other tasks. Unlike other professionals in the medical field, these professionals do not need to have a college degree.
Following are the steps you need to follow to become a certified nursing assistant.
Research the duties of a CNA
The duties entail helping patients to eat, wash, and dressing them. As a CNA, it’s your responsibility to monitor and record vital signs, keep the rooms clean, prepare patients for procedures and other roles assigned by the head nurse. You may also need to help with exercises, catheter care, and transporting patients from their rooms. You’re the person who is closer to the patients than any other, and therefore, you’ll be required to report any changes in the patients’ health conditions.
Enroll in a Nursing Assistant program
There are select vocational schools and community colleges where nursing programs are offered. The program you choose to enroll in may take from just some weeks to several months to complete. The classes could include safety and d emergency procedures, infection control measures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), anatomy, nutrition, and other related ones. Part of your program’s curriculum will also include clinical experience.
Pass certification exam
Are you planning to work with a nursing home? The Federal guidelines require that you do state-approved 75-hours formal training programs mentioned above and get a passing score. The exam varies depending on your state, but they include clinical skills evaluations and written portions. There could be additional requirements as stated out by your state department for the nursing job. Once you meet all the mandates, then you’ll be recognized as a CNA.
Get employment
Nurses’ assistants work in hospitals, care centers, assisted living facilities, private residences, and adult daycare centers. Other places where you could get employment are private doctors’ offices and community clinics. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the employment rate was supposed to grow by 9% by 2028 due to the growing number of elderly people- the baby boomers. The physical and emotional toll of the work has led to many nurse assistants vacate the job, which means more vacancies are created. The average annual salary for CNAs was $28,530 by the year 2018, but this varies from state to state.
Pursue career advancement options
Once you’ve received the CNA certification, that doesn’t mean you stop pursuing education. You could further your studies and become a medical assistant. Others have joined the nursing assistant program and have become registered nurses. You can also pursue the same line.
Before choosing training as a certified nursing assistant, you must be ready to interact with people daily. Thus must be someone who loves people and be prepared to find enjoyment and fulfillment in the job.
