The role of CNA embraces numerous variations of the profession: you can become a nurses’ assistant, home health aide, an orderly or patient care specialist all within the framework of the Certified Nursing Assistant training courses. The healthcare system is one that is probably to expand in the coming years as the population ages since everyone requires health care. Thus what does a CNA do? How do you get Certified nursing assistant training? What’s involved in being certified? How much does it pay?
The beauty about being a Certified nursing assistant is that you may work the hours which suit you best, since Certified nursing assistants may work shifts full or part-time and at anytime of the day or night. They work in nursing homes, in hospitals, and in facilities for the mentally ill. Applicants who train for the role of CNA should be prepared to attend to all of a patient’s most fundamental needs like bathing, feeding and helping with their want to use the toilet. They might also change diapers, aid the patients in dressing, and assist with medical equipment along with check vital signs, such as blood pressure level, pulse, and temperature.
Certified nursing assistants work under the guidance of nurses, who’ll instruct them how to take care of patients who need assistance with their most fundamental day-to-day living set ups, sometimes even living in that patient’s home. The state will require you to undergo approved CNA training before qualifying, but this will not take long and you will later be able to progress in your profession, maybe become a Registered Nurse (R.N.) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.).
People who’re interested in following this career path should have at least a high school diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.) as the bare minimum entry qualification. The perfect candidate for a career as CNA will be a person who loves to aid others, who enjoys excellent health, both physically and mentally, and will be somebody who has exceptional people skills. Training may take anywhere from six weeks to six months, based on where you take your courses. You’ll take classes in a classroom, as well as clinical training where you will study anatomy, body structure, the fundamentals of nursing, proper nutrition, how to control infection, and other fundamentals of the profession. At the conclusion of the training course there’ll be a state exam, before a candidate is allowed to work as a qualified CNA.
The exact requirements will differ from state to state. You might wish to contact your state’s CNA registry to find out what exactly is required. The standard exam will have a written theoretical test and a practical part of the exam will test a candidates’ expertise in patient care and bedside manner.
After you pass the exam, you’ll have to take twelve hours of training each year to maintain your certification. Due to the relatively short period of training the career path of Certified nursing assistant is completely suited for those wishing to determine, if nursing should be their long term career.
Pay ranges from 8-15 dollars an hour, based on how much experience and training the person has, so once you have completed CNA training courses, you might discover you love nursing and take classes to become certified as a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse.
If assisting others is what you enjoy most in life, then training to become a CNA will be the right career choice for you.
