How To Become A Cna (certified Nursing Assistant)

By Author: Dennis Lindsay
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A CNA, or Certified Nursing Assistant, is trained to aid nurses with patient care in nursing homes, private medical facilities, assisted-living facilities and in hospitals. CNA’s look after the basic needs of patients and are vital in providing nurses with up-to-date information regarding the status of patients.

Common duties of a CNA include the measurement of vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate etc.,aiding in range of motion exercises that have been prescribed by the patient’s physiotherapist, dressing, bathing and feeding of patients, and catheter care. Additional administrative functions such as record keeping and filing are also common.

In order to become a Certified Nursing Assistant a student has to pass the CNA exams at both the federal and state level. Prior to taking the exam students will take a CNA training course at a local community college, hospital or private medical facility. Many states also offer a Red Cross CNA Training Course. Classes are most often taught by a registered nurse (RN) with the length of the course ranging from six weeks to three months ...
... depending on the program.

Most CNA training courses are broken up into two parts †classroom training and a hands-on practicum. The hands-on training will closely emulate what the student can expect to experience on a daily basis in a real life job situation.

The CNA exam consists of two parts †a written portion and a skills exam that will test the student in the practical application of the job. In many cases the student will be required to bring someone along with them who can act as a “dummy” for the student to demonstrate their clinical skills upon.

Beyond the examination itself there are a few skills that a Certified Nursing Assistant should possess. Empathy, patience, understanding and the ability to keep a level head in high stress situations are all important attributes for someone considering this field of work.

Once you’ve passed the CNA exams the next step is to actually find work. This will most probably be the easiest part of the process. An aging population of baby boomers has put an increased strain on the health care system in recent years, and the problem is likely to be increasingly exacerbated in the next couple of decades. Nurse’s aides will be in high demand, and you should find no shortage of job opportunities in hospitals, nursing homes and medical facilities.
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Looking for more information on CNA training? Check out cnatrainingzone.com for tips and advice on how to achieve your CNA certification.