By Lanee' Blunt
It
is essential to have a CNA within daily operations in hospitals and nursing
facilities. They provide care for the elderly, and chronically sick, by
assisting them with daily living tasks. Becoming a Certified Nurse Assistant is
a superb way to enter the medical field even though you aspire to be the
register nurse. Many registered nurses found that after they worked as a nurse
assistant it actually helped them and was a steppingstone for their RN.
Education
Certified
nursing assistants programs teach the fundamental principles of nursing. Most
schools require you to have a high school diploma or GED. In most states the age
requirement is 18 years of age to be qualified for certification and
employment. A nursing student with completion of 1 semester of a nursing school
can take the exam.
Apply for training
You
can apply at a community college or a vocational school. The Red Cross offers a
class that provides a quality course for working in a nursing home. Most offer
students instruction in counting and recording a patient’s pulse, taking
temperature, assisting with using the toilet and bathing, correct techniques in
moving and positioning patients, and filling out forms and recording
information on charts.
Time for you to Complete
You
can become a nursing aide in a brief period of time. The class prepares
students to work in health care facilities including nursing facilities,
hospitals, home-care and hospices. Some courses can end up being completed in
6-to-12 weeks.
Certification Test
After
completion the student must pass a certification test. The test is two parts a
written exam and a clinical test. The clinical part of the test consists of the
student operating nursing techniques in a practical setting in front of a
state-approved medical examiner. The written portion of the test includes basic
medical concepts, and care-giving techniques.
Job Responsibilities
Their
job responsibilities are to wash and bathe patients and residents, observe
patient's behavior and report any health issues to nurses, help patients use
the toilet and dress them, take vital signs, for example blood pressure and temperature,
reposition, turn and transfer patients from their wheelchairs or beds. They are
referred to as certified nursing aides, orderlies, as well as certified nursing
assistants. It is essential to have nursing assistants within daily operations
in hospitals and nursing facilities.
Pay
The
average salary working in US is $24, 010 a year. The pay may vary from state to
state and in some states you can make $27,000 a year. According to the Bureau
of Labor and Statistics, nursing assistants make $11.54 and $13.00 per hour. They
get medical advantages, paid holidays, sick leave and a paid vacation.
Reference:
Bureau
of Labor Statistics: Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants
[Image
of a CNA]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.elderwood.com
