By
Lanee’ Blunt
A
nursing assistant provides basic care for the elderly and patients that are in
the hospital. This care involves feeding, bathing, helping patients use the
toilet, bedpan routine, dressing elderly and the handicapped, and measuring
their vital signs, such as blood pressure and taking their temperature. The
majority of them work in nursing homes, hospitals and residential care
facilities. They are required to have a high school diploma or GED, and a state
certification. There are important qualities that go along with the job.
Compassion
They
care for the sick, bedridden, injured and the elderly. They provide for people
that are unable to care for themselves and this takes a lot of compassion.
Nurse assistants who treat patients that have disabilities or chronic illnesses
must have an empathetic attitude in order that they may provide for them.
Communication Skills
They
must be able to communicate with their patients. It is important that they can
speak effectively to residents and find out their concerns. Frequently the job
involves teaching people, helping or providing services for people.
Patience
The
work of a CNA deals with a lot of routine tasks, for example, feeding,
dressing, and changing beds this can often be stressful. They must be patient
with the residents to provide the care that they need. The elderly and the
disabled require extreme patients in communication and in quality care.
Patience is important especially in nursing homes because the elderly may take
more time to articulate their problems and their thoughts. A nursing assistant
or orderly needs patients when they have to move residents to one place or
another or to bed from their wheelchair.
Thorough
It
is important to pay close attention to their patients and residents, by keeping
their beds and their rooms clean. When they are caring for patients they must
be thorough in their work because it is important that they do not spread
bacteria if protocol is not followed.
Detail Oriented
They
must pay attention to detail. In nursing homes they are often the principle
caregivers and have a lot of contact with their residents. They need to inform
the RN or the LPN if there is a health concern with one of the residents. They
must make sure that they correctly record vital signs and if they are required
to administer medication they must make sure that they are giving the correct
medication and dosages. They must make
certain that they are gentle and do not cause any injuries to the residents.
Reference:
Bureau
of Labor Statistics: Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants.
[Image
of a CNA]. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.caregiversamerica.com; http://www.cantata.org/join-our-team/cantata-cnas.aspx
