By
Lanee’ Blunt
A
CNA must be certified before they can work as a nursing assistant. In order to work, your state will require
that you take a training program. The hours of the program may vary upon state
to state, and you must pass a written and clinical test. As a nursing assistant you will find that you
are aiding the medical staff by taking care of your patient’s daily needs. The
care is very important not only to the patients but to the medical staff also.
Certified Nursing Assistant Duties
A
CNA has many responsibilities such as, they respond to calls. The job duties
include patient care and helping them with the daily living care. They help patients in and out of wheelchairs
and transfer them in and out of bed.
They bathe patients and help them to get dressed brush their hair, and
assist them using the toilet. They are the principle care givers in nursing
homes. They have a lot of contact with the patients and often develop close
caring relationships with the patients.
Assisting Nurses
The
job also involves assisting nurses by measuring patient's vital signs, blood
pressure and temperature. They serve meals, set up their food tray and assist
patients by feeding the ones that can't feed themselves. They assist patients
in walking, and transferring them between beds and wheelchairs. They monitor
the health of patients and make notes of changes in the health and inform and
report them to a supervising nurse.
Work Environment
The
work environment is in assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities,
nursing homes, and mental health facilities. A lot of CNA’s work in hospitals,
hospices, and they work for patients in their homes too. The hospital
environment it is full time position but it may be all shifts and nights,
weekends and holidays. The nursing home position usually a full time and the
job requires that nights, weekends, and holidays be filled also. Most nursing
aids that work in a nursing home work very closely with their patients by
providing them with bedside care.
Nursing Homes
Start
by locating facilities in your area. Visit or call them and inquire if they
offer training and if not ask for a recommendation. Submit your application,
and complete the interview process. You must have a high school diploma or a
GED. Age requirement is 18 or older. Submit immunization record and have a
criminal background check, and pass a drug test.
The facility training program must consist of a curriculum that will prepare you to take the state exam. You will learn, infection control medical skills, such as how to report elder abuse, and how to take and record a patient’s weight and height, and vital signs according to federal regulations.
Hospitals
Start
by calling to all of the hospitals in your local area and inquire if they have
an internship for people that want to take a course as a certified nurse
assistant. You might be wondering why a hospital would offer free training.
They may have a staff shortage or may have an agreement with a nearby community
college. If this is the case, you will be trained after signing an agreement
stating that you agree to work for that particular hospital after receiving
certification. Check out your local newspaper too. However, you must do your
research.
Reference:
Willow
Valley Communities: Nursing Assistant Certification Training
Certified
and State Registered Nursing Assistant
Training Program
