Jun 24, 2014

How to Find a Job That Will Train You to Be a Certified Nursing Assistant

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