All About Certified Nursing Assistant

What Is A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)?

A CNA is an individual working in healthcare.

CNAs work under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

The CNA helps patients fulfill their basic quality of life needs.

These needs include nutrition

and hygiene

They are legally prevented from performing certain medical procedures.

Roles Of A Certified Nursing Assistant

A CNA is the main liaison between the patient and the RN, LPN, and other medical professionals

The CNA acts as the eyes and ears of the medical team

The CNA relays information between multiple patients and the rest of the medical team.

The CNA helps patients fulfill their dietary, hygienic, and other basic quality of life needs

The CNA provides human compassion to patients.

Typical Job Description For A CNA• Take patients’ vital signs

• Transfer patients from wheelchair to bed or vice versa as required

• Assist patients in bathing and eating

• Assist patients get exercise

• Dispense patient medication

• Clean and sanitize patient rooms and medical equipment

• Apply supports and bandages as directed by nurse or physician

• Document patient actions and events

• Transmit patient concerns to relevant personnel

How to Become A CNA

To become a CNA ones needs a minimum of high school diploma or GED.

One enrolls and gets CNA training from an accredited institution.

The CNA candidate must complete at least 75 hours of classroom work and qualified practical work depending on the State or training institution

A CNA must complete the certification exam and may prepare for this through the CNAExamCram and other learning resources

Classroom Training For CNA Certification

In the classroom setting, the CNA candidate undergoes a 6-12 week

program where s/he is trained on:

Basic nursing skills

Human anatomy and

physiology

Diet and nutrition

Control of infection

Types Of Institutions That Train CNAs

High schools

Vocation

al schools

Community

colleges

Universiti

es

The Red Cros

s

Private

clinics

Hospitals and

other medi

cal facilities

The military

Where CNAs WorkCNAs work under many different kinds of settings to provide healthcare to needy

patients. The biggest employers of CNAs include:

Nursing homes

Hospital departments

Doctor practices/doctors’ offices

Outpatient clinics

Private homes

Schools

Careers Similar To CNA

Nursing aide

Psychiatric aide

Medical assistant

Physician’s assistant

Difference Between A CNA And Other Healthcare Careers

A nursing aide requires no actual degree or certification and one can become a nursing aide through on-the-job training alone

The is no prescribed certification for a medical assistant and each institution sets its own standards and minimum requirements

A physician’s assistant is more highly trained than a CNA and is legally empowered to perform certain medical procedures

A CNA has to get certification and renew it periodically

Responsibilities Of A CNA

Administering treatments or medications such as catheterizations, enemas, massages, suppositories, or douches as prescribed by a physician

Document patient progress and report observations, symptoms, and behaviors

Training Requirements For A CNA

The training course takes anywhere between 4 to 12 weeks

To obtain certification, one has to complete a CNA competency exam

Credentials Of A CNA

To qualify as a CNA, one has to complete at least 75 hours of a state-approved training course

One has to pass a CNA competency exam

One can also get credentials from The American Association of Medical Assistants and the Association of Medical Technologists

A CNA has to regularly renew their credentials

Prerequisites For A CNASome institutions require that the candidate enroll for the following before

beginning the CNA training program:

• CPR

• First Aid

• Anatomy and Physiology

• Medical Terminology

Characteristics Of A CNA

There are some human qualities that should be inherent to the individual

willing to succeed as a CNA. These include:

Compassion Empathy

Patience Observation skills

CNA Pay And Benefits

• CNAs in the US receive an annual average salary of about $24,000 per

year

• The lowest-paid 10% bracket earn about $17,800 each year

• The highest-paid 10% bracket earns about $34,600 per year

CNA Best States To Work InThe following is the list of the Top 10 US States that employ the most CNAs and pay

the best rates in descending order:

1. New York

2. California

3. Texas

4. Florida

5. Pennsylvania

6. Ohio

7. Michigan

8. Idaho

9. New Mexico

10. Alabama

CNA Job Outlook

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a positive outlook on the CNA

career with projections of rising demand of over 20% by the year

2020.

• There is also high demand for medical professionals with a CNA

background and as such, an RN or LPN with CNA background will earn

more

• CNAs can advance their education while on the job to earn associate’s

degrees and bachelor’s degrees and enhance their marketability