How to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (cna)
This article provides in-depth information into What is a Certified Nursing Assistant? What Certified Nursing Assistant do? Degrees for Certified Nursing Assistant, Steps to become Certified Nursing Assistant and much more.
Certified nurse assistants are primarily responsible for providing basic health care to patients with various facilities. Becoming a CNA, their roles include assisting patients with their daily routines such as exercising, monitoring, planning their dieting, feeding, and treating them with respect while providing professional care.
What does a Certified Nursing Assistant (cna) do ?
CNAs interact with their patients with compassion to support them through their recovery period and also act as a liaison between the patients and the medical professional.and are almost found in all fields of healthcare provided.
Steps for becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (cna)
1
Prepare At College
Preparing to become a CNA is better to start early, this allows you to understand the important aspect of the course, prepare for the possible questions you could be asked, you could take online courses or take a number of practice tests and exams to prepare yourself. This lets you have a good understanding of the subject to excel as a CNA.
2
Complete A State-approved Education Program
Researching various colleges that offer state-approved training for students to become a CNA is necessary. Many states have different regulations so researching the institutions state-wise and also about the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing to clear your way. The various CNA training programs offered are at the community college, Local health providers, American red cross ad online programs.
These programs have a duration of 4-16 weeks which provides students with practical training, compassion in care, work in teams.
3
Clear The State-specified Exam
After the CNA training is complete, you must take the competency exam to certify as a professional CNA.
The exam is conducted according to certain eligibility conditions put forward by the states. Some states may require additional certification requirements such as getting the background check and taking a number of education credits each year to continue education. The exam has practical as well as theoretical sections i.e: the clinical section is a demonstration of their skills and how they treat their parents. Results are obtained on the same day the examination was held, and students start their work upon clearing this exam.
4
Obtain CNA License
In the state-specific exam for CNAs, there is a theoretical and a practical section to learn about the clinical skills they acquired. After you clear this exam, You get a license to work as a professional CNA at health care. To keep the license active, you are required to complete 48 hours of education every two years as per the state. When you need a license renewal, you check for the education continuing subsidization which most the employers cover.
5
Land On A Job
After getting licensure, you apply for your first job. A certified nursing assistant works under the supervision of a licensed practical nurse(LNP) or Registered nurse(RN).
Your growth in the role of CNA is more rapid on an average and CNAs are adaptable to nearly every job at a health care.
6
Continue Education At School
According to certain state regulations, it is necessary to continue your education for certain years to keep your CNA license active. Education is provided by various health care institutions. We advise you to check with the state board to get precise information about the requirements to become a CNA in that state. Many states may require CNAs to have a minimum of 12 hours of continued education each year for a time frame of two years.
Certified Nursing Assistant (cna) Degree Levels
Certificate
CNAs must be certified to work as professionals to work at a healthcare company. To obtain this certification the students take the training program essential to certify according to the state regulations, The certification courses could be in-person training or online. Certification is important to signify that the student has the knowledge to take care of patients.
After completing your High school diploma you need to go through a 6-12 weeks training program to become a certified nursing assistant The greater part of the training is pragmatic clinical trials where students are presented to genuine circumstance and disclosed how to deal with it.
Basic nursing skills
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Safety for the patient
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Vital signs
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Common resident conditions
Objectives
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Familiarize students with nursing conditions
- Ethical manner in the nursing process
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Concepts of client needs
Anatomy and physiology
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organization of the human body
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cell structures and their functions
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structures and functions of the nervous system
Objectives
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To understand how the body parts functions
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How the body functions as a whole
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Exploration of human system components
Nutrition
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Food choices and human health
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Nutrition standards and guidelines
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Diet and health
Objectives
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Relation and effects of nutrition to our growth
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Identify sources and functions of carbohydrates
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Describe basic food preparation techniques
Associate
An associate degree is a two years program that includes courses such as anatomy, nutrition, microbiology, nursing and others. This may also require work experience and training in addition to formal education. You could also take online courses that help you to accelerate your education and give you flexible study hours. This could be a stepping stone to your bachelor’s degree.
Bachelors
After getting an associate’s degree in nursing, you could earn an accelerated bachelor’s degree that could take less time. This program allows you to take the coursework from the previous program and this helps you graduate sooner. CNAs with a Bachelor's degree in nursing could fetch a job with higher earnings.
Online CNA classes:
CNA training programs prefer students trained at the campus to get their hands on both practical and theoretical sections. Online classes are not available students could choose hybrid training programs where the theory classes are taken online and practical in clinics to get real-world experience.
Job concentrations
CNAs learn many courses under their training program, after completing the training program, they can look up to other career opportunities, Here are some job concentrations for you,
Licensed practical nurse(LPN)
As a trained CNA, you could advance your career as a Licensed practical nurse, A CNA gives treats the patients at the entry-level whereas an LPN treats the patients with extensive care. You can work for this role by obtaining a state-approved training program for about 12-18 months. You clear the National Council Licensure Examination(NCLEX) and obtain the license. This role gives you higher earning potentials and you provide a specialized level of treatment to the patients. An LPN earns $44,000 on an average per annum.
Registered nurse(RN)
A registered nurse profession is a level up role and includes the duties of performing the diagnostic tests, analyze results, treat patients according to the treatment plan, and others. As a CNA you could choose a two-year associate degree program in nursing. Graduates can take the Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses and land on a job. A registered nurse can earn up to $37,000 to 4110,000 per year.
Neonatal Nurse
Neonatal Nursing is the role of nursing newborn infants with disorders or malfunctions such as infection, birth defects. The nursing students after completing the associate's degree, jump to the bachelor's degree in nursing and acquire specific training required for this job.
The annual earning of the neonatal nurse is about $93,000.
Personal care aide
Work as a personal caretaker who not only provides health treatments but also championships required for the patient’s recovery. You reside at the patient's home and assist the patients will jointly work with health care. Salary for a personal care aide is about $21,000.
Physical therapist:
A physical therapist is a person who is a healthcare professional to treats people with medical problems and health-related issues. This may range from all ages of patients who face difficulty in performing functional activities. To be a physical therapist, you obtain an associate degree from an accredited physical therapy program. The earning of a physical therapist is about $82,000.
Skills required to stand out as a CNA
CNAs can adapt to various career opportunities due to the training and the courses they learn, but on the practical side they need certain skills to stand out as a certified nursing assistant, hence, here are some skills a CNA must possess to accelerate growth in the job,
Good observation skills: In the medical field even the smallest detail mattress, here good observation skills to notice their detail is one main skill required for a CNA. Observing keenly on the physical and mental changes in the patient’s health and reporting them gives better chances of treating. They must pay attention to details and learn about the client's routines to assist them better.
Good verbal and written communication: As a CNA you must communicate effectively with the patient and the doctors. A CNA acts as a liaison between the two and must be clear on what to communicate and convey the patient's message to the doctor. Strong writing skills are required in reporting and documenting the condition and variation in the patient's health.
Empathy and compassion: Empathising and being compassionate towards patients comes under the interpersonal skills of the CNAs. This is important to interact well helps them to connect effectively with the patient they assist.
Know the medical terminologies: Knowledge of the various conditions and common disorders will give you the importance in the profession of a CNA. With proper training and certification of various other courses, you could be more towards treating their patients better and getting higher growth opportunities.
Time management and organizational skills: A CNA must be able to prioritize the tasks assigned to them to be more organized about their roles and also manage time effectively. Reporting the completion of tasks timely, independently, and effectively will give CNAs an opportunity to accelerate their career growth and give higher earning potential.
