Nearly 1.4 million licensed nursing assistants (CNAs) work in the US. The American healthcare system is built on the backs of these essential people. And because it’s easy to get certified, becoming a CNA is often the best way for new people to enter nursing. However, you must complete a few CNA certification criteria before beginning. Read on to learn about the job of a Certified Nursing Assistant, their job description, salary, program, and How to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Certified Nursing Assistant
A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is an important part of the healthcare team because they provide direct care to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and at home. CNAs are an important part of the care team and help patients with things like eating, cleaning, grooming, moving around, and more. They make sure their patients are healthy and comfortable.
If you care about people and like to help them, this job could be a good fit for you. Certified nursing assistants have to be able to listen to what patients have to say and ask them questions to figure out what they need. A CNA is often the main person who takes care of a patient in a nursing home or a long-term care facility. This can be an emotionally rewarding job because you can get to know your patients and make a difference in their daily lives.
CNAs also work with medical technology, including billing software, health information software, and charting software for medical records. Depending on your level of training, experience, and state rules, you may also be responsible for giving patients their medications or doing other specific tasks.
Certified Nursing Assistant Job Description
A certified nursing assistant, also called a nurse assistant or CNA, helps a nurse take care of clients and patients at home, in hospitals, and in other places. They help the people they care for do day-to-day things and are very important in hospitals and other places. The following is the job description for a certified nursing assistant.
#1. Certified Nursing Assistant Responsibilities
Certified nursing assistants include that they usually help patients with daily chores at hospitals, assisted living facilities, medical clinics, and home care services. They work closely with doctors and registered nurses to keep an eye on their patient’s health and make sure they are as comfortable as possible.
Their job is to make beds and clean areas in the rooms where their patients live. They also help their patients by changing their clothes and helping them sit up or move around. They may be in charge of being a patient’s friend and going on walks or doing other things the patient likes to do with them.
#2. Certified Nursing Assistant Skills and Qualifications
Certified Nursing Assistants use a lot of soft skills and best practices for caring for patients to make sure that every patient is in a safe, relaxed, and healing environment. Some common qualifications and skills that employers look for are:
- Excellent interpersonal skills, such as customer service, patience, empathy, and compassion; Effective communication abilities, such as active listening, writing, speaking, and reading comprehension.
- Good skills for working together and as a team
- Quick and flexible problem-solving skills
- Careful attention to detail
- A deep understanding of the rules and policies for patient care
- familiarity with a variety of medical illnesses’ symptoms and indicators of improvement
- Comfortable working with certain types of people, such as the elderly and those with special needs.
- Physical stamina and endurance
#3. Certified Nursing Assistant Education and Training Requirements
The certified nursing assistant job description must ensure that CNAs must complete a state-approved training program before employment. This curriculum usually requires a high school certificate or GED. Students train at hospitals and nursing homes to learn role-specific skills, patient care, and medical knowledge. Certification requires passing the state exam after the program. Candidates for state registration as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) can work for local organizations.
#4. Certified Nursing Assistant Experience Requirements
Entry-level Certified Nursing Assistants may have applicable certification program experience. Others may have customer service or medical/patient care experience. CNAs with years of experience may have had these experiences. Experience caring for certain patients may be helpful for professionals who work with them.
Read Also: MEDICAL ASSISTANT SALARY: Hourly & Annually Pay
Certified Nursing Assistant Salary
As of May 2021, the most recent available data, the median yearly salary for a certified nursing assistant in the United States was $30,310, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But the exact salary of a certified nursing assistant will change a little bit depending on the following:
#1. Type of Employer
Certified nursing assistants feed, clothe, bathe, and take vital signs in a variety of situations. They may work for the Department of Veteran Affairs, local health departments, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and senior living communities. According to BLS data, government nursing assistants earn $7,000 more than the median nationwide and $5,560 more than the median industry pay.
The top areas where nursing assistants made the most income each year were:
- Government agencies: $37,310
- Hospitals: $35,870
- Nursing care centers: $29,970
- Continuing care retirement homes and assisted living centers for the elderly: $29,900
- Home care services: $29,280
#2. Geographic Location
In general, employment in larger cities and more crowded places tends to pay more than jobs in smaller towns and rural areas to compensate for higher living costs. But sometimes, if there is a lot of need for nurses in a more remote place, the pay will go up to attract new workers. Currently, the states with the highest-paying nursing assistants are Alaska ($43,080 annual mean wage) and New York ($40,680 annual mean salary).
What are the Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Nursing Assistant Jobs
We’ve found 10 cities where the average salary for a Certified Nursing Assistant job is higher than the median salary for the whole country. Soledad, California, is at the top of the list. Rockland County, New York, and San Jose, California, are close behind in second and third place, respectively. San Jose, California, is $11,728 (29.8%) above the national average, and Soledad, California, is another $29,963 (76.1%) above the average of $39,368. Since the average salaries in these 10 cities are better than the national average, it seems like a Nursing Assistant could make a lot of money by moving to a different city.
Also, the average salary for these top ten cities ranges by as much as 36% between Soledad, CA, and San Rafael, CA, which shows that there is a good chance that a Certified Nursing Assistant’s salary will change for the better. When deciding where to live and how much to make, you should also think about the cost of living.
Read Also: WHO IS A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT: Duties, Salary, Prerequisites & Difference
Certified Nursing Assistant Program
The Certified Nursing Assistant Program lasts one semester. Students who successfully complete the CNA NURS 130 course will have the skills necessary to work alongside a registered nurse in providing direct patient care and performing other supportive duties. It will prepare you for employment in the healthcare industry or serve as a preparation program for admission to other programs or degrees in the field of Allied Health Science.
This course satisfies the prerequisites established by the Nevada State Board of Nursing in order to sit for the NSBN Certified Nursing Assistant Clinical Skills Competency Exam as well as the Written Knowledge Exam. Anyone from the surrounding community is welcome to sign up. Candidates for the position of certified nurse aide must be at least 16 years old.
Read Also: NURSE PRACTITIONER: Definition & How To Become One
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant
Here are the most important steps you can take to become a certified nursing assistant.
#1. Earn Your High School Diploma or GED
In most places, all you need to get into a program to become a CNA is a high school diploma or GED. If you already have your high school diploma or GED, you can start CNA training right away. If you don’t have either of these, you’ll need to finish high school or pass a proficiency test to get your GED.
#2. Complete a State-Approved CNA Training Program
The length of CNA training classes varies from state to state, but most require at least 75 hours of classroom time and time spent shadowing a nurse or nurse caregiver with experience. As you move through the course, you will have to take a number of tests to show what you know and how well you can do it.
Most of the time spent learning will be in a classroom, where topics like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and medical language will be covered. In the courses, students will learn about many different parts of health care, with a focus on specific parts of nursing care like bathing, dressing, and feeding patients. This course will enable you to speak and interact with doctors and nurses, as well as to deliver basic medical treatment, in a short period of time.
#3. Complete In-Person Clinical Training
Before you can take the test and become a certified CNA, you must finish an in-person clinical training session at a hospital or other healthcare facility. Federal rules say that all CNA schools must include at least 16 hours of “hands-on” clinical experience, but most states go above and beyond this minimum. This lesson will check to see if you can handle the physical demands of the job and how well you know and understand the nursing standards that apply to you.
During this part of your education, which is usually called “clinical studies,” you will work under the guidance of a Certified Nursing Assistant or Registered Nurse, who will guide and teach you. During your clinical studies, you will learn how to do the day-to-day tasks of a CNA. You will also have a lot of chances to practice important skills, such as taking vital signs, giving medicines, and caring for other patients.
#4. Pass a State-Approved CNA Certification Exam
Once you have finished your practical training in person, you can take a state-approved test. The purpose of the test is to see if you have the information and skills you need to give good nursing care. Twenty states use the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) to decide if you can get a license. The other states each have their own tests that must be passed in order to become a CNA.
The test will cover nursing-specific topics in several areas, such as physical care skills, psychosocial care skills, and the job of a Nurse Aide. There are also questions about anatomy, physiology, medicine, and emergency procedures to see how well you can meet the needs of clients who need health to be promoted, restored, and kept up.
What Does the Abbreviation CNA Stand For?
CNA stands for “certified nurse aide” or “certified nursing assistant,” both of which are often used equally. CNAs are people who work in health care and help patients directly.
How Long Does It Take To Become a CNA?
A normal Certified Nursing Assistant ( program lasts about 120 hours or six weeks. Four weeks are spent in the classroom, and the other two weeks are spent in a clinical setting. Many online CNA schools are flexible and may offer classes during the day, in the evenings, and on the weekends.
Is a Nursing Assistant a Registered Nurse?
The types of work done by a registered nurse and a Certified Nursing Assistant are different. CNAs, who help RNs and other care providers do their jobs, don’t have as much freedom as RNs do. CNAs are limited in what they can do and must work under direction, but they help lighten the load of others and make patient care better as a whole.
Do Nursing Assistants Have a Role in the Nursing Process?
As interventions are done, they are also written down in the patient’s medical record. During the nursing process, the nursing assistant’s biggest job is to make sure that the actions in the nursing care plan are done safely.
What Do You Say in a CNA Interview?
It’s essential to show that you’re ready to take on challenges and can do the tasks well and with care. This is your opportunity to demonstrate to the interviewer how educated you are about being a certified nursing assistant and how your talents will assist you deal with the job’s obstacles.
How Do You Introduce Yourself as a CNA?
At first, I’d introduce myself and try to find something I had in common with the patient so that we could get to know each other and connect. Even if the patient isn’t able to answer, I always meet them and ask if they need anything. I smile, make small talk, and try to put them at ease while I’m working.”
References
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