In addition to providing basic care, a certified nursing assistant helps patients with daily activities, as part of their job description. Nursing homes, home health care agencies, and hospitals employ the majority of CNAs. Registered nurses (RNs) or licensed practical nurses (LPNs), both of whom hold the appropriate nursing licenses, are in charge of supervising them at all times. The CNA frequently acts as the patient’s primary caregiver. To get a certificate in certified nursing assistant training program, you must have at least a high school diploma
Consider training to become a CNA if you are interested in a healthcare career. Read on to discover more.
Nursing Assistant
In a hospital, a nursing assistant also called a nursing aide, provides assistance and medical care to patients. Their primary responsibilities include providing patients with basic physical assistance, feeding patients following their dietary needs, and taking vital signs.
A nursing assistant must perform a variety of tasks, which they learn through study and practice. Since it is their responsibility to provide patients with the necessities of life, they perform the following tasks:
- Assist patients in using the restroom
- Take care of resident’s or patients’ hygiene
- Maintain patient cleanliness and replace bedding
- Patients can be turned, repositioned, and transferred between wheelchairs, seats, and beds.
- Serving meals and assisting patients with eating
- Obtain vital signs like your temperature and blood pressure.
- Obtain information from patients regarding any potential health concerns they may have and relay it to a doctor or registered nurse.
What Does a Nursing Assistant Do?
They assist nurses in providing patient care by working in hospitals or hospice settings. They frequently assist patients with simple daily tasks like dressing, taking a bath, standing up, or exercising. Nursing assistants usually collaborate with nurses and doctors to identify a patient’s health problems, receive and adhere to a treatment plan, and assist the patient in regaining stable health.
In addition, they are in charge of documenting the patient’s development and their food and liquid intake for the benefit of the nursing staff. Following an evaluation of these findings, a nurse directs the nursing assistant to carry out the patient’s revised treatment plan.
Nursing Assistant Skills and Qualifications
To be a nursing assistant, you must have several abilities and credentials, such as:
- Excellent focus on the details
- Superb communication in both writing and verbal
- The capacity to closely read and adhere to instructions
- Flexible work assignments and schedules
- Effective teamwork
- The capacity to move and lift patients
- Solid clinical knowledge and skill base
Nursing Assistant Education and Training Requirements
A state-mandated exam must be passed to become a certified nursing assistant. They require a high school diploma or GED to be eligible for a training program. Depending on the length of the program, it may take one to four months to complete. The CNA registry should contain information about Certified Nursing Assistants.
Experience Requirements
They typically have little to no prior experience because nursing assistant jobs are entry-level positions. The in-person training required for certification in nursing programs results in graduates who have some experience. Certain employers might favor nursing assistants with at least one year of experience, particularly if they must work with particular patient types who require extra care.
The majority of the time, Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses train Nursing Assistants while they are on the job until they are confident enough to carry out their duties with little oversight.
Nursing Assistant Job Description
Job Summary
We need a nursing assistant to join our team so they can assist our patients with daily tasks like eating, moving around, dressing, and taking showers. The responsibilities of a nursing assistant include giving patients who have mobility issues or cognitive impairments daily routine care.
At the end of the day, you will work closely with patients to provide a variety of services to meet their fundamental needs and, as necessary, maintain their well-being.
Responsibilities
- Assist patients in using the restroom
- Take care of residents’ or patients’ hygiene
- Maintain patient cleanliness and replace bedding
- Turning, shifting, and transferring patients between wheelchairs, seats, and beds
- Feeding patients and assisting with mealtime
- Obtain vital signs like your temperature and blood pressure.
Requirements and Skills
- Proven work history as a nursing assistant or other similar position
- Excellent attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- The capacity to closely read and adhere to instructions
- Flexibility in terms of tasks and hours
- Effective teamwork
- The capacity to move and lift patients
- Solid clinical knowledge and skill base
- Nursing Assistant qualifications, including training and/or certification
Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs
Patient care is overseen by a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), who works under the direction of an RN or an LPN, both registered nurses who work in a medical setting. You will carry out a wide range of duties as a certified nursing assistant, from taking a patient’s vital signs to assisting them with bathing, eating, or getting dressed. In a nursing home or residential facility, you will probably be the patient’s primary daily caregiver and daily point of contact.
Numerous factors influence how much a certified nurse assistant makes. Your income may be influenced by elements like your location, years of experience, employer, area of specialization, and the need for competent CNAs. You might also have the chance to earn overtime pay in addition to your base pay since a CNA is not an employee who is exempt from overtime pay.
What Does a Certified Nursing Assistant Do?
Certified nursing assistants are employed under the direction of registered nurses. They take care of people who are weak, unwell, hurt, disabled, or otherwise unable to take care of themselves. CNAs are frequently the healthcare providers that patients interact with. For the patient’s comfort and recovery, a CNA carries out several fundamental tasks. These tasks vary depending on the employment setting.
Roles & Duties of Certified Nursing Assistants
These are some of the roles and responsibilities that CNAs may have:
- Shifting or turning patients who are confined to beds
- Taking patients’ temperatures, blood pressure, and other vital signs
- Picking up patient calls
- Reporting to nurses and keeping a record of patient’s health problems
- Measuring and recording patient dietary and fluid intake
- Cleaning the bedrooms and the sheets
- Contributing to medical procedures
- Dressing wounds
- Assembling medical or nursing supplies
- Bathing patients
- Maintaining supplies
- Room preparation for admissions
How to Become A CNA
#1. Possess or Acquire a High School Diploma or GED
To get a certificate in certified nursing assistant training program, you must have at least a high school diploma. If you currently hold a high school diploma or a GED, you are qualified to sign up for CNA classes right away. However, if you lack either of these credentials, you must complete high school or take an equivalency exam to obtain your GED before moving on to the next step.
While the duration of certified nursing assistant certificate training programs varies from state to state, the majority of them call for at least 75 hours of classroom instruction and at least a week of shadowing a qualified nurse or nurse caregiver. Numerous assessments will be given as you advance through the course to allow you to show off your understanding and abilities.
#2. Complete Clinical Training in Person
Before you can sit for the exam and earn your certificate as a CNA, you must complete an on-site clinical training program at a hospital or healthcare facility after finishing your certified nursing assistant education. Although most states go beyond the minimum required by federal regulations, all certified nursing assistant certificate training programs must include at least 16 hours of “hands-on” clinical practice. In addition to confirming your level of knowledge and awareness of pertinent nursing standards, this session will determine whether you can handle the physical demands of the position.
You will gain knowledge of how to manage the day-to-day responsibilities of a CNA during your clinical studies and have numerous opportunities to put key abilities, such as taking vital signs, giving medications, and performing other patient care tasks, to practice.
Third-party providers handle the administration of the state-mandated CNA competency exams. If you pass the exam, your name will appear on the list of CNAs, licensed nursing assistants, nurses’ aides, or whatever other designation your state uses for this job. The purpose of the exam is to confirm that you possess the knowledge and abilities required to provide appropriate nursing care. 20 states use the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) to assess your suitability for certification. The remaining states each have their tests that applicants must pass to become CNAs.
#4. Find a Job
Demand for certified CNAs is high. Depending on your lifestyle, work preferences, and career objectives, you should decide where to begin your job search. Both in clinical and non-clinical settings, you will probably have the option of full- or part-time employment.
#5. Keep Your CNA License Current
Each state has its requirements for keeping your CNA certification current. A certain amount of CNA hours may need to be documented in the two years before your renewal date. Continual education requirements are also present in some states.
#6. Think About Pursuing a Second Degree
You might discover that becoming a certified nursing assistant sparks your interest in other professions. CNAs frequently use their employment as a stepping stone to nursing positions like licensed practical nurse (LPN) positions. If you would rather work as a CNA, you can enhance your knowledge by earning certifications in specialty fields like hospice care, medication administration, and rehabilitation.
Benefits of Becoming a CNA
#1. Affordable Training
For entry-level training in many healthcare-related professions, one must complete costly and protracted training programs. Your training will be relatively quick and affordable if you decide to work as a nursing assistant. The average cost of and length of a CNA program is four to twelve months, with costs ranging from $700 to $1,500.
#2. Job Flexibility
When looking for a job, it is important to have the freedom to discuss and decide your working hours. The shifts and days that CNAs work are completely up to them. You will have the option to work late into the night or take the afternoon off as you, please. CNAs are employed full-time, part-time, during the day, at night, on weekends, and holidays.
#3. Variety of Work Environments
You can work as a certified nursing assistant in a variety of settings, depending on your preferences and level of experience. CNAs frequently work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehabilitative care centers, educational institutions, corporate offices, and private practice offices. Each environment has a unique set of advantages, giving CNAs the chance to work in a setting that best meets their needs.
Training Program for a Certificate in Nursing Assistant
Although a CNA is an entry-level position, you must have the necessary academic preparation and clinical experience to fill this position. Although many states have requirements that go above and beyond what is required by federal law, certified nursing assistant certificate programs must offer at least 75 hours of training, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical or clinical training.
Make sure your certified nursing assistant certificate training program complies with the educational requirements set forth by your state for CNAs. To avoid choosing a program that does not meet the requirements in your state, check with the nursing board or health department.
Following is a list of what a typical certified nursing assistant certificate training entails, though each program determines its prerequisites and curriculum:
Prerequisites:
- GED equivalent or high school diploma
- Criminal history check or entrance examination
- Duration: 4 to 12 weeks
Clinical requirements:
Your entire certified nursing assistant training program time consists of both classroom time and clinical experience. State regulations establish minimal standards for each category. A six-week certified nursing assistant training, and program with 120 hours of instruction, for instance, would have four weeks of classroom instruction and two weeks of clinical practice.
Certification
Following completion of a certified nursing assistant training, and program, you must have a certificate or license in your state to be employed there as a CNA. This step is essential for career prospects because only CNAs listed on state registries are permitted to work in nursing homes, Medicare, and Medicaid facilities.
Most states demand that potential CNAs pass a competency test, which is given in testing facilities run by outside organizations all over the state. 20 states have opted to use the National Nurse Aid Assessment Program (NNAAP), an exam created by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), even though each state is free to use its own CNA competency test.
Each state sets its minimum passing mark and allotted time. The knowledge section typically requires a minimum score of 70–75%, whereas the skills section is typically 100% mandatory in most states.
Your name will be added to the registry of certified nursing assistants, licensed nursing assistants, or whatever title your state uses for this position after you pass the exam required by your state and satisfy any additional state-specific requirements.
Your field of expertise remains unchanged whether you are referred to as a “certified” or “licensed” nursing assistant. By obtaining certification or licensure, you can demonstrate that you possess the level of expertise required to provide patient care in this capacity and that the state has granted you the necessary permissions.
Is a Nursing Assistant the Same as an RN?
A certified nursing assistant (CNA) assists registered nurses in providing basic patient care. Working under a doctor, a registered nurse (RN) offers a higher standard of patient care and coordination.
Neonatology and rehabilitation nursing are just two examples of the specializations available through RN programs. The majority of CNA programs are more general, do not require college degrees, and emphasize hands-on clinical experience over coursework.
Patients receive more care and treatment from registered nurses. They record patients’ medical histories and evaluate their health. They create treatment plans in collaboration with doctors. Patients are bathed, assisted to use the restroom, have their vital signs checked, and have meals assisted by certified nursing assistants, among other tasks.
Is a Nursing Assistant an LPN?
Nursing assistants (CNAs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) both work in healthcare facilities. In comparison to a CNA, an LPN is more accountable and compensated. However, an LPN concentrates on helping nurses and doctors, and the majority of their work is medical. The primary responsibility of a CNA is to help patients with activities of daily living like eating, bathing, and dressing.
Can a Nursing Assistant Call Herself a Nurse?
Never use the term “nurse” even in a general sense when referring to medical assistants or other unlicensed, non-nurse staff. Anyone using the term “nurse” or any variation of it must possess a current nursing license following state law. Criminal and regulatory penalties are possible for offenders.
What Does a Nursing Assistant Do?
Patients receive assistance from nursing assistants with daily tasks like eating and taking a shower. Basic care and assistance with daily activities is provided by nursing assistants, also known as nursing aides. Patient transportation and cleaning are performed by orderlies. CNAs assist patients with a range of daily tasks, including feeding, monitoring medications, and even providing emotional support.
How Long Is CNA Training in Texas?
The minimum length of a CNA program in Texas is 100 hours, divided into 40 hours of clinical skills training and 60 hours of classroom instruction. Although some schools offer online training, the first part of the class, commonly referred to as the “theory” portion, does not. The second part, frequently referred to as “clinical,” needs to be completed in person at a nursing home.
How Long Does a CNA License Last in Texas?
You must renew your CNA license every two years according to Texas law. Your certificate is not printed with an expiration date, but it is up to you to renew it. Every two years, nurse assistants must complete 24 hours of in-service training to renew their certification.
Conclusion
The likelihood of certified nursing assistants helping a range of patients with a variety of needs increases in medical facilities. Young or old, and most likely in the recovery phase following an operation or illness, their patients could be. If you are considering a career in medicine but are unsure of where to begin, becoming a CNA is a great starting point. Because of the high demand for CNAs in Texas, you almost always have a job, and you may even have the chance to further your education.
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