What is a Certified Nursing Assistant? A Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA fulfills many duties and is the backbone of healthcare facilities. In many cases these duties are performed at a long-term care facilities or nursing home. In order to become a CNA the following requirements should be completed:
You must be 18 years and above to receive a CNA license. After completing the main CNA course candidates must pass the written competency test which includes 40 hours of clinical training that is supervised by a registered nurse. Candidates need a high school diploma and will need to submit an official transcript of high school and college curriculum. All candidates are required to complete a background check that includes a drug test and fingerprinting. Candidates will need to pass the licensing manual and theory test required by the CNA licensing authority. Candidate must also be able fluent in English since most of the patients will speak in English.
Responsibilities of a Certified Nursing Assistant As we discussed earlier CNAs perform a number of different tasks that focus on the care and wellbeing of clients and patients. These duties may include but are not limited to providing care which may include brushing teeth, doing hair, dressing, bathing, and feeding the elderly. This can also include helping elderly patients to get back on their feet again after a surgery or medical condition. Becoming a CNA is also a good step to getting into other aspects of the medical industry. Many CNAs move on to a career as a registered nurse or other medical care professionals. With an ever increasing aging population this creates many challenges to keep up with the care that is necessary. There are also many medical advances in technology that are changing how the long-term care medical industry is developing. Another challenge is government legislation and laws that include the regulation of body fluids. Another obstacle that needs to be overcome in long-term care is the high cost of medical insurance for a vast majority of the aging community. This reality is also affecting a vast majority of the younger generation as well due to high health care costs. Caring for patients can happen in clinics, hospitals, home health, nursing homes where they are expected to provide effective care.
Planning and implementing care for a specific population requires knowledge of what tasks and procedures need to be performed. This also requires working as team to accomplish the various care giving needs of the patients or clients. It is important for everyone to know their duties and there are different types of line of authority. The registered nurse should see the CNA as a valuable part of the team since they are responsible for most of the daily care of patients. Implementing frequent communication between the nurse and CNAs helps to address needs or concerns of certain patients. CNAs will interact in various was to assist clients or patients, and it is important to know the needs and care for each client. Photo Credit: ReSurge International, The U.S. Army