What is a Certified Nursing Assistant?
As a trained and certified nursing assistant, you will be
at the heart of patient care. The title “nursing assistant” may not sound like a glorified job title, but being a certified nursing assistant is one of the most vital rules in daily operations. The compassion and the training that you learn in patient care will help those who are sick and are unable to care for themselves.
Certified nursing assistants work under the supervision of a nurse while providing assistance to patients. It is the job of certified nursing assistants to work closely with patients and provide basic care such as bathing, feeding patients, grooming and to assist nurses with medical equipment. Beside just taking the vital signs of the patients, the certified nursing assistants also provide the nurses with patient condition updates throughout the day.
Certified Nursing Assistant Training
Many people choose to be a certified nursing assistant because it is a great way to start a nursing career. Unlike becoming a licensed or registered nurse that takes years of schooling and clinical training, you can become a certified nursing assistant in a short period of time. In addition to high school diploma or a GED, you will need to complete a certified nursing assistant certification program that can be completed between 6 and 12 weeks at a technical school or community college. The certified nursing assistant training program includes basic nursing skills, physiology, infection control, anatomy and nutrition. As a student you will also get plenty of hands on experience during the clinical sessions. Training for becoming a certified nursing assistant is regulated by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987. This act outlines the minimum amount of training that is required. Regulations will also vary from state to state on their nursing certification.
Most certified nursing assistant programs do offer a certification exam. Certified nursing assistant training includes a combination of practical learning that involves hands-on training along with work experience and in classroom instruction. Certified nursing assistant training helps students to understand the critical skills and the important knowledge that they need in order to be successful as a certified nursing assistant. Certified nursing assistant training also teaches the students the skills that are needed to properly care for patients that are bedridden for a long period of time. In a nursing home environment, certified nursing assistants are also trained in helping patients with their daily activities and overall daily living. All of these tasks are normally performed the with close supervision of a registered nurse.
Long after the classroom instructions have ended, the daily training of the work experience that is gained by certified nursing assistants can help build a great career in the medical field. Those who successfully complete the certified nursing assistant training program can typically find work in nursing homes, hospitals, mental health facilities and assisted living facilities. In some states, a certified nursing assistant can also work with nurses that offer services in the homes of their patients. Work schedules for certified nursing assistants can be flexible which can allow time for a continuation of education to become a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse.
