What Are the Qualifications for a Certified Nurse's Aide?
Certified nurse's aides care for patients in nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living homes and private homes. They help with the patient's activities of daily living (ADL): bathing, dressing, feeding and toileting. There is a certification process to become a certified nurse's aide. There are also other qualities in order to be a successful nurse's aide.
Other People Are Reading
-
Training
-
While there are home health aide and direct care jobs available that only require a high school diploma or GED (general education diploma) and on-the-job training, jobs for certified nurse aides require more advanced patient care skills. Certification requirements vary from state to state. Most states require nurse's aides to take a training course and to pass an examination.
Community colleges, vocational training schools and some high schools offer nurse aide training that prepares students to take the certification exam. A high school diploma or GED is usually required for students beyond high school age. A high school-based program is usually about 2 years long (combined with general high school courses); a community college program lasts about 6 months, depending on current state rules.
The course covers general patient care and information about elderly and disabled patients. While students may learn how to take vital signs, they are not trained in medical care beyond basic first aide.
Examination
-
The examination may be a paper or online test and/or a hands-on skills test. Each state also has separate recertification rules and provisions for accepting certifications from another state. The state licensing office can provide specific guidelines for nurse's aides.
-
Experience
-
Depending on the facility or agency, nurse's aides may need to have at least 1 to 2 years of previous experience. Often, unpaid experience in caring for a relative or clinical training may count toward that experience. Reliable transportation is also required, especially if the nurse's aide is working in a home care setting, traveling from house to house.
The nurse's aide may need to demonstrate special skills, such as the ability to take vital signs, such as blood pressure and respiration rate; however, other skills may be learned on the job.
Health
-
All nurse's aides need to be in excellent health and know how to use proper body mechanics. Excellent health is necessary in order to prevent patients from getting sick. Strength, stamina and good body mechanics are needed when helping patients move. While hospitals and nursing homes may have mechanical lifts and other personnel to help in lifting and transferring patients, they are not generally available in home care settings.
Personality Traits
-
A nurse's aide must be dependable. Because patients rely on nursing assistants for washing, dressing, eating and other essential skills, it's important that CNAs be there every working day. They cannot take a day off on a whim.
Patience is also essential. Often, hospital, home care and nursing home patients suffer from dementia or weakness. They may move extremely slow. They may be forgetful or frustrated. A nurse's aide must place the needs of the patient first.
Empathy and cultural awareness are important also. A nurse's aide must be able to put herself in the patient's shoes and show compassion. Different cultures handle illness, old age and death differently, and it is important to be aware of those differences.
Other Qualities
-
Other qualifications essential to nurse's aides include the following:
Flexibility -- to be able to change plans quickly to meet patient and facility needs. Schedules may need to change. Patient care plans may need to be adjusted as conditions change.
Accountability -- certified nurse's aides need to follow their employer's record-keeping system. The system needs to be followed diligently to ensure each patient is receiving the proper care.
Confidence -- to instill confidence and hope in the patients and their families.
Excellent personal hygiene -- hand washing and similar practices help prevent the transmission of germs, keeping the patient and the nurse's aide healthy. Good grooming is part of professionalism and helps patients feel confident in the hands of the nurse's aide.
-
