How Does a Certified Nursing Assistant Spend a Workday?

What Does a Certified Nurse Assistant Do?

Certified nurse assistants help nurses and medical staff in caring for patients. They work in hospital settings, nursing homes, in home care settings and in hospice. In nursing homes and home care settings, a certified nurse assistant provides the majority of patient care. In the hospital setting, a certified nurse assistant is the health care provider that provides general care to patients under a nurse's supervision.

A Typical Day of Work

A certified nurse assistant makes rounds to all patients under her care, and monitors and records vital signs and reports the results to the nurse. She brings food to the patient's and assists patients in eating when help is needed. She records food intake of each patient and reports the results to the nurse. Bathing and changing of bed sheets for each patient is usually performed by the certified nurse assistant after the morning meal. Throughout the day, she checks in with patients to see about their well being and comfort and reports any findings to the nurse. Other duties performed throughout the day include emptying of catheter bags and changing the position of bed ridden patients to prevent bedsores. Certified nurse assistants may be asked by the nurse or doctor to assist in patient exams or setup of surgical equipment. In nursing homes where many patients are incontinent, they change the patient's disposable incontinence undergarments.

Importance of the Job

The work day for a certified nurse assistant is busy. It is not uncommon for him to be responsible for more than 20 patients at a time in one day. He is usually the caregiver that the patient most often encounters, so it is important for him to be observant of patient well being. Patient comfort and general patient care are the duties that he is responsible for handling. In a home care environment or nursing home, the certified nurse assistant is the predominant caregiver on a day to day basis. When working in a hospice care environment, he works to keep the patient as comfortable as possible.

Sterile Techniques

Certified nurse assistants practice sterile procedures when dealing with patients so as to not spread pathogens from patient to patient. New gloves are worn between patients. Hands are washed. Items are kept sterile. They come in contact with bodily fluids and excretions on a daily basis. Proper precautions such as wearing gloves and hand washing minimize the risk of contamination. Certified nurse assistants wear gowns and masks as well as gloves when dealing with contagious patients.