How to Become a Great CNA

Certified nursing assistants are also known as CNA, nursing aids, patient care technicians, home health aids, hospital attendants and orderlies. They provide basic nursing care to patients with daily living procedures. Certified nursing assistants work under a registered nurse, licensed practical nurses and medical staff in a variety of settings such as a nursing home, assistant living facilities, private nursing and hospitals.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Caregivers
   
   Certified nursing assistants are the general caregivers. They assist patients in helping them with activities such as bathing, eating, dressing, walking, taking vital signs and other routine care during each shift. They also give patients emotional and social companionship.

2. Patient Contact
   
   Certified nursing assistants generally have more contact with patients than any other members of the medical staff. Most patients stay in a nursing facility for long periods of time and many certified nursing assistants develop an ongoing relationship with them in a positive, caring manner.

3. Skills of Nursing Assistants
   
   A CNA must be observant and report any changes on a patient’s condition, be able to move patients and turn patients, report and respond according to an emergency, be able to have good communication skills, remain patient and compassionate to people and to their patients.

4. Communication skills
   
   Assistants need certain skills such as being aware of how others react and understand why they react a certain way. Being an active listener means giving your full attention to what others are saying. You also need certain abilities such as seeing details at a close range and to communicate to others so that they understand what you and they are saying. As a certified nursing assistant, you must be able to care for others, communicate to others, obtain and document information, perform general activities such as moving, lifting, handling objects, and inspecting equipment for defects, such as wheelchairs or other.

5. Work schedule
   
   As a certified nursing assistant, you generally work 40 hours per week, working holidays and weekends. This position requires no previous experience, as you are trained on the job, even though you do need a high school diploma or GED, and pass a state CNA certification exam to become certified. You must complete a minimum of 75 hours state-approved training and pass a competency test.

6. General
   
   You usually have a heavy workload of about 10 to12 or more patents a day. Nursing is not for everyone, as you have to be caring, patient, compassionate, understanding and work long hours and weekends. It is not an easy job but challenging and rewarding for those who love to care and help people. For educational purposes, there are some free CNA practice tests available on the internet.

[paulo55]

on 11/11/2009 How to Become a Great CNA. Very good article!

[mralarcon]

on 11/11/2009 How to Become a Great CNA
Good info thanks for the write