Certified Nursing Assistant
A certified nursing assistant is also known as a CNA. The job profile includes
working as health aides and under the supervision of senior nurses, LPN, RN's
and doctors. CNA's are also known as orderlies, nurse's aides, and patient care
technicians as their primary job is to provide health care and assistance to patients.
A certified nursing assistant is responsible for taking care of certain daily
functions related to patients like feeding them, administering injections, and
checking their vital signs like heartbeat, blood pressure and diabetes or sugar
levels. Certified nursing assistants can provide the all important emotional support
to a patient by interacting with them and their families and giving the hope.
Nursing Assistant Certification
To become a certified nursing assistant, you need to sit for and clear any CNA program offered by accredited institutions and colleges in your state. Certifications for CNA are also offered by The National Association for Home Care.
Nursing Assistant Salaries
There are three primary reasons why people choose this career or profession
and they are: compassion, good salary and growth. Off late, growth in the nursing
sector has been tremendous and the demand is much more than the number of nurse
or certified nursing assistant available. Most nursing assistants can earn a
salary ranging between $23,663 and $29,801 annually. The salary is based on
the state you are working in, the establishment and your experience if any.
Work Places
A certified nursing assistant can work in different environments and various
establishments like private nursing homes, mental health facilities, hospitals,
assisted living facilities, and long-term care facilities.
The Training Program
The certified nursing assistant or CAN Training Program is a 196-hour certificate
program. The course is completed with the help of classroom instructions as
well as practical or clinical tests. The course subjects include an introduction
to healthcare, anatomy, biology, infection control, basic nursing skills, and
CPR. Clinical activities are supervised by experienced and certified nursing
college staff members. Once you complete the program successfully, you will
get certified as a nursing assistant from that particular state.
Admission procedures
The admission procedure for a certified nursing assistant program varies from
college to college but the basic requirements are:
1. High school transcript or General Education Development
2. Immunization proof against mumps, measles, rubella, and tetanus/diphtheria
3. Application fee
4. Taking care of healthcare safety requirements before participating in clinical
tests
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