Certified Nursing Assistant Training
Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA is a person who gives patients or clients healthcare services under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). They are also known as Nurse Assistants (NA), Patient Care Assistant (PCA) and State Tested Nurse Aid (STNA).
Because of some legality and liability issues, CNAs are not allowed to perform certain medical procedures. They can only assist when a doctor, a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse is in attendance.
The first step to get a career as a certified nursing assistant is to choose the school or center where you wish to train. Certified Nursing Assistant Training is offered in community colleges, online schools, the Red Cross and other medical facilities such as clinics and nursing homes. Many schools offer CNA training in their own medical facilities as a part of their CNA course program. Some healthcare facilities offer on-job training to inexperienced workers for free provided that they are required to work at an allotted time period or until they earn their CNA certificate. During the on-job training, they are already earning.
There are schools that offer special programs that last around 2 to 6 weeks. It is also alright to train under the Red Cross as they offer special programs that qualify individuals to work as a CNA as well. Before getting eligible for the program, applicants must take an examination to gauge their qualifications to become nursing assistants. Formal CNA training courses can take from 5 weeks to a year before individuals are able to get a CNA license from the state they wish to work in.
The cost of the program can be a bit steep. However, financial aid is available to applicants. Governments and even the military sometimes provide opportunities to those who are interested to have CNA certification. Some hospitals also offer financial assistance to individuals who would like to be trained in this field.
Requirements to enroll in the training program vary in schools or center a candidate would wish to attend. Some require high school diplomas or GED (General Educational Development) test scores. Others do not, although candidates are required to pass an examination to gauge reading and writing skills. Candidates needed to be on top physical shape. Certain immunizations, drug screening, and criminal background check is also done before being accepted to the program.
There are also some intangible requirements needed to be successful in this career. Candidate must be compassionate, patient, has good social skills, understanding, open-minded, not squeamish, has a pleasing personality, has a cheerful disposition, good conversationalist, and of course, caring.
CNA Training Course
CNA classes can be completed in just a few weeks into 12 months depending on the individual’s time or the allotted time period of the program. These classes focus on subjects or topics that are related to healthcare. Here are the following examples of training topics:
- Basics of patient rights
- Patient privacy and dignity
- Basic nursing skills
- Human Anatomy
- Human Physiology
- Nutrition
- Infection control
- Medical Terminologies
The training is a mix of classroom studies and practical training. It generally includes at least 75 hours of lecture and more than 16 hours of clinical activities. Trainees will obtain plenty on hands-on experiences during their on-the-job training. Trainees will learn the following during their on-the-job training or clinical activities:
- Proper patient grooming procedures
- Proper patient feeding procedures
- Taking vital signs (i.e. blood pressure, heart rate, pulse, respiratory rate and temperature)
- Administering certain medications under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
- Spot signs and symptoms
- Proper patient care
Certification
CNA certification varies from the location you want to work in. However, the common denominator in all CNA programs is that in order to get certified, trainees needed to pass the examination at the end of the training program.
The National Association for Home Care developed a certification test and offers national certification to nursing assistant trainees. The certification is a written exam that will test all the knowledge obtained during the training. Some questions involve scenarios that would need common sense to be answered correctly. There are websites offering practice tests and study guides to study for this test. Once a trainee passed the examination and gets certified, he or she will be able to work as a certified nursing assistant anywhere in the state he or she is in.