Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant

If you like taking care of people, then the job of certified nursing assistant (CNA) could be exactly the job for you. A CNA works under the supervision of a nurse, and helps take care of patients in nursing homes, hospitals or home nursing care situations.

CNAs Care For Patients

CNAs take care of a patient’s basic needs such as bathing, grooming and feeding, as well as helping nurses with using required medical equipment, and keeping track of a patient’s vital signs. They also give patients social and emotional support and monitor their charge’s condition and keep track of it to report to the nurses and doctors.

Taking on the job and career of a CNA takes extreme patience and compassion for your fellow human being.  CNAs will be exposed to just about every sort of physical or mental problem, so you will need to be able to handle many different sorts of issues. The job of CNA is also a great way of getting into the nursing field if you so desire.

CNA Training Requirements

CNA training requirements require students to take a six to 12 week CNA certification program and testing through a community college or medical facility.

Classroom instruction for learning to be a CNA includes studying basic nursing skills, anatomy and physiology, nutrition and infection control. Classes also teach students through hands-on-experience in the clinical requirements of the job like bathing, dressing, etc.

The exact requirements on becoming a CNA vary somewhat in each state, but all of them require a CNA certification test and a specific amount of classroom and hands-on training.

Good Jobs With Good Outlooks

CNAs can find work in many different locations such as nursing homes, hospitals, mental health facilities, assisted living facilities, and homes. Since the population of the U.S. is getting older all the time, the outlook for CNA positions is very good with starting salaries ranging from about $25,000 to nearly $33,000 according to a 2009 study.

The CNA job market is expected to increase by about 19 percent by 2018, making it an excellent choice for a career field. It’s estimated that more than 700,000 more CNAs will be needed over the next few years.

Not only will students be able to find jobs fairly easily, they will get the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping provide care to the elderly, chronically ill and people who need extra care in places like nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

After students finish the required training and pass the required certification exam, they can take a job as a CNA anywhere in a state that accepts those requirements. However, you need to get re-certified in each state if you chose to move jobs.

All in all, the job of CNA can be a very rewarding position with many future opportunities for years to come. So, if you want to help people and have a good job with plenty of job security, consider becoming a CNA.