For the Future CNA — What to Expect
As the title suggests, a Certified Nursing Assistant — or CNA — is a certified medical professional who assists nurses in clinics, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, universities, and private residences. While being supervised by nurses, CNAs provide the bulk of a patient’s general care. Even though being a CNA sounds simple, there is much more to this highly rewarding position than what meets the eye. So if you are interested in becoming a Nursing Assistant, you should know what to expect before making this kind of investment in your future.
Morning Rounds
A normal workday for a CNA begins with completing the facility’s morning rounds. To accomplish this, the CNA will visit every patient and carry out necessary tasks such as taking blood pressure, checking the patient’s temperature, and monitoring various other vital signs. After checking on each patient, the Nursing Assistant will complete a report form. This form must be filled out before the CNA visits with the next patient assigned to them.
After Morning Rounds
After the morning rounds are finished, the CNA will check on each patient to make sure they have eaten their meal and have taken any prescribed medication at the correct dosage. CNAs are also responsible for overseeing their patients’ comfort levels by ensuring bed linens are clean and have been changed. If a patient needs to be repositioned to prevent bedsores or assisted in using the bathroom, the CNA will handle these tasks too.
Other Tasks
There are other tasks CNAs must perform that are not directly related to patient care, such as preparing necessary surgical equipment and scrubs needed for surgeries and lining up tools that the doctor will use during the surgery. CNAs will also fill out a wide array of paperwork and documentation related to a patient’s current condition and medical history as well as insurance forms. There are quite a few job tasks required of a Certified Nursing Assistant so if you think this type of career as a CNA is right for you, make sure your passion to help others is your main motivating factor.
