What is a Certified Nursing Assistant?
Most people when hearing the words “Certified Nursing Assistant” or CNA think of an occupation in any nursing home. Though this is true to the extent that the demand for CNAs in the healthcare industry is greater when the nursing homes are concerned, yet the certification finds its use in other places. We shall find out what exactly is the CNA and in what way it can work for you.
Duties of a CNA
A certified nursing assistant helps in the day-to-day care of the people needing medical care. Most nurses say that what they learned first is that nursing is not all about administering medicines or injections, and taking down orders from the doctors. Nursing is more concerned about listening to the patients. This aspect of nursing is considered to be essential in CNA training, and the work of a CNA is often deemed to play a vital part in the overall efficacy of the medical treatment rendered by a team of healthcare professionals. For instance, the CNA taking care of a nursing home inmate for most of the time, may be the first person to notice some changes in the attitude of that patient which may indicate a critical condition or some reaction to a change in medication. While other people may only notice such changes, learning what is to done in such situation is a basic part of training for the CNA.
Who needs a CNA?
CNAs are usually called for home visitation to care for elderly people or disabled persons who have difficulty in carrying out daily routines like bathing, dressing up, etc. If you think that’s not much of a job, consider that help from the viewpoint of the recipient. If CNA’s help wasn’t there, that person would have to be shifted to a certain nursing home or rehabilitation center, or still worse, be forced to stay with relatives.
Some schools and daycares also have CNAs in their employment to help with minor health problems. Though such CNAs don’t administer medications or do any other jobs associated with a nurse, they utilize their training to help the children with their health problems, which are dealt with before becoming a serious issue for the establishment. For instance, a CNA posted at a school can immediately detect infections, and help to prevent contagion.
Sometimes CNAs work in some rehabilitation programs or related activities. While the licensed professionals perform the therapy, these CNAs will devote more time to the patients, thereby developing good relationships with them which become an essential part of recovery.
If you like to be employed in the healthcare field, particularly in nursing, the CNA certification is what you need to work in that industry. You can pursue your nursing degree as an RN or LPN. Or sometimes you may find that your CNA certification is not an intermediary stage to another career, but it provides you with a rewarding profession.
