Become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
As a certified nursing assistant, you’ll be on the front lines of patient care. While “nursing assistant” may not be the most glorified job title in a hospital or nursing care facility, it’s certainly one of the most vital to daily operations. Your compassion and skill in patient care will help minimize the stress of those who are sick or unable to care for themselves.
Certified nursing assistants (CNAs), also known as nurses’ aides, orderlies, patient care technicians, and home health aides, work under the supervision of a nurse to provide assistance to patients with daily living tasks.
Working closely with patients, CNAs are responsible for basic care services such as bathing, grooming and feeding patients, assisting nurses with medical equipment, and checking patient vital signs. CNAs give patients important social and emotional support and also provide vital information on patient conditions to nurses.
“The best RNs started as CNAs,” says Mira Dixon, a CNA with 13 years experience. Being a CNA can be a stepping stone before becoming a registered nurse. Read the interview with a CNA for more insight about the daily aspects of the job.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training
A certified nursing assistant job is a great entry point for a nursing career. You’ll be deeply involved in patient-care, making sure that sick and injured patients have their basic needs met. And you can be ready to start working as a certified nursing assistant in a very short period of time. In addition to a high school diploma or GED, you’ll need to complete a 6-to-12 week CNA certificate program at a community college or medical facility.
Classroom instruction in a certified nursing assistant program generally includes basic nursing skills, anatomy and physiology, nutrition and infection control. Students also gain plenty of hands-on-experience during clinical activities.
Nursing Assistant (CNA) Certification
Regulations on nursing assistant certification vary from state-to-state. However, most CNA programs offer a certification exam. The National Association for Home Care offers national certification for home health aides.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Salaries
An entry-level certified nursing assistant earns between $19,925 and $29,764.* The top paid CNAs in the field earn an average of $35,377. The key factors affecting CNA salaries are years of experience and place of employment.
CNAs work in nursing homes, hospitals, mental health facilities, assisted living facilities and private homes. Job prospects for CNAs are expected to be excellent due to the increasing long-term care needs of an aging population.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing assistant jobs (including home health aides and psychiatric aides) will experience about 28 percent growth by 2016. Home health aides are expected to have the fastest job growth, as many people prefer in-home treatment as a comfortable and cost-saving alternative to hospital or nursing home care. However, nursing assistant jobs in hospitals and nursing homes are still expected to grow faster than the average for all careers.