Certified Nursing Assistant, Nursing Assistant Schools, Training, Jobs, and Careers

What is a Certified Nurse Assistant?
The demand on nurses is becoming more and more overwhelming. This is because of the nursing staff shortage. Couple this with the aging baby boomer generation, one begins to see how stressed out nurses are these days.

One way some health care facilities is addressing this is to get nurse assistants. These nursing assistants provide direct patient care under the direction and supervision of nurses. The certified nursing assistant (CNA) will do such things as:

1. Prepare patients food tray
2. Measure and monitor patients food intake and output
3. Measure and monitor patients liquid intake and output
4. Measure and record patients’ vital signs such as taking blood pressure, temperature, and pulse
5. Observe patients’ physical, emotional, and mental conditions
6. Move and reposition patients in bed
7. Collect specimen from patients
8. Help patients in and out of wheelchair
9. Help patients in and out of bed
10. Answer patients call for help
11. Etc.

CNAs must be team players. They work as part of the medical team. They are often required to communicate the patient’s response to treatment to other members of the team.

How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant:
To become a CNA, one needs to first of all get a high school diploma or GED. While in high school, you should study things like algebra, biology, and health education.

You then need to attend a school that has nursing assisting program. Such a program will last about 2 to 8 weeks. You will take courses in such things as:

a. Nursing Assisting Introduction
b. Control of Infection
c. Introduction to Vital Signs
d. Patient Personal Care Skills
e. First Aid Procedure
f. Long Term Care of Patients
g. Emergency Care
h. Patient Safety
i. Etc.

To increase your chances of gaining employment, it is advised you be certified. In fact, there are nursing care facilities that are under the mandate of the Federal Government to have their nursing assistants be certified. Getting this certification is what will allow you to have the certified nursing assistant (CNA) title. Otherwise, you will just be known as a nursing assistant.

Certified Nursing Assistant Salary:
CNAs make an average salary of $28,000 per year according to our search on Indeed.com. Some make as much as $33,000 per year. This is not bad for a career training that only takes 2 to 8 weeks to complete.

If you are fortunate to find on the job training, you can start earning some this money while you learn. Not a bad deal!

Certified Nursing Assistant School:
If you are looking for the school to become a CNA, we have the school for you. Everest University offers a program that qualifies one to become one. They call their program patient care technician. You have nothing to lose if you check them out. You can do so by requesting for their free no obligation information through this link.

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