What is a CNA and what training is required?

Nurses Assistants play a vital role in our healthcare system. They assist patients with many of their basic everyday needs including bathing, feeding and dressing them.  They also  act as an extension of the nursing staff, and are considered a vital part of a patients recovery.

Since Nurses Assistants are required to be licensed to practice in each state, it’s necessary to complete a certification program and pass the appropriate state licensing exam. Such programs are available at several medical facilities and college campuses. The programs can very in legth between four to twelve weeks, depending on the state licensing requirements and curriculum.

All  CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)  courses will teach you the basic fundamentals of taking care of patients in a safe and professional manner. Your work will be supervised by licensed Registered Nurse (RN) both during the time you are training and continuing into your regular practice.  The training program will teach you to care for both the physical and psychological needs of each patient.  They will also  cover the information on the state licensing exam, and provide you with actual questions that appered on past exams for you to practice.

Throughout the CNA training course you will be exposed to actual hands on training with patients as well as traditional classroom training.  The textbook material you will be covering will expose you to the necessary medical terminology you will be using in your day to day practice. You will also learn ways to improve your communication skills. Communication is key to being a great Nurse Assistant. You will need to be effective at communicating with patients, their family, and the other medical staff.

The hands on portion of the training will give you the opportunity to practice the concepts you are learning in the classroom. Most training programs have special medical maniquins that you work with. You will practice proper bathing and lifting on them. You may also practice taking their vital signs as some are designed for that purpose.

The majority of Nurse Assistant programs work with in conjunction with the medical facilities in the area. This often means a large portion of your hands on training will take place as such a facility. This portion of the curriculum is called clinicals. During this process, you will tend to real patients with the close supervision of licensed medical staff. You will begin applying your knowledge in this setting.

Clinicals can be intimidating to some students. However, they are designed to give you the best opportunity to fully understand and learn your role as a Certified Nurses Assistant. Generally, these clinicals are conducted with a very small group of students. Your class will be broke up into groups of at least two but no more than six.  It is important to understand that you will not be paid for the work you do during these clinical hours of training.

During clinicals, the Nursing staff is fully aware of your inexperience. They will attempt to explain what is taking place as it happens to improve your ability to look for key factors in a medical setting. It is very important that if you do not fully understand something, that you discuss it with those training you. They are there for that purpose during the training portions of the Nurse Assistant program.

Completing your Nurse Assistant training at a medical facility not only gives you hands on experience, it may lead to a job offer at the end of your training program. Many medical facilities that host the clinical training are watching out for students who show potential. They are looking for punctuality, attendance, attention to detail, a willingness to learn, and a positive attitude.

One advantage of accepting a job offer at the facility you completed your clinical training at, is that you will know their policies and procedures. It is important to keep in mind that every facility has variations of how you were training.  The basics will be the same, but you will need to be willing to adjust to what is expected at the particular facility you accept employment with.