Certified Nursing Aide or CNA is a health care pro who is qualified to fulfill certain vital medical procedures and to help with basic life needs.
To become nursing assistant, individual needs to be legal age and take appropriate basics course. Although the least federal requirements are for 75 hours course of study and labs, most states have much higher requirements for Nursing Aides to get certified.
CNA classes are offered broadly at various prices and durations. But there are also many, who offer free CNA classes, usually community colleges or various health care facilities. Some of the providers may require initial test ( basic education and English language ) to be taken before taking the actual course of study.
Before starting their labs all prospective nursing aides should provide medical checkup which shows that they are free from communicable diseases, able to lift up to 75 lb and are in good health in general.
After successfully completing of all educational program and labs, and taking the equivalent tests, a state exam is needed for final certification.
State exams consist of two parts: written test and practical exam. If one fails on the written test they are not allowed to take the practical one and need to re-take the written test. And if one fails the practical exam they are allowed for two more attempts, whenever and wherever scheduled state exams are conducted.
Once nursing assistants get certified, the most common places where they can find a job are:
- nursing homes
- assisted living facilities
- hospitals
- rehabilitation centers
- doctor's offices
- special care facilities
- home care
Each of the above mentioned work opportunities require more or less particular skills to be deployed, but as a rule all the skills can be mastered at one place: the nursing home. The more knowledge CNA-s have in the nursing homes, the easier for them to find better work later.
Nursing homes are long-term health care facilities for humans who lost the strength to take care of themselves: elderly; handicapped; humans with severe illnesses, bound in bed for the remainder of their lives; people on artificial life support etc.
The main duty for the nursing assistants, working in the nursing homes, is to help residents with ADL-s ( activities of daily living ) and supply all the routine care, such as:
- dressing and undressing the residents
- turning and repositioning bedridden residents
- feeding
- cleaning up residents' body excretions ( urine, feces etc. )
- bathing residents
- changing linen and making beds
- transferring residents from bed to wheelchairs or other chairs and vice versa
- answering residents' calls for help
- observing residents conditions and reporting if there are any changes
- charting in special books for all work and observations done
CNA profession is one of the most exceptional profession on today's labor market due to the work surroundings and unique duties. It is very demanding, physically and emotionally job, that requires all nursing aides to be always in good physical condition and high state of mind to speedily answer back to all challenges and successfully complete their duties as well as will to care and love all people..
Benefits for CNA work are beyond this material world as this work really speeds up spiritual progress of all humans and opens their hearts for each other and for God.
Author Resource:
Georgi Stanev is webmaster at a family website dedicated to share happy life recipes and offer free for download hearts wallpaper as well as love cards greeting cards for all occasions in life.