Whether you wish to be a home or clinical certified nursing assistant (CNA), you will find great use of the training you obtained while still in school. To be able to perform all the responsibilities of a nursing assistant, you will need specific technical training and knowledge. You can obtain this by enrolling in CNA training programs offered by technical schools and community colleges in your area.
Duties of a Certified Nursing Assistant
Since a certified nursing assistant acts as an intermediary between the patient and other medical personnel, it is of utmost importance that you obtain proper and sufficient CNA training. It is part of your responsibility to assist the patient in every way you can. Other duties of a nursing assistant include the following:
- Assist in the admission, transport and transfer from room to room during medical procedures, and even in discharge of patients.
- Assist patients that have problems with mobility like pushing wheelchairs and training them how to use crutches.
- Provide assistance to patients in getting in and out of bed and turning them over to prevent bed sores.
- Assist the nurses in checking vital signs of patients like blood pressure, blood sugar level, and temperature and also provide training to patients to do these tests on their own.
- The CNA are also tasked to answer bed calls and attend to other needs requested by the patient.
CNA Training and Education Programs
To perform your various tasks with professional efficiency, you must be equipped with the necessary classroom knowledge and hands-on training. You can obtain CNA training and education programs from accredited and state-recognized community colleges and technical schools. These courses may take between 6 weeks to 6 months to complete. This depends on which state you are in, the comprehensiveness of the program you choose, and the schedule of your classes and trainings.
Aside from theoretical concepts, hands on training to improve skills and for students to practice what they have learned inside the classroom are also important for a nursing assistant student. Nursing homes and other similar long-term care facilities are also ideal venues for nursing assistant graduates and students to practice their clinical skills. These training programs are supervised by registered nurses or licensed practical nurses.
CNA Training Courses Online
If you prefer a flexible training and education program, you can choose online CNA training offered by various accredited technical schools. An online program is also ideal if you wish to hasten your CNA education because you can control the pace and coverage of the program according to your capability and available time. Another advantage of an online program is the option of completing the required amount of work hours from your home.
Certification Requirements
A nursing assistant certification is needed when you are looking for a job in the medical field. This certification is insurance that you are competent and well-equipped in your job. The requirements needed to take the exam include a minimum of 75 hours clinical training. This CNA training, also called Clinical Externship, prepares you how to deal with patients and performing actual clinical work and procedures.
Preparing for the Certification Exam
The certification exam consists of a theoretical and a practice exam. Theoretical exam covers the theories and principles while the practice test covers the hands-on skills and competence of the nursing assistant candidate. These exams are based on standard nursing assistant training programs and courses. While the theoretical part of the exam measures the understanding and knowledge retention of the candidate, the practice part of the exam measures your ability in actual application of what you have learned inside the classroom and in CNA training sessions.
Anthony S. is bloggin for http://medical-careers-training.com/cna-training-classes/ and provided this article for us. Click here to visit his site.