If you have the desire and compassion to help people, becoming a CNA can be a very rewarding career choice. Becoming a CNA is the ideal stepping stone before deciding to become an LPN or RN. The education requirements to become a CNA are not overwhelming and the training and work experience will allow an individual to quickly assess weather nursing is the right long-term career choice.

They are also known as nurses aides, orderlies, patient care technicians, and home health aides. While not nurses, CNA are vital members of the nursing and the health care team. They work under the supervision of a licensed nurse, and provide direct bedside nursing care and are often the best source of information from and about patients.

Working closely with patients, they are responsible for basic care services such as bathing, grooming and feeding patients, assisting nurses with medical equipment, and checking patient vital signs. They give patients important social and emotional support and also provide vital information on patient conditions to nurses.

Not all nurses aides are certified, but many states require nursing assistants to take a certification exam and to participate in continuing education in order to renew their certification.

Many LPN and RN nursing programs require candidates to be a CNA and to have experience working as a CNA. The training and experience a CNA receives, helps ensure nursing students understand what is involved in patient care. Schools requiring this prior training and experience find significant increases in student success rates and fewer program dropouts.

Education, Training, and Certification

In addition obtaining a high school diploma or a GED, there are several paths to getting the training and experience you need to become one. You can attend classes at a community colleges and vocational or adult schools. Some hospitals still offer programs but they are few and far between.. Classes generally last 6 to 12 weeks or a minimum of 75 hours of instruction. Some states require more hours and programs range from 75-150 hours.

Courses cover such subjects as basic anatomy and physiology, infection control, body mechanics, communication skills, nutrition, and patient’s rights. Aides are taught personal care skills such as how to bathe, feed, dress, and groom patients. Range of motion, and safe transfer and ambulation skills are also covered.

Within four months of successful completion of classes, a student must pass both written exam and a clinical demonstration of care-giving skills. The candidate who successfully passes this exam is then certified as a nursing assistant and their name is added to the state’s registry of nursing assistants.

Continuing education is required by most states to maintain an active certification.

Depending upon where you live, they are known by many names including Nursing Assistants, Nurses Aides, Orderlies, Patient Care Technicians, Home Health Aides and more.

Every state has different criteria when it come to the training, testing, and certification. For information on specifics, you can contact a local school or training facility in your state. When hired as a CNA, you may need to submit to a background check (criminal) along with a required drug test.

Some tips to keep in mind when taking the clinical portion of your exam include:

* Remember to honor the patient’s dignity and privacy needs. Knock on door before entering, close privacy curtains and cover patients as much as possible when providing care.
* Introduce yourself and use the patient by name in a professional manner
* Explain each step of your care prior to proceeding.
* Be sure you put gloves on before providing any kind of care that required gloves such as body contact or contact with bodily fluids.
* When you are asked to demonstrate a skill, to first use proper hand washing technique prior to performing the skill requested.

What CNAs Earn?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing assistants earn between $23,663 and $29,801 per year. The key factors affecting salaries are years of experience and work environment.

They 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.