How to become a Cna
Certified Nursing Assistants(CNAs) are hardworking members of the healthcare industry. They spend more time with patients than any other member of the patient’s team of health providers. In nursing homes and hospitals, CNAs are often the first person the patient sees in the morning and the last one to see them before the go to sleep at night. Nurses depend on the help provided by CNAs. This allows them to see more patients and help more people each day then would be possible without their assistance. Becoming a CNA requires specialized training and passing a state licensure exam.
The first step to becoming a CNA is to make sure that you meet the requirements. Each state has its own requirements, and you will want to check with your State Board of Nursing for the specifics required in your state. There are a few states that allow CNAs to be 16 years old, but in most states, you must be at least 18 years old. You must also have a high school diploma or GED certificate to be eligible for CNA training in most states. Most felony criminal offenses will also prevent you from becoming a CNA. Any person with a drug related charge, violent offence, or Medicaid fraud charge will be denied a CNA license.
The role of a CNA is physically challenging. You will want to make sure that you are able to perform the grueling tasks of lifting, bending, reaching, and supporting people before entering into classes. Otherwise, it may be a waste of your time and money. Daily duties of a CNA include: assisting people to the bathroom, pushing wheelchairs, bathing and dressing patients; and all this involves being on your feet for many hours.
The next step is to enroll in classes. Nurse’s Assistant classes are offered in community colleges, technical schools, universities, hospitals, and nursing homes. Any of these are good options as long as it is an accredited school. You will want to research cost, time commitment, and availability of classes in deciding where to enroll. The federal regulation states that CNA training must consist of 75 classroom hours, plus 16 hours in a clinical setting. Some programs may provide more training than this.
The small time requirement for CNA training means that it can be completed in as little as a month. Night classes are offered by many institutions so that you can work while training. Other places provide weekend classes which is even more flexible.
In the classroom you will learn about infection control, communicating with patients, and safety measures. You will also learn about procedures such as taking vital signs, measuring blood glucose levels, and evaluating level of consciousness. In the clinical setting, students are taught things like how to move a patient without hurting themselves, and how to safely bathe and dress another person.
Once you have completed your classroom and clinical requirements, you will have to take The Certification Nursing Assistant Exam. The test consists of two parts: a written exam and a skills performance exam. The written section contains 50 multiple choice questions and you are allowed two hours to complete the test. The skills part will be conducted in a nursing home or hospital setting where you will demonstrate the skills required of a CNA.
Working as a CNA is both rewarding and challenging. Many CNAs continue their education and become nurses, while others promote to supervisory CNA positions. The healthcare field is growing every day and continues to have shortages in filling positions. This means that a career as a CNA will continue to be lucrative for many more years to come.
