CNA Training and Your Future
While some nursing homes and hospitals may do some training for their staff members, they would however prefer hiring potential employees that may have already acquired some certifications in their specific areas of expertise. Such certifications would generally provide some indications that the potential employee has some level of interest in caring for the elderly and the infirm.
Getting a certification will also show that the potential employee has some level of motivation to work with patients and is willing to become a team member too. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) will generally have to work with some other healthcare personnel like doctors, nurses and medical social workers. CNAs may get some employment opportunities at some locations or facilities like nursing homes, hospitals, in-home care, assisted living facilities, hospice care etc
The Best Places For CNA Training
Though getting a CNA certification may not require a very long period of time and a lot of money like a degree, because there is no requirement for a degree, you will however need to take some classes too in order to become certified. Some facilities may provide you with some basic training and may also pay for some advanced training too, usually with the condition that you will remain with them for some period of time after your training. To know how you can get or set up this type of arrangement for yourself, you may pay a visit to the local assisted living facilities or nursing homes in your area or ask such facilities to provide you with some recommendations on where you can possibly get those types of arrangements.
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Another possibility is the Red Cross which is permitted to provide some Health Care Aide or CNA training in several states. The requirements for partaking in the training and the course module are usually set by the state. Some states may do a criminal background check on anyone that may apply for the training, they may also require some level of physical ability or reading capability too. You may contact your local Red Cross center to know if you can get some CNA training through them. You may either get to pay for their CNA classes at a very low cost or you may get them as grants.
You may also find out from your guidance counselor too, if some health aide training classes are being offered in your high school, if you are a student. With such classes, you will be able to acquire some marketable skills before your graduation.
Your local vocational technical schools or community college may also provide some health aide or CNA training too. You may want to visit them to find out more about it. Both types of training are essentially the same, even though each locality or state may use the two terms interchangeably. You may check with your state health education office to know the programs that are accredited by them. You may also check on the internet too for some reputable schools that may be recognized by the Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLCNAC), who may also provide such trainings too.
A GED or High School Diploma is generally required for most of the training programs. In some instances too, each applicant may also need to be able to read at least at the 5th grade level before they can enroll in some of the programs. Virtually all the states will ask each applicant to take a test called the Monteux, which is used to check for tuberculosis.
Some Of The Skills You Will Learn:
- Through the training, you will be able to learn some basic nursing skills. In the classroom you will be taught some theory, record keeping, medical terminology etc. You will also go through some lab classes that would teach you how to use what you may have learnt in the classroom, to help your patients live healthier and better too. Some of the subjects you may cover in your classes would generally include the following:
- Basic Nursing Skills which can include taking and recording blood pressure, respiration rate and heart rate. You will get some basic training for recognizing physical symptoms for illness like bruising, bedsores, edema, skin discoloration and swelling. These are just a short list of some of the basic skills you will learn.
- Infection control which would also include learning how to protect those who may be living in close proximity to each other from infecting themselves with some disease/illness. You will also learn how to protect yourself too from contracting or passing infections from/to your patients and how to use some preventive measures like gloves, masks, clothing, needle destruction etc.
- Proper body mechanics that will teach you how to protect yourself and your patients from injuries or harm. Knowing some good body mechanics is very important and necessary too when you are physically assisting your patients with their personal care, and when you are moving them from one place to another for example, from the bed to a chair or from a bathtub to a wheelchair etc. Your knowledge of some good body mechanics will also help you to avoid causing injuries like strains, bruises or sprains to your patients
- You will also learn some other subjects like basic anatomy and physiology which will help you to understand how to meet your patients needs emotionally and physically.
- Most often than not, you will not only learn in the classroom or lab but also in the real world, where you will be able to put whatever you may have learnt in theory into practice with some adequate supervision.
- You will also learn about some emergency drills/maneuvers like CPR, Heimlich maneuvers etc.
Your Duties As A Certified Nursing Assistant
Once you have your CNA certification you will discover that you can actually work in several places. You may find employments with some facilities like nursing homes, hospitals, in-home care providers, assisted living facilities etc, that may work for you.
Since you will be responsible for other people's personal healthcare and hygiene, it is very important for you to find a job that is compatible with your work ethics, personality and working style. If you do not have any interest in office politics, you should avoid working in a nursing home or hospital. An in-home care service or assisted living facilities will probably fit you better and you will be able to work more closely with your patients too. If however you do not mind the typical chaos, motions and sounds that generally go with a hospital setting, hospitals may therefore work for you.
You may also get some employment opportunities too in some disability or mental health group homes where your knowledge and training may be quite valuable. There are quite a lot more options for providing healthcare services than just medical care facilities or hospitals.
Once you have decided on where to work, you will most likely be assigned a range of duties that may include helping your patients with their personal hygiene, taking your patients vital signs, doing some cleaning and laundry, monitoring your patients' moods or any change in their mental health, and taking note of conditions like bedsores and any other type of skin condition etc.
Your duties may also include cleaning their personal spaces too like washing their dishes, making their beds etc. Though these type of duties may not seem to be directly related to healthcare, they are however essential to maintaining a healthy environment or setting. Homes that are adequately taken care of are much more better at supporting a healthier living than those that are not.
You may also have to provide some assistance too with your patients' transportation. In some instances, this may simply mean using a Hoyer lift or lift belt to move a patient from a location to another. You may also have to transport your patients from and to their doctors' appointments as part of your duties too. You will be trained on every aspect of your duties and how to do each one of them safely with your patients.
More Employment Opportunities For CNAs In The Future
It is estimated that CNA job opportunities will increase by 20% from 2010 to 2020 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is mainly because there will be a lot more demand for CNA skills or services as the population grows older. For certified Home Health Care workers or CNAs, the current median income is $11.54 per hour or $24,010 per year.
Some years after you may have become a CNA, you may choose to increase your knowledge in the medical field or change to a new career. Your CNA work experience can greatly help you if you choose to get a college degree as a LPN or RN. Once you have taken the required prerequisite courses, you may then take some BS or AAS courses in addition to these, to earn a Bachelor or Associates degree. You may be able to use some of the classes you took and your work experience for class credit. Your work experience as a CNA may also help with your degree application too.
What To Do Next
Since you now have some idea about what you will need to get some CNA training, you should ideally take some steps on it.
- Visit on the internet or call the Nursing Accrediting Commission to know if there are some reputable training programs within your vicinity.
- Visit the places or locations they may have recommended to find out about the cost of their trainings and to know when their next classes will begin
- Get some affordable nursing uniforms from a thrift store. You are likely to be required to wear at least one of these during your training sessions
- If you are going to pay for your training, you should also make some enquiries about any grant program you may be qualified to apply for
- Attend your classes and do some diligent studying too.
- For your clinical internship, some training programs may also provide some job placements, which may eventually turn to permanent jobs in some instances.
- You should keep on learning even after you may have completed your training. By increasing your knowledge you will ultimately be advancing your career too.
To work with the infirm, the elderly and those that are mentally challenged can be very rewarding. Some certified nursing assistants may be satisfied with what they do while others may choose to further their careers. Each individual can make the right choice for himself or herself. Becoming a certified nursing assistant is an ideal way to create a sense of purpose in your life.