Are you naturally driven to assist and support people, especially when they are in need? Your passion for caring could mean being a certified nursing assistant (CNA) could be for you. But wait, what is a CNA, what do they do, and how easy is it to train to become a certified nursing assistant (or also commonly referred to as a certified nurse aide)?
Join us as we answer some of these key questions about becoming a CNA. Continue reading as we discover what is the role of a CNA within the healthcare system and why it might be the career of your dreams.
Learn more about the Nurse Aide program at Training Direct
What is the role of a CNA?
Let’s begin by delving into what a CNA is and the role they play within the variety of healthcare facilities where they work. CNAs provide vital support and assistance to both patients as well as your nursing colleagues. Working under the close supervision of licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), and other medical professionals, your role combines a stimulating mix of soft skills and hands-on technical attributes. Pairing these soft skills and the practical tasks involved together daily is what makes the role of becoming a CNA exciting.
What is a CNA’s Soft Skill Set?
Now, while some of the following soft skills may already come naturally to you, it’s essential to be aware of the benefits they can provide. Because you’ll likely use these skills on a daily basis, they will continually be developed and enhanced with experience, and these core attributes include:
- Communication skills:
Excellent verbal communication and listening skills are necessary for CNAs when interacting with both patients and colleagues.
- Teamwork:
Collaborating effectively with all of your healthcare colleagues, including nurses, doctors, and other healthcare providers, is also fundamental as a CNA.
- Compassion and Empathy:
From a patient’s perspective, CNAs who demonstrate empathetic care can help reduce patient stress levels, as well as boost their overall well-being throughout their treatments.
- What are a CNA’s Practical Skills?
The technical skills demanded of the CNA position can be wide-ranging but by enrolling in an approved nursing aide training program you can learn the knowledge and training required. These practical skills can include:
- Patient Care:
Often, the most common task performed by a CNA is providing patient care, which assists LPNs and RNs enormously and allows them to focus on their responsibilities. These patient care duties can include bathing, dressing, feeding, and transporting patients.
- Infection Control and Sanitation:
As you can imagine, clinical hygiene standards are crucial in any healthcare setting. So, what is a CNA responsible for here? Well, as a CNA, you’ll often assist with a department’s sterilization and infection control protocols, which help ensure a clean and safe working medical environment and often times living environment for your patients.
- First Aid and CPR:
Medical emergencies do happen when working within the healthcare sector. As a result, CNAs must know how to perform basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid when events occur.
Where can CNAs work?
Possibly the most appealing aspect of entering the profession as a certified nursing assistant is the variety of workplace opportunities available to you once you become certified. In fact, you may have already considered what a CNA’s career options are outside of working in a hospital setting and discovered the possibilities are remarkable.
However, if you haven’t yet, here is just a sample of the healthcare facilities that can employ CNA professionals:
- Public and private ambulatory healthcare services
- Long-term residential care facilities and nursing homes
- Sports and veteran rehabilitation clinics
- Home healthcare organizations
- Schools and correctional facilities
How you can be a CNA too!
Choosing to become a CNA means you won’t need years of schooling to obtain a bachelor’s or master’s degree to qualify. As a matter of fact, you can enroll in a state approved program to learn the skills you will need. While minimum entry requirements to become a CNA vary from state to state, you can often enroll in a training program once you’ve secured a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
Explore Training Direct’s CNA program offering in Connecticut!
Here at Training Direct, our nurse aide training program has been created to cover the fundamental elements required of Connecticut’s state certification exam. We help aspiring CNAs launch their careers on a solid footing. You can also choose to study around your current work and family commitments. Training Direct offers day, evening, and weekend classes (schedules will vary by location), allowing you to complete your studies in as little as four weeks at our two Connecticut campus locations in:
Training Direct has determined that its Nurse Aide program curriculum is sufficient to fulfill educational requirements for certification in the State of Connecticut only. No educational determinations have been made for any other state, district or US territory in regards to certification requirements.
