What to Know Before Attending CNA Schools
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are among the hardest working professionals in the medical health field. Working under the supervision of certified RNs or LPNs, their jobs usually involve providing various types of assistance to patients, and they often work as nurses’ aides, patient care assistants, home health aides, and orderlies.
Unlike RN and LPN schools, whose programs take years to complete, CNA schools prepare you to work in a hospital setting within months. You won’t have a lot of responsibilities, and you may have to work some of the less pleasant jobs in the medical field, but being a CNA is nevertheless a rewarding job with plenty of opportunities for advancement.
Plus, if you’re considering getting an RN or LPN certification in the future, CNA schools allow you to get your feet wet in the medical field before you make that big commitment.
CNA job functions
Graduates of CNA schools are qualified to work in hospitals, extended care facilities, and home health settings. Your job will be to assist nurses and doctors in caring for patients, and some of your everyday job functions may include:
- measuring patient vital signs,
- feeding patients who are unable to feed themselves,
- turning patients who are bedridden to avoid bedsores,
- helping patients dress and undress,
- supervising and aiding in exercise and rehab,
- getting patients ready for examination or surgery,
- transporting patients in stretchers or wheelchairs,
- responding to call signals from patients,
- assisting in medical procedures,
- helping to operate medical equipment,
- changing linens and cleaning rooms.
CNA schools prepare students for the more advanced tasks such as those that involve handing medical equipment or dressing wounds. Your school will also provide you information about the best practices for working with patients, nurses, and doctors, and you’ll learn how to respond to patient emergencies and calls for help.
What makes a good CNA?
CNAs must be capable of staying calm in emergencies. Ultimately, the nurses and doctors will be the supervising authorities in most situations, so your first job in an unusual situation will be to contact your supervisor. But it helps if you’re capable of responding to emergencies in a calm and collected way.
Also, it goes without saying that nurses must be comfortable around people who are sick, disabled, mentally incapacitated, or dying. These things can take an emotional toll on anyone, but if you want to excel in the medical field, you’ll have to learn how to handle these emotions without letting it affect your job performance or your personal life. And also very important, don’t bring personal problems to the job! Keep a positive and cheerful attitude with the patients as well as the other medical staff, and it will go a long way to assist you in advancement.
