Certified Nursing Assistant – A Primer

A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is a person who assists patients with medical and health care needs, with activities of daily living, and who provides basic nursing bedside care. A CNA works under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and carries an elevated level of responsibility.

To become a CNA, federal nurse aide requirements must be met and a basic set of skills must be mastered prior to certification. The skills necessary to care for patients in home and long term care settings require a minimum of 50 hours of medical theory and 100 hours of closely supervised clinical instruction and practice. Forty-eight hours of continuing education are required to be completed every two years to maintain CNA certification. Good interpersonal skills and the ability to be a team player are valuable character traits for a CNA.

Hospitals and extended care facilities are routinely strapped for personnel. CNAs are a vital part of the health care team. Many routine nursing tasks can be turned over to a CNA, allowing RNs and LPNs to provide more specialized care. The CNA must be skilled in the daily procedures being performed, and also be able to observe and report a patient’s condition to a nurse. Due to federally-mandated responsibilities, the nurse is unable to spend large amounts of time in a patient’s room. Therefore, the CNA frequently becomes the nurse’s “eyes and ears”. The average wages for a CNA are $11.14 hourly and $23,160 annually, though amounts can vary from region to region.

The CNA provides basic healthcare needs for patients of all ages, ethnicities, and genders. Due to daily CNA-patient contact, CNAs provide vital patient information to their supervisors. Since the fast-paced work is often very intense, the job is sometimes difficult. However, being people-oriented and compassionate helps many CNAs get through those demanding days.

Some common tasks could include answering patient call buttons, turn/reposition incapacitated patients to prevent bedsores, feeding incapacitated patients, provide assistance with getting in and out of bed, walking, and exercising, apply dressings, supervise exercise, prep patients for examination, treatment, or surgery, transport patients on a stretcher or wheelchair, change linens, clean rooms, and observe patient conditions to include recording accurate food and liquid intake/output and vital signs. A critical ability that a CNA must possess is the ability to stay calm in stressful situations. A strong handle on emergency procedures is crucial.

Tags: Certified Nursing Assistant, cna certification, licensed practical nurse, nurse aid, nursing bedside care, practical nurse lpn