How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant: Training Programs, Curriculum and Requirements
Submitted by: Cheska Davenport
Certified Nursing Assistants, also known as CNAs, are becoming more and more popular today in the health care industry. They serve a variety of roles, and they act not only as mere assistants to nurses and doctors; they are responsible in taking care of patients, providing basic care as supervised by their superiors. Thanks to the growing demand for CNAs in various medical establishments and health care centers, CNA training has as well grown to be increasingly important to take up.
Also referred to as nursing aides, orderlies and patient care technicians, CNAs are assigned with the job of providing immediate care and assistance to patients. There are many different lessons in taking care of patients, and these are taught in CNA training programs and courses. Among the basic lessons taught in training subjects include checking for vital signs, grooming and bathing patients, feeding assistance and the use of medical equipment. Aside from these, CNAs are also in charge of providing immediate emotional support to patients during their stay in a hospital or at a health care facility.
CNA training courses also involve other patient care techniques, such as the proper methods to lift and support patients into stretchers, wheelchairs or beds. Some CNAs are also trained to support patients in their physical therapy sessions, such as helping them to move, walk or use the bathroom. They are also required to learn the basics of first aid, as well as the collection of urine and stool samples for examination.
CNA training programs can be found both online and in campuses. Both options prove to be worth taking, although they have their own features as well as setbacks, which you can use to your advantage. Those who take up courses in campuses or community colleges get to interact live with their instructors, classmates and peers, as well as instant access to the use of tools and laboratory equipment.
Meanwhile, there are individuals who find it difficult to attend classes and in-campus courses, and this can be due to schedule conflicts especially at work. Hence, they can take up online CNA training courses which they can attend to anytime at their own convenience. In these courses they may not be able to hold instruments, but they are given a stream of videos showing demonstrations of the different lessons in the course of training.
The costs of CNA training varies on the type of course or program taken. Regular CNA training courses come with certain fees, but there are hospitals and other health care facilities which offer free programs, but in return students are required to commit free service for a given timeframe as part of their on-the-job training. Once the training course has been completed, acquiring a certification for the said profession, by means of theoretical and practical examination, would be a breeze.
Cheska Davenport is a career search strategist who focuses on creating power resumes and providing job search advice that aim to help individuals achieve their target goals in the job market.
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Word Count: 485 Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 Time: 1:36 PM
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