CNA Training Tips

CNA Training Tips Blog

by Leave a Comment

CNA Interview Questions and Answers

The hiring process for a CNA begins with an application followed by a resume, and if you are fortunate, you may receive an invitation to an interview.  There are a few things to consider before attending an interview.

An interview is a potential employer’s first true impression of you.  Your CNA Resume was a success, but now you must illustrate your strengths face to face.  Many people may feel put on the spot during an interview, so it is always a good idea to have a general understanding of what you might be asked.  The interviewer should have a copy of your resume, but it is always a good idea to bring a copy for yourself as a reference for the interview.

An employer will almost always ask why you want to work for them.  Think about this before you arrive at the interview.  You want to answer honestly and your answer should be genuine, but try to avoid the old clichés associated with health care.  Try to avoid saying your reasoning for seeking employment there is because you want to help people.  Of course you want to help people or you wouldn’t have chosen a position of service as a career option.  This statement may very well be true but it is overused and doesn’t really answer the question.  What can this potential place of employment do to advance your career and accommodate your lifestyle?

An acceptable answer to this question could be that you would like to broaden your horizons and expand upon your knowledge base as a C.N.A.   You could also be seeking a challenge or just want a stable, full time job with great benefits.  You may simply be looking for employment that fits well with your child’s school schedule.  Think about what you are seeking and be honest with yourself and your interviewer.  It will benefit you in the long run to ensure your needs are met.

Another question that is commonly asked during a job interview is regarding your work history.  A potential employer will want to know your employment background and working experience to better judge whether or not you are qualified for the job.  You don’t have to list every job that you have ever had.  Elaborate on the most recent one first and include any special skills or training that you received while working there.  Generally, the interviewer will guide you regarding how much information they need.  Take a brief pause and let them lead.  If they want more information, they will ask.

The topic of payment is sure to come up.  Sometimes an employer will ask you the amount of payment that you desire or they will simply tell you how much the position pays.  It is acceptable to discuss a higher rate of pay.  A C.N.A. with 15 years of experience should expect to earn a higher wage than an entry level C.N.A.  If you feel that the offered amount is well below your capabilities then you should definitely discuss this with your employer.  If the amount is a set rate and the employer will not budge on that amount then you could inquire about a probable opportunity for a pay rate increase and the details and time frame involved.   If you are still unsatisfied with the proposed rate of payment then perhaps you should seek employment elsewhere.  An entry level C.N.A. may want to consider a job with reasonable pay and good benefits to start with and then look for advancement after you gain a little working experience.

The sole purpose of an interview is to find a position of employment that is right for you and for the employer to find an employee right for the position.  Not every position that you interview for will be the right fit for you or for the employer. Try not to become discouraged.  If you go into an interview with a positive attitude and direct sense of what you are seeking in a position of employment, then you are sure to find a position that will be beneficial and satisfactory to both you and your employer.

Related Articles that will help you with your Interview:

Interview Tips for CNA’s

Salary Expectations based on your work experience

Written by Stephanie Dubenezic RN, LPN

by Leave a Comment

CNA Ethical and legal issues

As a professional member of the health care team, there are certain ethical and legal issues that must be upheld by the Certified Nurse Assistant.  Many of these ethical issues involve a little common sense on your part, but it is always good to know your limitations for your place of employment.

First of all, honesty is always the best policy.  You should be forthright with your patients and with other members of the health care staff.  If you make a mistake, you should own up to it.  After all, everyone makes a mistake now and then, and the best way to rectify the situation is to admit when you are wrong.  You should also avoid feeding into gossip or rumors that may cause conflict in your work place.

Avoid operating outside your scope of practice.  You should know your limitations and adhere to them.  You may even be asked to do something beyond your legal capabilities by a senior staff member or a supervisor.   If you are feeling pressured or if your rebuffs go unheeded, you should follow the chain of command and report it immediately.

You should report any and all abuse immediately.  This could involve verbal, emotional, physical or even sexual abuse of a patient by a staff member or it could involve the abuse of a staff member by another staff member.  In rare instances, a patient could assume the role of the abuser.  Be sure and document your findings, fill out an incident report and follow the chain of command to report any signs of abuse immediately.  There should be no reprimand for doing what is right.

A patient is entitled by law, the right to his/her privacy.  Avoid discussing a patient’s plan of care or condition with unauthorized personnel.  Avoid speaking to a patient’s family members about their personal issues unless the patient consents.  If you are unsure, have the family member ask the Doctor or Nurse in charge of them.  A patient’s condition is also not a proper discussion for other members of the healthcare staff unless they are directly involved in the care of that individual.  Also, it is unethical to discuss a patient’s affairs with your own friends or family members outside the healthcare facility.  This is extremely unprofessional and is a breach of patient trust.  It is also punishable by law.

Always document carefully.  Your documentation should be clear and concise and should accurately reflect the condition of the person whom you are caring for.  Avoid berating a belligerent patient in your documentation and leave your personal feelings out of notation.  A patient’s medical files are not about you; they are for that individual and should be kept professional.

There will be times in your medical career where you will bond with someone whom you are caring for.  It is natural to have feeling of compassion or even love for a patient who is under your care, especially if they require long term care.  Many patients feel gratitude and love toward their providers as well and some may want to repay you for your service to them.  It is unethical to accept gifts or money from a patient.  It is best to decline and say a kind word.

As a health care professional, it is easy to become attached to a patient or their family members, especially if they are under your care for an extended length of time.  Again, this is human nature.  However, it is highly unethical to become personally or sexually involved with a patient or one of their family members.  This is very unprofessional behavior and can ruin your reputation within the work place and can debase you in the eyes of the patient or their family.  Sexual relations with a patient or someone close to them may even result in your termination.  Keep all personal and sexual relations outside the work place.

A professional C.N.A. should know all legal and ethical boundaries and should follow them profusely.   If you are unsure, it is always a good idea to brush up on your reading skills and take the time to find out.  Following your code of ethics and working within the confines of the law will prove you to be trustworthy, reliable, and professional and will ensure your success as a professional member of the healthcare team.

Written by Stephanie Dubenezic RN, LPN

by Leave a Comment

How to be Professional as a CNA

A career as a Certified Nurses Aid can be a very rewarding experience but you must uphold a certain level of professionalism to be successful in this complex and challenging industry. As a Certified Nurse’s Aide you are expected to maintain a certain level of professionalism from appearance and personal demeanor to technical competency.

The old adage “You only get one chance to make a first impression” is never more accurate than in the health care industry. A health care professional must always maintain a clean, well kept appearance. Uniforms need to be pressed and be kept free of stains. Jewelry should be kept to a minimum, such as a wedding band or necklace. Hair must be well groomed and out of your face.  You will often serve food and will, on occasion, assist in feeding patients. It is imperative to keep the work area as sanitary as possible.  You will be interacting with people on a more intimate level than any other profession and will require a higher standard of hygiene and forethought on your part.

You must not only uphold a professional appearance but your actions and attitude must reflect that of a highly trained and well mannered professional.  You will be working with people of all ages and from all walks of life. You must be mindful that your patients are individuals who vary in their religious beliefs, sexuality, dietary intake, appearance, and opinions.   At times, these beliefs may strongly differ from your own and you do not have to embrace them. You should, however, be as courteous and respectful as possible and treat all patients equally.

Another point to consider is that the people you deal with on a day to day basis range from mildly ill to chronically ill and dying.  When people are in poor health, they don’t always act as they do when they are healthy.  It can be quite challenging to deal with so many emotions and personalities on a daily basis.  Patients can exhibit emotions ranging from fear to anger and may verbalize their feelings without consideration because they feel helpless and even hopeless at times.  They may even direct their fear or anger toward you.  Never retaliate with anger; maintain your professional composer at all times.  If you are unable to diffuse the situation you may find it helpful to call on a senior staff member to assist you. Often, the best course of action is to just listen without judgment and try to make the patients  feel as safe and comfortable as possible.  A soft spoken word will often do wonders.  Sometimes passive listening works just as well to put people at ease.

No member of a health care team should give a patient or a family member false hope.  Do not tell a terminally ill patient they are going to get well or that an experimental surgery is a sure cure. Finally, if you don’t know the answer to a question, reassure the patient you will find the answer out for them and ask their nurse or the Doctor.  Never guess and give them an answer to pacify them. This will not only discredit your ability as a caregiver but it will also damage whatever trust they had for the healthcare team as a whole.

Bear in mind, you should always refrain from divulging personal details about yourself, such as money problems or relationship woes. This will reflect poorly on you. You should also avoid discussing another patients’ plan of care, details of their illness or even sharing their annoying habits with another patient or family member.  Doing so is a breach of patient confidentiality, which is punishable by law.

All staff members should exhibit a certain level of professionalism toward his/her coworkers and must be able to effectively follow the appropriate chain of command.  Healthcare members must be viewed as a team to build the trust, respect and confidence of their patients. You should never demean other staff member in front of a patient, no matter what your feelings are regarding your teammates. This will not only cause a hostile work environment and unnecessary conflict within the work place but it may permanently disparage the patient’s trust in the staff that is caring for them. It requires the effort of every staff member to care for a sick person and to help them get well.

Certified Nurse Aides play a vital role in the health care team.  Being a Certified Nurse’s Aide is a challenging, yet rewarding role both professionally and personally.  CNA’s often spend more time with a patient than any other member of the health care team.  Therefore, always be mindful of the things that you say and do and how you represent your health care team as a whole. Maintaining a professional demeanor at all times will ensure your success and position as a valued member of the health care team.

 

by Leave a Comment

Building Rapport with the Patients

Part of being a successful nurse is being able to build a good rapport with your patients. Your day will go much better if your patients respond well to you. It will also be easier for you to help your patients if they like you and feel that they can trust you. No one wants to have a nurse that they feel awkward around when they are not feeling well.

Treat each and every one of your patients as an individual. Try to get to know a little bit about each patient’s personality so that you can respond to them as individuals. Do not look at a patient as just another number or just another patient on your list of people to take care of. Keep in mind that not all patients are alike. Some patients will cooperate. Other patients will be afraid and frustrated and might act out to some degree.

Make yourself as available to your patients as possible. As a nurse it is easy to become busy and not check in on your patients as often as you could. Try to create a schedule and be organized so that you can stop by to check on your patients often. Whenever possible, respond to a patient’s call bell quickly. If you cannot respond right away to a patient’s non-urgent request, stop in their room to let them know you will be there to help as soon as possible.

Always make good eye contact with your patients. This will make your patient know that you do care about them and are taking the time to interact with them. They will know that what they have to say is important to you. You should always use good eye contact when you must explain a procedure or something else that is vital to your patient.

Be willing to give your patient a listening ear. If he or she is afraid, let them vent to you for a few moments. Whenever possible, give your patients some words of encouragement. Even if your patient is complaining about something, listen to them for a few minutes. Do not become upset with the patient, bur rather realizes that they are going through a difficult time.

Always be polite to your patients. Knock before you enter into their hospital room. Always greet the patient right away and with a smile. Let him or her know what you are going to do. Respect their privacy each time you visit their room. Try to make some small talk to help the patient feel more at ease.

Never make a patient feel as if you are rushing when working with them. Do not let him or her know how overworked you are. The patient needs to feel important and needs to be your priority when you are with him or her. If you must leave to attend to an emergency, apologize when you get back. Try to spend a few extra moments with that patient if necessary.

There is a lot you can do to make certain you build a good rapport with your patients.

by Leave a Comment

Difference between CNA and HHA

A CNA is an individual who has completed nursing assistant certification training and who has passed the exam for certification. On the other hand, HHA refers to home health aides. Home health aides are not always required to hold a certification though in most cases there are some licensing or certification requirements. There are some home health agencies that will hire an HHA. Other times an individual or their family hires an HHA directly for a loved one needing care in their home.

Certified nursing assistants will typically work in continuing care communities, rehabilitation centers and hospitals. A CNA will work with several different patients throughout the day. In a setting where new patients come and go often, a CNA will work with many different patients each year. A home health aide works with one client at a time. They work with patients in their own home providing a variety of home health services. A HHA might very well work with the same individual for several years. An HHA can also work with individuals of all different ages and from various walks of life.

Training for Certified Nursing Assistants

A certified nursing assistant requires more training than a HHA unless the HHA is also required to be a certified nursing assistant. Certified nursing assistants need to attend a state approved training class inorder to get certified. The training programs provide prospective nursing assistants with both classroom and clinical instruction. Training courses usually last for 3-6 weeks depending on the hours of instruction each week.

Certified nursing assistants receive some background instruction on medical and nursing related topics. They will usually need to complete some lab room instruction as well. Nursing assistant students then learn to work with patients directly. They learn how to safely and effectively carry out the most common tasks and duties that are assigned to certified nursing assistants.

When a CNA student completes a training course, they are required to sit for an exam. They must pass a written as well as hands on component to the exam. The exam provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate some of the nursing assistant skills that they learned during training.

Most certified nursing assistants are required to attend additional training each year. They will earn continuing education credits through some of the courses they must take and in-service meetings they must attend. A CNA is always learning something new in order to ensure that they can carry out their duties to the best of their ability.

Training for a Home Health Aide

An HHA often receives hands on training as opposed to attending a training course. There can still be requirements for the number of hours of training an individual must complete and any exams they must pass. They learn how to perform their duties while working directly with a client. Every person that requires a home health aide has their own individual needs. Their aides learn best by working with them directly.

A HHA can also be required to attend a course to become CPR certified. A Basic Life Skills course or other first aid courses can also be required. If a home health aid works for a nursing agency, they can be required to attend additional training courses periodically. They might even need to complete some continuing education credits each year.

Home health aides will generally receive their training under the direction of a Licensed Practical Nurse or a Registered Nurse. They might also spend a few days working under another HHA until they learn what duties they must perform for their assigned patient. It can take a few days for a home health aide to be ready to work with a patient completely on his or her own.

A nursing supervisor will evaluate most home health aides at times. If the HHA needs improvement in any areas, this is the time for their supervisor to point out those areas. The supervisor can then help the aide to improve his or her skills.

A CNA and an HHA often carry out similar duties. They assist patients and clients with activities of daily living. Nursing assistants and home health aides work with individuals who need a little help on a day-to-day basis. The patients and clients are often older individuals, individuals with chronic illnesses or individuals who were recently ill or injured.

by Leave a Comment

Characteristics of a Successful CNA

There are many characteristics of a successful CNA.  A CNA will excel in their career and provide the best possible care for their patients if they have some great attributes.  Let us look at 5 characteristics of a successful.  Of course, these are just a few of the characteristics of a good CNA.  CNAs will need to have various personality traits in order to do well in their career.

There are many characteristics of a successful Certified Nursing Assistant. Today we will cover 5 of the most important ones that you should have to provide the patients with the best possible care.

Compassionate: A CNA should always be a compassionate individual.  They will often be working with individuals who are ill or injured.  They will also be interacting with family members who are concerned about an ill loved one.  CNAs should understand the fears and frustrations of patients and their families.  They should be compassionate even when a family member or patient is being difficult.  A good CNA will always act with compassion under all circumstances.

Kind: Successful CNAs should be kind individuals.  They should be able to make a patient feel more at ease even when they are not feeling well or are simply nervous about an appointment or test.  A patient likes to see a friendly face when they are interacting with their CNA.  They do not want someone who is unkind or who is not at all friendly to them.  CNAs should also be friendly when interacting with family members.

Hard-Working: A CNA should always be a hard-working individual.  CNAs have a lot of responsibilities and duties throughout the day.  They often work long hours and see many different patients.  A CNA should be very ambitious.  If a CNA does not want to work hard, they are not likely to stay employed for very long as a CNA.  They will need to be motivated and be a self-starter in order to be able to handle the workload of a CNA.

Patient: CNAs should be patient individuals.  They will often be over-worked and frazzled.  They cannot let this fact show through to patients, co-workers or family members.  A CNA must be patient even when a patient is being difficult.  They need to remain calm if a family member is complaining about something beyond their control.  Patience goes a long way in the field of nursing.

Responsible: A CNA must be a highly responsible individual.  They will be caring for patients with various levels of illness or injury.  You have to make sure all the paper work of that patient is in order and not miss out on any of the daily duties that you have to perform.

These are a few of the traits that a CNA should have.  You can consider whether or not you have these traits if you are giving some thought to starting out a career as a CNA.