Certified Nursing Assistant

Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Instructor can be a very rewarding position for a licensed nurse. Teaching and helping to develop individuals into caring, compassionate and competent CNAs is a way of assuring that clients in the health care arena receive the quality of hands on care that they deserve.

One must keep in mind that each state has specific requirements for those that become Nursing Assistant Instructors. Some states require that the instructor be a Registered Nurse (RN) whereas other states recognize the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) as a qualified candidate.

Most states require a version of the Train-the-Trainer Certification course. A Train-the-Trainer course simply means that the student is being trained to be a trainer of CNAs.  This course is designed to meet federal requirements for CNA training programs and is specific to the state in which CNA instruction will be taught. Principles of adult learning are emphasized along with curriculum development, methods of teaching, utilization of tools in teaching and other useful skills to assure that educating the new nursing assistant is successful. Train-the-Trainer courses may range from 15-25 hours in length and may be taught in 3-4 days or over a weekend. The CNA educator must be a mature, knowledgeable professional that truly has a desire to prepare individuals in their role as a new CNA.

The CNA Instructor candidate will need to meet specific requirements in order to partake in the Train the Trainer course. Depending on the teaching facility many instructors are required to have a minimum of three years in the field before they can teach. Experience can be obtained from working in a hospital, emergency room, private office or clinic. The more experience that the candidate has, the more likely they are to obtain a position as a CNA instructor. Instructors are expected to have a working knowledge of the expectations and responsibilities of a certified nursing assistant and must also be able to communicate and demonstrate various procedures and tasks required of the nursing assistant. A desirable teaching candidate will demonstrate good character and be able to pass a background check.

CNA instructors can find employment at many different establishments offering training to students and staff, including:

• Hospitals
• Vocational Schools
• Nursing Homes
• Assisted Living facilities
• Career Centers
• Community Colleges
• Online Colleges
• High Schools
• Health Departments

The average salary range for this profession is approximately $42,800 to $69,000 annually but will vary according to location, demographics and experience. In many situations, the RN will become a CNA instructor in addition to a regular nursing position. Information related to specific state requirements, the RN should contact the State Department of Health or State Board of Nursing.

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Free Training to become a Certified Nurse Aide

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.

 

A CNA Nurse Aide is a nursing aide who has received certification.  In order to receive certification as a CNA nurse aide, an individual must attend and pass a training course.  It must be one of the courses that meet all standards for curriculum set forth by the state.

CNA courses in all states must meet minimum requirements set forth by the Federal government and by the state.  The number of hours required will vary from state to state.  For the most part a similar curriculum will be covered in a training course though some courses might be more extensive than others.

If you want to become a CNA Nurse Aide, you will need to start looking for a training program in your local area.  Check with nursing care facilities, community and technical colleges, local chapters of the Red Cross and even nursing schools.

Take your time comparing CNA courses.  You will want to find one that matches your schedule and your budget for training.  Of course, you want to take the time to find a reputable training program.  Search for a program with a superb record in terms of the number of graduates that pass the certification exam on the first try.

You will need to attend a nursing assistant training course in its entirety.  Once you have completed all classes and clinical sessions, you will need to apply to sit for the nursing assistant certification exam.  The nursing assistant certification exam will be available to you once you receive notification of the date and time for testing.

The CNA competency exam has two primary parts:  written and skills.  You will answer questions pertaining to the knowledge you gained during your training course.  You will then need to demonstrate skills necessary for a job as a CNA to the test administrator.  You will demonstrate a handful of skills for him or her.

A cna nurse aide must take steps to maintain and active certification.  It is necessary to submit an application for recertification every two years.  In order to be able to do so, you will need to have worked for pay as a CNA for at least 150 hours over a 24 month period.

Each year, you will need to complete continuing education credits.  The training will sometimes be online, at a training location or even at your place of employment.  If you do not complete this training, your license can lapse.

When you work as a certified nursing assistant, you will not be able to have a criminal record.  You cannot be found guilty of abusing or neglecting a patient.  In addition, you cannot steal or misuse the property of patients.

When working as a certified nursing assistant, you will perform a wide range of tasks for patients.  You will assist them with activities of daily living.  You will track patient vital signs.  In addition, you will need to change and bathe patients who are unable to do so themselves.  Many nursing assistants are responsible for overseeing patients while they perform their range of motion exercises.  You can have a rewarding career as a CNA.

CNA skills are the skills that a certified nursing assistant must be able to perform in order to provide effective care for patients.  Nursing assistants will learn the most common CNA skills during their certification training program.  Graduates of a training program must demonstrate several different skills successfully during the nursing assistant certification exam.

There are many skills that a CNA must be able to utilize each day when caring for patients.  The skills go beyond the direct care that nursing assistants provide for their patients.

CNA skills include safety measures that a nursing assistant takes to protect their patients, themselves, other patients and other healthcare workers.  CNAs must know how to properly wash their hands and to use universal safety precautions.  They must know how to help prevent the spread of disease and germs.

Nursing assistants must have the skills necessary to prevent patients from falling out of bed or falling when being assisted to move out of bed (or moved out of bed).  Nursing assistants must be able to bathe, change and perform other care services to patients without injury to the patient or to the CNA.

Nursing assistants must be able to answer call bells efficiently and to communicate well with patients.  They must develop a good bedside manner and the ability to cooperate with other healthcare workers.  Nursing assistants must be able to safely and properly use any restraints, monitors or other devices.

A nursing assistant must know all steps to follow in the event of a fire or other disaster.  He or she must be able to respond quickly and effectively to any type of emergency situation whether it is with one patient or the entire floor (or building).

Nursing assistants must have the necessary skills to monitor patient vital signs and other details.  He or she must be able to properly add information to a patient’s chart and to protect the integrity of that chart.

A nursing assistant must be able to help to prevent bedsores in patients who cannot move on their own.  He or she might need to be able to apply dressings and to assist with wound care.  In some settings, nursing aides also help with catheter care.  CNAs must always be able to help bathe, groom and move patients in a safe manner.

CNAs will be expected to help keep a patient’s room clean and organized.  He or she should know how to change a patient’s linen and to properly make their bed.  Home health nursing assistants will often need to have some basic cleaning skills as they sometimes need to perform basic household duties as well.
These are just a few of the cna skills that must be mastered.  A few dozen different skills will be taught to individuals who are training to become nursing assistants.  A handful of the skills taught will need to be demonstrated during the nursing assistant certification exam to ensure that individuals are ready to work directly with patients.