Posted on 04 July 2010 by admin
If you are looking for a job that does not require years of schooling, good opportunities for employment, and be in the health field, you might want to consider becoming a CNA, Certified Nursing Assistant.
You can find programs for CNAs at junior colleges, the Red Cross, some medical facilities, and online. Some nursing homes may provide free training, or may pay as you train, anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. Jobs can be found in nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, in-home, and adult day-care centers. As the biggest part of the population are aging, CNA’s are going to be needed more than ever.
CNAs are also known as different titles in different places. They are called nursing assistants, patient care technicians, and nurses aides. CNA training differs from state to state. At least 75 hours of training is required for a CNA, and passing the state administered exam is a must. During CNA training you will be required to take classes in basic health care, medical law, and classes in medical ethics. You will also be required to pass a competency exam.
During your CNA training, you will learn the basic care of patients. This would include proper bathing procedures, grooming, feeding assistance, transferring the patient for testing or other procedures, and caring for wounds or infections. You will learn to use certain equipment to help the RN, and assist with vital signs. Included in your training are hours of actual clinical time where you can work with patients.
Average pay for the CNA in the United States is about $24,000. Most people have chosen this career because they are caring, and compassionate. CNAs need to be strong, able to work as a team and respectful. They are hard workers who want a career that is rewarding. Being a Certified Nursing Assistant is exactly that.
Posted on 02 July 2010 by admin
A Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) is someone who help to care for patients, typically in a senior home, hospital, or rehabilitation center. The CNA is responsible for keeping track of a patient’s vitals, making sure they are comfortable, as well as dressing, feeding, bathing, and otherwise taking care of a patient’s needs. This article will provide some helpful tips for gaining a CNA certification.
There are a couple of ways to earn a CNA certification. Often schools will offer CNA training to students at high schools and universities. In most states, individuals must be at least sixteen to sit for the CNA certification exam, but most employers require applicants to be at least eighteen years of age.
Also, some nurse training schools require that students pass a basic knowledge test before taking a training course. Always check with your local authorities to see what requirements you must fulfill before taking a CNA training course. Another way to earn a CNA certification is to work with your current employer to help cover the costs of the training program.
Usually, the training lasts around 4-6 weeks and costs roughly $300-$600. If you are currently employed in a facility that requires CNAs, your employer will usually pay the costs of training.
If you are not currently employed at this type of facility, you can apply in advance for a CNA position and be sponsored that way. If this is not possible, the testing center will charge you directly.
Once you find a CNA position, you can expect to earn anywhere between eight and eleven dollars per hour without experience. After you have gained some experience, your pay will increase accordingly.
This profession is a popular starting point for those who are thinking about becoming nurses or doctors in the future. CNAs have an excellent opportunity to learn a lot about the medical field and patient care. This career can be very rewarding for both the patient and the CNA, allowing both to build meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Posted on 01 July 2010 by admin
If you have recently suffered a job loss and qualify for retraining at a community college, you will likely see CNA as one of the options for retraining into a new career field. A CNA assists other medical professionals in providing direct, competent patient care and is an important member of the health care team.
There always has been, and will continue to be a strong demand in this field. Because the number of elderly people is rising and will continue to do so for another 15 to 20 years, the growth in the field will steadily increase. Due to this high demand for nurses aids and basic qualifications for entering the field, some locations offer on-the-job training.
Other employers require you to take your training at a community college and pass the CNA test before hiring. Others may hire you after training, but allow you to work for up to six months before requiring you pass the state CNA test and criminal background check.
A community college program often gives a more in depth clinical experience before entering the work force in the field. You will learn essential skills, such as how to minimize and contain the spread of infectious diseases, how to assist a patient from the bed into a wheelchair using a gait belt, how to properly make a hospital bed, and how to handle bodily fluids appropriately.
There are many avenues to apply your skills once you have been trained and passed the certifying exam in your state. You can work in a nursing home, a hospital setting, or doing private in-home patient care. The work can be demanding, physically and emotionally, but also highly rewarding.
As with most patient care professions, it takes a special person to handle the work load in a professional manner. If you are a people person who thrives on interacting with others, finds helping others rewarding, and have an interest in acquiring basic medical knowledge, becoming a CNA might be the path for you.
Posted on 30 June 2010 by admin
Certified Nursing Assistant jobs are becoming more and more available all over the United States. The reason for the increase in CNA jobs is related to the increased duties that nurses are taking on. Doctors are allowing the nursing staff to take over in areas that used to be strictly the Doctor’s job. An example of this is the prescribing of medications. Nurses take care of administering prescriptions and giving the patient health instructions when they leave the hospital.
Due to Nurses having more responsibility, the need for well trained assistants is on the rise. This is where training and education becomes very important. I will give an outline about the kind of training and education available for people seeking a profession as a nursing assistant. Certified nursing assistant classes are offered in community colleges and online education courses.
Community colleges provide the Associate’s degree for the nursing assistant. There are a number of online schools that offer the certified nursing assistant degree. A few are University of Phoenix, Kaplan University and De Vry University. Once the individual completes the degree, there is a test that is required before they can become certified.
The certified nursing assistant classes that are required for the Associate’s degree consist of certain prerequisites. These prerequisites are knowledge of medical terminology, physiology, computer basics, CPR and First Aid. Further educational classes include patient care procedures and an externship in a clinical setting. A licensed professional supervises the student who is pursuing the externship and makes sure the student meets the requirements for certification.
Beyond the certified nursing assistant classes, there is also a number of training hours involved. Currently, at least 75 hours of training in a hospital or nursing home is required for the nursing assistant certification. Next the student must take and complete a comprehensive examination.
It should be mentioned that becoming a CNA is a very involved process. For those interested, contact your local community college. The assortment of online schools should also afford the student good choices in seeking certification for the nursing assistant degree. The profession is a rewarding one. Further, the possibility of earning between $20,000 and $30,000 is highly obtainable. Top CNA’s in the U.S. earn as much as $39,000 annually.
Posted on 27 June 2010 by admin
To successfully become a certified cna students will need to take a cna state board test. The test is designed to help students understand if they are ready to utilize the skills they have learned in the cna course.
Taking a cna state board practice test will prepare students to pass the state board exam the first time. Potential cna’s will be tested on such things as the proper way to wash hands, how to take blood pressure and helping residents with a bed bath. Though some students may feel confident in their knowledge, taking a cna state board practice test will give them the added security of knowing they are ready to take the test in their designated state.
Tests can be intimidating especially if receiving certification depends on it. Not everyone is good at taking test no matter how many times they may study. The fear of taking test along with not knowing what will be asked gets in the way of them doing a good job. Taking a practice test will allow students to get a glimpse of what they are to expect from the real thing. The practice test uses questions similar to the questions asked on the state board exam and go over the information taught in most cna courses. Students will become comfortable with the test model and boost confidence on test day.
The benefits of passing the state board exam are numerous as it gives graduates certification to practice what they have learned in a controlled medical environment. CNA’s are in high demand and can gain employment at hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and hospice houses. There knowledge is counted on by the men and women who need their services. Knowing how to handle the needs of the patients is very important which is why certification is necessary. The state board exam gives certification to those who have proven competence in their understanding of the field and they are allowed to seek and obtain gainful employment.
Failing the state board exam will result in non-certification and scheduling another test date and time. This can set students back and will result in time loss in the work world. This can be avoided if students prepare themselves for the exam by taking a cna state board practice test. No one likes to repeat a test especially if they have the basic knowledge and know how.
Posted on 25 June 2010 by admin
The medical field is constantly changing and evolving and medical professionals are expected to stay current in their respective fields. CNA’s are no different which is why the state board has required each CNA to take a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education each year.
CNA continuing education includes learning about domestic violence, CPR, HIV and AIDS as well as residents rights and learning how to prevent medical errors. Other courses such as hydration and nutrition or special needs and skin care will help cna’s meet their twelve-hour minimum.
CNA’s are also required to keep an accurate record of the amount of hours they have accumulated toward their cna continuing education requirement. An accurate record will help in the event the state board audits them. In-service hours are mandatory if a cna wants to keep their certification for the following year. Disciplinary action can be taken against those who do not comply before the year is finished. CNA’s have the option of completing one hour each month or all twelve at once.
It is important for CNA’s to stay current on the many issues that may affect the patients they work with on a daily basis. Continuing their education will help them perform their duties much more efficiently and competently. CNA’s are on the front lines and see patients much more often than some doctors, which makes learning all they can that much more important.
Some individuals come into medical facilities for multiple reasons and a one-size fit all approach can be potentially harmful to the patient as well as the certified nursing assistant. A domestic violence patient will not necessarily need the same care as an HIV and AIDS infected patient. The level of care may be different for each individual patient.
CNA continuing education programs provides cna’s with new skills to handle different situations that may arise within their field. 60 minutes of a continued education course is equal to one hour towards the twelve-hour minimum to gain renewal each year. Taking the continuing education courses in a timely manner will allow cna’s to submit their time logs in on time. This is especially important if they want to continue working. Without the proper certification they may not be able to come to work until the issues is handled properly.
Each state’s requirements are different so learning which is required by your state will help save time.
Posted on 23 June 2010 by admin
A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is an integral part of a medical team. In order to become a CNA, an individual must complete a state-approved educational and training program and then pass a CNA certification test and evaluation, to be placed on a state’s Nurses Aide Registry. Training programs are offered through vocational-technical schools, some community colleges, and high schools. When considering becoming a CNA, one should assess whether they are interested in providing physically demanding, hands-on, routine care as part of a medical team.
A nursing assistant will find opportunities in long-term care nursing facilities as well as hospitals. A CNA will perform many of the caretaking duties, such as feeding, bathing, and changing of patients. They perform these tasks under the supervision of nursing and physician staff members.
The CNA certification test is comprised of written and skill exams and are administered on the same day. The questions are in English and are multiple choice format with an average of 70 questions. The percentage correct needed to qualify as passing the exam varies based on state regulations and you are advised to reference your particular state’s requirements.
The skills portion of the exam consists of demonstrating five skills necessary to perform the duties of a CNA. This normally will take up to 30 minutes to complete and are based on skills taught in your training program. Some of the actions requested may include, taking a patient’s blood pressure, washing hands, mouth care, dressing a patient, and feeding. This is not an exhaustive list of possible duties.
A student will have more than one opportunity to pass both portions of the CNA certification test. If the individual failed both the written and skills portion, he or she will be required to retake both. If only one section was failed, only that section needs to be retaken.
A CNA has the opportunity to provide essential daily care in the lives of their patients and create a relationship with them. The training and education required will greatly assist in preparing for your state’s exam.
CNAs are also known as different titles in different places. They are called nursing assistants, patient care technicians, and nurses aides. CNA training differs from state to state. At least 75 hours of training is required for a CNA, and passing the state administered exam is a must. During CNA training you will be required to take classes in basic health care, medical law, and classes in medical ethics. You will also be required to pass a competency exam.
