All You Need to Know About Certified Nursing Assistants

Certified nursing assistants may not be on the top of the list of the most exciting and stress-free jobs on the medical career, but it definitely is one of the most important. Certified nursing assistants get their daily share of actions. Certified nursing assistants must have a lot of compassion and empathy in order to help eradicate stress of sick patients, as well as aide them to a fast recovery. 

What do they do?

Certified nursing assistants are commonly known as orderlies, patient care technicians, nurses’ aides and home health aides. They work under the nurse’s supervision, and together they offer support to sick patients. Certified nursing aides work personally with their patients. They are depended upon by the patients to perform basic care services, such as grooming, feeding, bathing, or helping nurses lug around medical equipment. They also check the patient’s vital signs. Patients also receive emotional and social support from their certified nursing assistants. Certified nursing aides are also the ones who give out information to the nurses concerning their patients’ circumstances.

How are they trained and certified?

The job of certified nursing assistants can be a surefire way to start a career in nursing. They can be intensely involved in caring for patients, and they ensure that sick patients are meeting their basic needs. To become a certified nursing assistant, one needs to have a high school diploma. They also need to complete a six to twelve week CNAs certificate program in their local college or med facility. The CNAs certificate program’s classroom sessions typically involve basic skills in nursing, nutrition, infection control, as well as classes in anatomy and physiology. Their clinical activities always involve lots of hands-on experiences. The certification of nursing assistants, however, is varied. They give out certification exams and when applicants pass, congratulations to them! They are now certified nursing assistants.

Let’s talk about the salaries. How much do they earn?

This is not exact to the dime, but according to the data of Salary.com (for the year 2009), fifty percent of certified nursing assistants have incomes somewhere in between of $24,729 and $29,887. However, those who are on the top of their jobs receive $32,388 or even more! Wait, why are they varied? There are certain factors that depend on the amount of income received, and two of these are the number of years employed and where they are employed.

Where do they work?

Usually certified nursing assistants work in hospitals, private homes, nursing homes or mental health facilities. There will never be a shortage for job offerings for certified nursing assistants – there will always be someone who needs the aid of those trained in the medical field.

Despite of the hardships of being a certified nursing assistant – it can be very stressful, tiring and at times plain backbreaking labor – it can also be one of the most satisfying careers a person can enter into. If one’s passion is truly helping one’s fellowmen, all of the pains associated with the tiring job can vanish in an instant, the moment they see the smile on their patients’ faces.