Training and Education

A Certified Nurses Assistant (CNA) may receive some or all of the necessary training while attending high school, if such a program is a part of the curriculum. If not, a person interested in becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) will need to take courses from a nursing care facility, vocational-technical center, or community college. In order to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), one must take coursework in areas such as nutrition, body mechanics, anatomy and physiology, communication skills, infection control, and resident rights. Additional training may include learning how to help patients eat, bathe, and groom themselves.

Job Description

A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is responsible for performing a number of tasks while under the supervision of medical staff or nurses. These duties include delivering messages, answering the call lights of patients, serving meals, helping patients dress and bathe, making beds, and assisting patients with eating. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) may also take the patients temperature, respiration rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure. In addition, the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) may provide skin care to the patient, escort him or her to the examining room or operating room, and maintain the neatness of the patient’s room. Another duty of the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is to monitor the patient’s emotional, mental, and physical health in order to report changes to the medical staff. This is particularly important in nursing homes where residents remain for a long time and the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) may form an ongoing relationship with the patient.

Salary and Job Outlook

Job opportunities for a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) are expected to grow faster than the average occupation. Various areas of specialty are expected to grow faster than others within the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) field. For example, home health aides are expected to be the fasted growing occupation in response to the growing number of elderly patients requiring care. The Bureau reports that the median hourly wage of a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in 2004 was $10.09. Earnings varied somewhat in accordance to employer. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) working for an employment service earned a median hourly wage of $11.29, while those working in a community care facility for the elderly earned the least at $9.56 per hour.