What Does a CNA Do?

Under the guidance of a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Registered Nurse (RN), a Certified Nursing Assistant essentially completes any basic healthcare or administrative duties necessary to keep patients happy and healthy. The day-to-day duties of the job vary depending on the environment – a large hospital will have different needs than a small clinic, for example.

In most cases, however, the basic expectations for a CNA are essentially the same: Help the nurses and the patients with anything they might need. While these tasks are wide-ranging, it’s fairly common to see Certified Nursing Assistants performing the following duties:

• Dress, feed, and bathe the patients – In healthcare facilities and, especially, nursing homes, CNAs can be found helping patients with their most basic needs, including teeth brushing, hair care, and bathroom assistance.
• Keep the nurse up-to-date on patient condition – Since a CNA can be expected to spend a lot of time with the patients on a daily basis, they are often the first to notice changes in their physical and emotional well-being. By communicating these intuitions with the nurse, or simply taking a moment to talk with your patients, you can massively improve their overall quality of care.
• Perform basic medical tests and help with procedures – From tasks such as taking a patient’s weight, to setting up medical equipment or laying out tools, CNAs can be expected to provide assistance with basic medical procedures. For CNAs that want to become nurses someday, this experience can be very valuable.
• Help patients with physical exercises – While true physical therapy requires a more complex educational path, CNAs are permitted to help patients with basic range-of-motion exercises to aid the healing process.