The medical field is one of the fastest growing industries in the country, and experts estimate that medical careers will grow by 18 percent between 2016 and 2026. Nursing is a meaningful and highly respected career, but it can take several years to complete a nursing degree and become licensed. If you’re interested in nursing, but would like a career that you can start relatively quickly, consider becoming a certified nursing assistant.
What does a CNA do? Responsibilities can vary, but in short, certified nursing assistants provide hands-on health care to patients.
- A CNA helps with daily activities. This can include hygiene tasks like bathing, combing hair, shaving, and brushing teeth, as well as taking patients to appointments or activities within the healthcare facility. Some patients may need help eating, others may need assistance changing position or moving between the wheelchair and the bed, and some may need help using the toilet and getting dressed. Sometimes, the responsibilities of a CNA will include some housekeeping.
- Certified nursing assistants are good listeners. An important part of the job is to talk to patients, listening to and recording their concerns so that you can relay the information to the nurses. It’s important for a CNA to have good communication skills, be detail-oriented, and have astute observational skills, noticing even slight changes in patient condition or demeanor.
- Measuring and recording vital signs is another responsibility of a CNA. Taking patients’ temperature and blood pressure, measuring and recording their food and liquid intake, tracking their weight, and keeping tabs on their pain levels are all important parts of caring for them.
- A certified nursing assistant knows how to handle patient problems and issues. This might mean cleaning and dressing wounds, repositioning patients to help prevent bedsores, or helping with medical procedures. As an important part of the patients’ medical team, a CNA is actively involved in taking care of patients and does so with compassion and patience.
- Sometimes, certified nursing assistants work with medical technology. This can include billing software, as well as health information software and medical record charting software.
If you’re ready to pursue a career as a certified nursing assistant, ABC Training Center can provide the training you need. We also can combine this training with our EKIG/Phlebotomy course to offer certification as an advanced nurse aide (call the admissions department for details at 718-364-6700). ABC Training Center is a healthcare training institute that NYC students trust, serving students in the New York City area since 1972. We provide high-quality, nationally certified programs that prepare students for meaningful work in any medical setting. Continue browsing to learn more about our medical training programs in New York, or call us at 718-618-5589.