The primary duties of a Certified Nursing Assistant may vary according to the kind of care facility you are working for. It can be a nursing home, hospital, elder care facility or sometimes even a patient’s own home. Thus duties of a Nursing Assistant will also depend basically on the employer and place of work. The key objective of CNA training is to introduce the aspirants with diverse tasks they will have to master.

The prime responsibility of CNA, nursing aide or nurse assistant is patient care and monitoring. Working as a CNA under the supervision of a registered nurse, your main duty is usual care giving and assisting patients with their day-to-day activities such as feeding, bathing, dressing, walking and other various tasks like inserting catheter, tracking of patient’s medical history, taking vital signs, handling admission and discharge procedures etc in a 24/7 rotational shift. Apart from these, giving social and emotional support to the patients also comes under your job responsibilities. You would also be expected to give all vital and prominent information about your patient’s progress and health to the licensed nurse you are assigned to.

If you are working at a nursing home or continuing care facility as a CNA, you become broadly responsible for overall care of elderly and physically disabled patients. The patients at nursing homes are usually there for a longer period and depend completely upon the nursing assistant for daily care giving. As a CNA you have to maintain an enduring bond with your patients by revealing a loving and kind attitude.

If you are working at a hospital then your duties may go absolutely different in comparison to a nursing home. In a facility like hospital your duties may involve every general thing like taking and monitoring patient’s vital signs, bathing, feeding, dressing, moving them between different wards and departments, and administering their health condition, medication and progress.

Having excellent bedside etiquettes, good communication skills, promptness of handling emergencies, sharp observations, staying calm in strenuous and hectic situations are some of the essential traits that a CNA must possess. While keenly observing the patient a nursing assistant must be vigilant about any changes in patient’s condition, immediately report and take action in case of emergency and must be empathetic and unwearied in your behavior towards your patient and co-workers.

A Certified Nursing Assistant generally works in a shift of 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays. To become a CNA all that you require is a GED or high school diploma and pass a State administered certification exam. Relevant experience is not all that necessary as a CNA gets on job training. A Nursing Assistant has to go through a minimum 75 hours state-approved training, appear in a competency exam and pass it. Some states require you to be licensed even sometimes.

The career of a Certified Nursing Assistant is not an easy one as you must be able to give care to people. Because of the challenging functions associated to this field the attrition rate is quite high, but with determination and poise you will find this job of patient care very satisfying and rewarding.

The duties of a CNA hold enormous responsibilities, but at the same time offer grand rewards. After becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant you carry professionalism, attract huge demand, earn good fortune and above all you come in to a profession where you support and assist others and make difference in people’s lives.

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