A Certified Nursing Assistant is a healthcare professional trained in helping patients with various daily activities. These include documenting all the information of a patient, taking note of the vitals, and coordinating with doctors and other healthcare practitioners to provide better care. Thus, you will find a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) wherever you find patients.

Hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics are just a few healthcare settings where a CNA may work. However, they are a crucial component of the whole healthcare system. Some Certified Nursing Assistants have further training in establishing an atmosphere that would aid patients in recovering more quickly. The whole healthcare system would struggle to deliver appropriate medical treatment without a CNA’s skills.

Job Responsibilities of a CNA

The job responsibilities of a Certified Nursing Assistant are not limited to a few handfuls of responsibilities. They have to look after various things for a patient.

  • Several patients who are unable to take care of themselves when it comes to eating, dressing, and bathing. CNAs need to help such patients in performing such daily activities.
  • Although doctors are there to take care of and treat patients, they cannot always note the vital signs of all the patients they need to attend to. Thus, CNAs have to do the job for them. They document every important factor of a patient to help doctors make proper medical decisions.
  • CNAs also play a crucial role in different medical procedures, such as during surgery. They assist the doctors in making a note of a patient’s vitals during surgery and also provide the necessary tools for the process.

There are a large number of training centres and facilities for certified nursing assistants across the United States.Whether you want to take cna classes in Georgia or Florida or even taket some of the training online. You are likely to find a suitable course or school near you. 

Challenges Faced by CNAs

Although CNAs have to perform a responsible role in the medical field, their life is hectic and strenuous, like any other professional. Sometimes, CNAs need to work double shifts and long hours, which can result in mental and physical exhaustion. Yet, despite the tremendous workload, they need to maintain a positive environment around the patients.

In addition to the above, CNAs also need to lift and shift patients from one part of a hospital to another. This job can be extremely demanding on their physical structure. If a CNA has been working long hours at a stretch, shifting patients can also result in an injury. Again, this is because of the physical pressure due to the long work shift.

Apart from the physical factor, working as a Certified Nursing Assistant can also sometimes be mentally distressing. For example, imagine what would go through the minds of a CNA when asked to deal with family members of a patient suffering from some fatal illness. Yet, despite these daily challenges, many CNAs find their job extremely fulfilling and rewarding.

Rewards of Being a CAN

Unlike popular beliefs, working as a CNA has its fair share of rewards. First of all, while taking care of a patient, you get the opportunity of building healthy relationships with the person and his family. Often CNAs work as the link between patients and doctors. They provide the mental support to patients that is necessary for a person to get well.

Apart from the mental satisfaction of witnessing a patient’s health improving with time, CNAs also get the opportunity of going for further education. Many CNAs who become Registered Nurses with further studies. On the other hand, some who opt for different healthcare careers based on their experience working as CNAs.

Healthcare experts are constantly in demand because of the growing population. As a result, CNAs also benefit from stable employment. A CNA’s career may be financially profitable due to perks, including flexible working hours and excellent pay.

Conclusion

There is no doubt about the fact that Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) have a crucial role to play in the entire healthcare system. Apart from helping doctors provide the best possible medical help by noting the vitals of patients, they also help to create a positive environment around a patient. This helps them recover faster. CNAs work in different healthcare facilities and lead hectic lives. For instance, sometimes, they need to work for long hours and also go through physical and mental stress.

Nonetheless, the job of a CNA is highly rewarding. They get job security with a competitive pay package, which has become a rare sight in this modern era. Apart from that, they also get mental happiness when they find patients recovering under their care. Thus, you will find many people opting to work as Certified Nursing Assistants.