In High Demand: A Guide to a Certified Nursing Assistant Career

Back in World War 1, The Red Cross created a program to train nurses called Volunteer Nurses Aide Service. They are now known as Certified Nursing Assistants. CNAs care for patients who truly need it most. It really is an important and rewarding career path to take.

WHAT'S A CNA?

Also referred to as nursing aides, certified nursing assistants work under the supervision of LPNs and registered nurses to care for patients. CNAs can find jobs in a variety of healthcare settings such as hospitals, outpatient and assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and even as in-home caregivers. Here are some tasks you can expect in your typical day-to-day as a CNA.

Common Daily Duties of a CNA:

• Feed and bathe patients
• Help shower and dress patients
• Turn and reposition patients on bedrest
• Take and record vital signs and blood pressure
• Maintain a detailed report of patients to relate to medical team
• Assist with any medical procedures
• Sometimes, just sitting and holding a patient’s hand

SOFT SKILLS OF A CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT

As a certified nursing assistant, you’ll be working closely with the patients. You’ll be in the room for many of your patient’s life-changing moments. You will experience birth and death and the care you provide to patients in assisting their nurses is critical. Listed below are a few soft skills that make a great certified nursing assistant.

• Quality One: You have to be a team player for this job. You must work well with others to be productive and efficient in healthcare.
• Quality Two: There are a lot of tasks piled up on your daily to-do list. You need to be a highly motivated person to stay on top of your work as a CNA.
• Quality Three: When working in the medical field, communication is essential for success. You will be talking to patients, their families, nurses, and doctors throughout the day.
• Quality Four: You must have patience and compassion when working with patients. You'll encounter many personalities. Some of your patients may be super easy while others may not.
• Quality Five: It’s important to be able to work well under pressure when you work in healthcare.
• Quality Six: Being the owner of a sunny smile and cheerful disposition can help you and patients alike.
• Quality Seven: Physical strength is also essential as a CNA. Very often, you will be required to assist patients and support their bodyweight.
• Quality Eight: If you are someone who can advocate for your patients and yourself, you will be a valuable asset to the team.

BENEFITS OF WORKING AS A CNA

There benefits of working as a CNA include but are not limited to:

• It’s an emotionally satisfying and rewarding choice of careers.

• Many nurses begin working as a CNA. If you plan on furthering your career, you’ll be able to explore alternative medical related options firsthand because of how closely you’ll be working with others in varying aspects of the field.

• Because so many nursing schools have gotten extremely competitive, many are now focusing on admitting those who are already certified nursing assistants.

• Your CNA experience can be used as credit toward a registered nurse degree.

• There are many different environments you can find work in; you aren’t just pigeon-holed into a hospital setting.

• Flexible scheduling allows you to have a life outside of work. Healthcare within the work environment is a 24-hour a day job. Those who need to work evenings, weekends, and mornings will be an asset.

HOW TO BECOME A CNA

Once you have your high school diploma or GED, it’s a relatively straightforward path toward becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant. You’ll just need the proper training, and programs are available through high schools, community colleges, technical schools, and even some hospitals. Every state has its own requirements for CNA training, so it’s important to learn about yours ahead of time. Most states only require between 75-150 hours of combined classroom and hands-on instruction.

After you’ve received your training, you’ll have to become fully certified. You’ll take your state-specific exam which will include both a clinical and practical portion. Most likely, you’ll begin studying and prepping for the exam while you’re in school. Most programs really drill their students to ready them for certification. Consider taking the exam as close to the end of your class as possible. That way, the information is still fresh in your mind, and your chances of passing are greater. If you aren’t able to conveniently schedule your certification exam, you’ll generally still be able to work for a couple of months uncertified.

Depending on your state, you may have to provide fingerprints and pass a background check. Some states also require CNAs to take a certain amount of continuing education credits every year.

HEALTHCARE IS A GROWING INDUSTRY

After you work as a CNA for a few months or years, you may decide to go back to school in order to advance your career. If you think you’d like to stay in the medical field, particularly on the nursing side then here is a little info for you to mull over:

• LPN: Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) usually supervise CNAs. There are a few areas where they do overlap but LPNs get to work a bit deeper in their patient’s care. More education is required if you decide to become an LPN. You can choose between a diploma/certificate program or an associate degree.
• RN: To become an entry level RN, you need an associate degree. From there, a bridge program is usually available to RNs wanting to get their bachelor’s of science in nursing.
• Specializing: Once you’ve become an RN, you can choose a specialization such as a pediatrics, maternal health, and more. Or, you can decide to continue your education and get your Bachelor’s of Science-Nursing, Master’s of Science-Nursing and beyond!

SALARY AND JOB OUTLOOK

A certified nursing assistant is more of an entry level position within the medical field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that CNAs earned an average salary of $39,610 in 2023, with the top 10 percent making closer to $48,780 or more. The BLS also states that the demand for CNAs is expected to increase 4 percent by 2032, which is as fast as the national average.

States Paying the Highest Salaries in 2023