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Anyone interested in a nursing career or any medical-related career is likely to benefit from starting out as a CNA. This is an entry level position in the health sector that prepares one for career advancement. It is also a very satisfying career path in itself. To become a CNA trainee, all you need is a high school diploma or GED then find a properly accredited training institution and you are good to go. Once you commence your training, you will be working towards passing your CNA exam, getting CNA certification, and getting a CNA license that will allow you to practice in your particular state and get you in your state’s nursing registry.
CNA Training
The CNA training period can take as little as 3 to 4 weeks or as long as one semester and in some cases even 6 months depending on the number of training hours per day. This will also depend on your state’s requirement on minimum training hours for CNA students. The training consists of classroom credit hours and practical hours where you get hands-on training in a hospital setting. This number of hours is set by your state’s nursing board and your training institution may have additional minimum requirements. For example, if you train with the Red Cross you will need to put in 160 credit hours. This consists of 60 hours of classroom and laboratory training and 100 hours of hands on clinical training. The training is mostly inexpensive and you can even get free certified nursing assistant training.
CNA Curriculum
The training consists of the regular day to day duties of a CNA. These include transporting the sick or elderly, helping them with their hygiene issues, making them comfortable, helping them exercise, and helping them go to the bathroom. The training will also include medical-related tasks such as taking vital tasks and performing some basic procedures such as administering injections and giving enemas. Additionally, CNA trainees will learn the legal and ethical aspects of nursing. They will also learn medical vocabulary, emergency care, and infection control. The training is typically a standard 3 course and even though institutions and states differ in details, the curriculum is pretty standard all over the country. You can make use of nursing assistant resources found online or in libraries.
Certification and Licensing
On the completion of the state approved CNA training program, the student has to sit and pass a CNA exam. The exam is composed of a written test and a practical portion or the CNA skills test. Depending on your state, there might be additional requirements. Some of these include the applicant being at least 16 years old, passing a drug test, undergoing a criminal background check, and fingerprinting. Once you have satisfied these conditions you will receive a CNA certificate, be added onto your state’s nursing registry as a CNA, and be licensed as a CNA in that state.
While you can serve as a non-certified nursing aide, you get more employment opportunities, better job security, a better salary, and better perks if you are certified. The starting salary for a CNA is not high and only averages around $11 per hour in the first year. Nevertheless, you are likely to find many jobs already waiting for you upon completing your training program.