In years past there were certain positions and areas within the health care industry that did not require very much training and were, on the face of it, easy to enter and find work in. One of those was the position of nurses aide. A nurse’s aide was often employed with little or even no training and this practice was particularity prevalent in nursing homes.
The Standards for CNAs are Set – In the United States prior to 1987 there were no mandated standards of care for nursing homes and that became a real problem when horror stories began appearing in the media about poor care, lack of management and even patient abuse that was being discovered in nursing homes and other long term care facilities across the nation. Much of this stemmed from a lack of trained nursing staff of all levels as well as a schedule for the trained professionals employed in these institutions that was just too demanding to be safe for both patients and the workers themselves.
In order to begin solving these problems and improve the care that patients in these institutions were receiving the government stepped in and enacted Omnibus Budget and Reform Act (OBRA). This act applied to any nursing home that received payments from either Medicare or Medicaid, something the great majority of them do. The act set forth mandates about minimum staffing levels, minimum training requirements for all medical staff and a patients bill of rights that has to be adhered to at all times in order for these facilities to continue to be able to care for residents who have either form of government issued health insurance.
This act had far reaching effects and one of those was an increase in the demand in these settings for well trained nurses aides – now known as Certified Nursing Assistants. OBRA requires that each state now maintain strict standards for the education of CNAs, wherever they work, as CNAs are also employed in hospitals, community clinics and within the home health nursing industry.
The Traits of a Good CNA – Becoming certified nursing assistant is not for everyone. The job can be very physically demanding as it often involves standing or walking for a great portion of a shift which can be as long as twelve hours. As is the case for any medical professional there are also always some patients who are more difficult to deal with others, something that can be magnified in a nursing home situation.
A great deal of patience and compassion is required of a good certified nursing assistant not only in dealing with patients but with those patients’ families as well who can often be more difficult to deal with than the patient themselves as they are often scared and unsure what to expect. As hard as the job of a CNA is though many people derive great satisfaction from it as they can really make a huge difference in a patient’s life and that of their friends and relatives.
CNA Training Programs -The first step to becoming a CNA in any state is to contact the state board of health to obtain the exact set of requirements for certification as a nursing assistant, as they do vary from state to state. With that information in hand a would be CNA can begin looking for a suitable CNA education program.
In almost all states to enter any CNA training program a student must possess a high school diploma or an equivalent GED and be able to demonstrate that they are legally entitled to work in the United States. Many CNA training programs also require that students take a basic physical before they are accepted as the duties of a CNA can be physically rather strenuous. A potential student will usually have to obtain a criminal background check as well.
The CNA programs offered in most states consist of 75-100 hours of education. During that time the students training will include learning to perform the following basic tasks:
- Safely bathing and dressing a patient
- Lifting or assisting a patient from place to another
- Setting up and helping to maintain various medical supplies and equipment
- Communicating successfully with supervising staff, patients and patients families
- Take basic vital signs and understand how to interpret them
- Clean both the patient and their accommodation including changing bed linen, emptying commodes and maintaining a sterile environment when necessary.
- Communicating vital medical information about a patients condition to superiors both in writing and verbally including learning how to use a facility’s medical records system
- Carry out their daily duties while still abiding by the patient privacy rights that are set out by HIPPA (the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act)
Deal with health insurance companies and learn how to perform basic tasks that pertain to that insurance including requesting pre-authorization to administer certain medications in order for them to be covered and paid for by the plan.
There are any number of CNA training programs offered at community colleges and private technical schools across most states but there has also been a huge increase in the number of facilities that are offering their own training programs to students who will be willing to work for them after they are certified. As it is so crucial to their survival that these institutions remain fully staffed at all times it really is in their best interest to offer CNA training, often at no cost, to suitable applicants.
After a student has completed their CNA training they must sit the state test that will grant them their certification. A graduate of CNA training programs can begin working without certification but it must be obtained within 90-120 days after they graduate in order for them to continue working.
Although the state CNA test will vary from location to location there are some basic components that are covered by all of them and there is both a written and a practical portion of the testing. These will usually include:
- The demonstration of personal patient care skills such as bathing, grooming, feeding and moving patients.
- Basic nursing skills, being able to demonstrate good technique when taking vital signs, understanding the basics of infection control, the importance of a clean environment and basic hygiene.
- The use and care of patient medical aids and appliances such as prosthetics, colostomy bags, walkers and other medical devices.
- A full understanding of the HIPPA laws and how they apply to a CNA and the penalties that can be incurred if they are violated.
Once a graduate of a CNA training program has passed the state test they receive the official designation of certified nursing assistant and can officially be employed on a full time basis. Many states do require that CNAs undergo regular continuing education in order to maintain their certification though.
Working as a CNA – Although these days a great many CNAs find work in nursing and long term care facilities where their services are in the highest demand an increasing number of hospitals and clinics are also employing certified nursing assistants to bolster their medical staff to ensure that patient care standards are maintained.
The salary for CNA jobs does vary quite a great deal from state to state and even from city to city within the same state. According to Indeed.com the national average annual salary for a CNA in August of 2011 was $29,000 but that figure can be as high as $35,000 in some states or as low as $25,000 in others. Many CNAs can also earn more as they gain experience or if they are willing to work in certain environments that may be more challenging like prisons and institutions with patients with mental as well as physical problems and issues.
Many CNAs do continue their education once they are working in order to enter the world of licensed nursing, either as a licensed practical nurse or even as a registered nurse. A great many of the newer licensed nurses working across the country today began their careers as certified nursing assistants and then progressed from there. In fact often a CNA has an easier time in higher level nursing education programs as their work has already seen them come into contact with a great many of the principles, tasks and skills they will need to learn in order to advance in their nursing career.