There are a number of instructional materials available to assist nursing assistant students develop their technical skills outside of the classroom. These instructional materials usually include manuals and DVDs. The information in the manuals and workbooks is reinforced by the activities on the DVD. A CNA student can review the material that is provided in the manual and complete the workbook exercises and then have the DVD as a visual reference for learning how to physically perform nursing assistant duties. This is a very advantageous way to continue studying your techniques outside of the clinical environment.

Most of the instructional DVD’s focus on specific skill sets individually. This makes it easier for a nursing assistant student to review the topics. The use of instructional DVDs provides the student with the convenience of reviewing and replaying certain techniques more as often as one would like until that particular technique is understood. Likewise, most instructional DVD’s provide graphics and explanations while the subjects in the DVD perform the different techniques. This also adds in understanding and retention of information.

Instructional DVD’s for nursing assistants usually are separated by topic. This is very convenient because the student will be able to follow along with the different techniques such as obtaining vital signs or proper skin care without having all the information placed together. This simplicity makes it a lot easier for knowledge to be absorbed. In addition, if the nursing student wants to review a specific technique or concept for an upcoming test the instructional DVDs are usually divided into topics either with separate DVD’s or the student can access the particular topic from the table of contents in the menu. DVDs make it so much more convenient for a CNA student to review techniques learned in class and continue learning at home.

Purchasing a certified nursing assistant DVD for personal or classroom instruction is an excellent way to reinforce the concepts and techniques learned via books and clinical instruction. The DVDs offer the student the ability and convenience of continuing the learning process outside of the nursing assistant program which is important for perfecting the skills needed to become a certified nursing assistant.

Nearly all states require that people working as nursing assistants complete a certification test. This test is a combination of both written and technical comprehension. The written portion of the test is usually multiple choice, although this can vary by state, and tests the comprehension of a variety of nursing assistant skills. Applicants are usually given a certain amount of time to complete this portion of the test. After applicants finish the written portion of the test they will be required to take the technical portion of the test. The technical portion of the test allows applicants to show their mastery in performing certain skills that are required when working as a nursing assistant. It is necessary that applicants come to the testing center properly dressed so that they can complete the technical portion of the test.

Upon the completion of both portions of the test, applicants will be notified of the passing or failure of the examination usually through the Board of Nursing or via the testing center. If applicants successfully complete and pass the certification exam, their names will be placed on the state registry. Applicants are, in some cases, provided with a certified nursing assistant card. In some states there are different types of certifications for nursing assistants. These certifications provide the certified nursing assistant with additional skill sets that allow them to perform additional responsibilities. These additional certifications include the geriatric nursing assistant certification (GNA) that allows certified nursing assistants to work in long term care facilities. The home health aide (HHA) certification allows a certified nursing assistant to work in home health care agencies. The certified medicine aide certification (CMA) allows a certified nursing assistant to administer medicine in long term care facilities. The CMA certification requires the certified nursing assistant have at least a year of experience as a CNA, and the CNA must have taken a 60 hour approved medicine aide course.

Obtaining the CNA certification as a nursing assistant allows applicants to work in a variety of settings assisting individuals with daily care. In addition, having the  certification also allows creates opportunities to expand your skill set by obtaining additional training and then taking those advanced certifications.

The Care-Giver

A CNA is definitely not the most glorified job in the field of nursing, no matter where they are deployed, be it a hospital, clinic, nursing home or whatever. But it is certainly one of the most vital. The daily operations carried out – the duties of a certified nursing assistant – are the basis of what drives smooth operations, and it may be a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it. The beauty of being in the front-line is that it set standards for the good well being of the patient in care.

Sick people who are helpless are in general very grateful for the smallest things, just being helped to sit comfortably, or a refreshing bed bath, feels better to some patients than any medicine in the world. Compassion and skill is what sets the CAN apart from the rest and makes them the best. It is this that helps patients enjoy a stress free recovery, or event eh last days of their lives, and being stress free, is like winning the lottery, finally you can relax! This is how important the CNA job is.

The Career

Many of the best RN’s used being a CNA as a stepping stone to enter this career, it is a fantastic entry point into a nursing career. And it doesn’t matter what job you do, having to start from the bottom rung of the ladder always stands a person in better stead in the long run. Why do you think so many big business men start their sons off in the mail-room where they start. Because it is a good life lesson and you don’t come on board with the same arrogance as a hot shot graduate might in an instant management position.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Programs

Certified Nursing Assistant Programs ensure that the trainee is ready to start working with real live patients in the shortest possible time. They are even able to teach RN graduates a thing or two about working with people when they come onto the wards for the first time after sitting in a classroom for so long.

They require a GED or High School Diploma and the completion of a 6 – 12 week CNA certification. These programs can be found online, in hospitals and at a community college. If you want to start in the “mail room” of nursing and work your way to the top, this is the way to do it. Remember all through your training, you will be salaried, by doing things this way.

In most cases, you will be testing with a group. The written exam is usually given before the skills test, and everyone will take the test at the same time. You will have to answer approximately 100 multiple-choice questions, and are usually given up to two hours to complete them. The written test covers patient care and protocols, patient monitoring and record-keeping, laboratory and testing procedures.

Everything on the written portion will have been covered in your CNA training classes. It is a good idea to review your class materials, handouts, and charts before the certification test, particularly if you won’t be taking it right after completing the course. You can find some sample testing questions for the CNA exam online.

Following the written portion, the instructor takes the finished tests, and then individuals will be called on to perform their skills test one at a time. You may be asked to bring a “model” or helper with you to facilitate the skills testing. This person would act as your patient for you to demonstrate your skills on. The particulars of the skills test will vary, and may not be the same from person to person. You won’t know which skills you will be asked to perform until the actual testing.

You can expect the practical exam to cover the most common skills you will encounter. This might include performing measurements of vital signs – blood pressure, pulse, and respiration; demonstrating the proper way make a bed, both with and without a patient in it; ambulating or moving your patient – helping them dress, moving them in to and out of a wheel chair, etc.; and responding to emergencies such as choking.

You won’t know the outcome of your CNA certification test right then and there; results will be mailed to you. However if you’ve been attentive in class and understand what you’ve been taught, and taken the time to study and review your materials prior to taking the test, you should have no problem passing. Once you have earned your certification, you are then free to work as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, Nurse’s Aide, or other similar position at any hospital, nursing home, or other facility in your state.

The CNA exam is normally comprised of two parts – the written test and the practical skills test. The written portion basically concentrates on the overall medical procedures and concepts that have been learned while the student was in training.

Enrolling in a strong nursing assistant program such as the Red Cross CNA classes will help ensure that you will be well prepared for the exam. This type of course may last anywhere from several weeks to 3 or 4 months which includes the classroom training portion and several practical training classes as well, where you will learn the basics of clinical application uses to apply the skills you have been taught during your classroom time. Normally the clinical training is done by a registered nurse or nursing staff and involves directly working with patients.

Most of the individuals who passed the practical portion of the test say that the written part of the CNA exam is actually quite simple and fairly easy to pass if you have studied the books and manuals that are provided with the course.

However, the second portion of the exam, the CNA skills test, can be a bit more challenging; some places require that you bring someone with you that can act as your “visual aide” or “model” for you to perform your test on. You will be expected to demonstrate how well you know your skills set by using your aide as an example of the different things that may be required. During your Certified Nursing Assistant skills test the examiner may request that you demonstrate many different skills that you have learned during the course.

As a general rule they will ask that you complete anywhere from three to six different clinical skills which may include tasks such as repositioning your patient, taking their temperature, washing your hands, changing the bed linen or even holding the bedpan as part of your certification text.

Every step that you attempt and complete will be closely observed by the person that is giving you the exam; small things such as not knocking on a patient’s door before entering, washing your hands incorrectly or any other small detail may result in you not passing your Certified Nursing Assistant Exam. Remember to always remain composed and calm as your examiner will be checking to make sure that you are able to remain this way under true life stressful situations.

The CNA skills test and written exam is also observed by your state examiner, who carefully evaluates your performance. Many times they will also give you mock cases and then ask you to perform certain skill sets relating to that particular case. If you remember to pay attention to all details while studying then you should have no trouble passing the exam.

If you have a desire to get into health care and do not have a college degree getting Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA training online is the way to start. All you need is a GED or high school diploma and access to a computer with internet on a regular basis for four to eight weeks. Finding a school that offers training online is really pretty simple. Type in CNA training online and you will find over one million results. Once you have looked at the various programs available you will want to make sure that the institution you choose is accredited so that if you want to continue on to become a nurse your course credits will transfer and count towards your graduation requirements. You will also need to find a course that also has some clinical aspect to it because the majority of certification programs involve having a certain number of clinical hours to get certified in addition to passing the exam for that state.

You will need to check with your particular State Department of Health to determine exactly what the requirements are for CNA certification. CNA training class will go through the basics of patient care including bathing, feeding, dressing and monitoring (blood pressure, pulse, etc.). Some online courses include a streaming video section going over just what is required and others recommend you spend time at an affiliated medical facility before taking your certification exam.

There is a site called CNA Training Course Online and St. Augustine Nursing Assistant School offers a six to eight week course designed by doctors and nurses. Other places to get CNA training are your local community colleges, technical schools and local medical centers. Most of these courses want a total commitment of seventy five hours of training (combination of class and clinical) before gaining your certification. Online courses want you to take your certification at a monitored facility.

Some of the coursework you can expect to take includes classes in physiology, nutrition, anatomy, basic nursing skills and infection control. As the population ages and more people enter assisted living facilities and nursing homes certified nursing assistants are going to be more in demand than ever. The average salary for a certified nursing assistant begins at a bit under $20,000 and tops out at around $40,000 depending on the facility and how many years of service you may have. If you decide you want additional training many times the facility you work for has tuition reimbursement and you can work towards becoming a registered nurse ($50,000+) with your boss’s money.

CNA training is something you can do in very little time. The rewards are endless: job security; exciting and varying workplace environments; the opportunity to work in either a high-energy, fast-paced environment or slower, easier setting; excellent pay and benefit opportunities, and the knowledge that you’re truly making a difference in the world!

The money to provide free training classes comes from penalties collected from nursing homes that were fined by OSDH for delivering substandard care. It is possible that Certified Nursing Assistants from these very same nursing homes will be turn out to be beneficiaries of the scholarship, which has aims of improving overall patient care in long-term care facilities. The core of the free CNA program is to upgrade the skills and knowledge of nursing assistants to a level CNA 2. Tulsa Community College also offers more advanced training for those nursing assistants who wish to advance to the CNA 3 level, but this level is not currently funded.

To fund the program, the OSDH is using civil monetary penalties collected by the agency from nursing homes that were fined for delivering substandard care. CNAs who work with long-term care patients in nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities are eligible to apply for the OSDH-funded training. The aim of the program is to serve as a career ladder for working CNAs – appropriately named the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Career Ladder Program. The new course blends online learning with traditional classroom and lab work geared towards passing a CNA skills test. All students must have already completed online coursework and have reliable computer access in order to participate in this program.

All applicants to the program must be already accepted to Tulsa Community College. However, admission to the college does not guarantee admission into the free CNA training program, nor a guarantee of funding. Early application is encouraged, as funding and space is limited. In order to be eligible for funding consideration, all applicants must take and pass the College Placement Test (Reading and Sentence Skills only). The minimum score that an applicant must achieve is 80. Additionally, all applicants are expected to have completed a minimum of 12 college credit hours, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Additionally, all applicants must have worked in a health care facility for a minimum of six months. All applications must include a letter of recommendation from their administrator.

The free CNA training classes consist of 30 hours, comprising of 11 modules, each three hours long. The five full days of training will focus on safety, teamwork, aging and illness, communication, nutrition, quality of life, dementia care, the importance of family, culture change and restorative care, spirituality, and dying. Students will then need to take and pass the state exam to receive their CNA certification.

Within the state of Oklahoma, there are approximately 66,000 individuals on the CNA Registry certified or entitled to renew their licenses as long-term care aides. Most of the 66,000 are considered potentially eligible to apply to this free CNA program. Therefore, the competition is potentially very high, since only 900-1,000 students will be funded in 2010. If accepted, students will be notified by mail, which will also include information and instructions about immunization requirements, a criminal background check, and a drug screening test.

In addition to Oklahoma’s program, there are other free CNA training classes, some of which are available online. Be certain to check whether the training programs are specifically designed as preparation to take the CNA exam, or for general informational purposes.  Note that the Red Cross CNA classes are no longer free.

“Free CNA Training Classes” written by Brenne Meirowitz, B.A., M.S., M.A.

To become a certified nursing assistant in the United States you must complete a nurse’s aide program approved by the state you are choosing to obtain your training. Completing your CNA training at a state-approved program will ensure that you receive the necessary number of classroom hours and clinical requirements that are needed to qualify for certification.

The certification exam is administered by each state and encompasses both written and clinical sections. During the clinical portion of the exam you must be able to show adeptness at bending and moving a patient, measuring and recording a patient’s output of body liquids, taking vital signs and other daily maintenance activities related to caring for an individual in a long term care facility or other institution. Mastering these skills will ensure state certification and placement on the state registry and it will guarantee that you are capable of performing the job of a certified nursing assistant beyond the supervision of a clinical setting.

After obtaining certification as a nurse’s aide, you must maintain your skills. Certified nursing assistants are required in some states to complete a certain number of hours of continuing education credits or CEUs each year in order to maintain their certification. Some states even require that individuals work a particular amount of hours a year to keep their certifications active. Employers may require that nurse’s aide participate in certain classes directed towards obtaining additional skills such as proper cleaning of catheters to ensure the procedure is done correctly or as a refresher.

As a nurse’s aide gains experience there may be opportunities to develop more skills that require additional certifications. In all cases certified nursing assistants are not allowed to distribute medicine to patients. However, in some states there is a special position called a certified medicine aide. One of the requirements to become a medicine aide is certification as a nursing assistant and a satisfactory length of employment as a CNA. Upon successful completion of this course, which can be obtained through an organization such as the Red Cross, a nursing assistant will have the added skill and responsibility of distributing medication.

Taking the initiative to maintain and increase your skills as a certified nursing assistant will make certain that you can perform your job properly and will provide an avenue for professional advancement.

Whether your first considering becoming a certified nursing assistant, or have taken CNA training classes and are wondering whether you are ready to take the exam, sample test questions can help you prepare.

The CNA certification test consists of both a practical exam, and a written exam. The practical exam is a “hands-on” skills assesment where the proctor will test you on your step by step knowledge and ability for a given task. They will also be gauging how confident and attentive to detail you are in each situation.

Sample tests and sample testing questions can make all the difference in how you perform on the CNA exam. The best way to pass a practical exam is to know what you are doing and more importantly, to know why it is that you are doing it. The better prepared you are, the more confident you will be in your knowledge and understanding of the practices. Knowing the written material down pat will help you pass the hands on/skills section. Utilizing sample testing questions for CNA certification exams are one of the best ways to improve your chances and will help set you up for success with your test.

The first part of the certification test is the written examination which is comprised of seventy (70) multiple-choice questions. Ten (10) of these questions
are pre-test (non-scored) questions on which statistical information will be collected.

This is followed by the oral examination – sixty (60) multiple-choice questions and ten (10) word recognition (or reading comprehension) questions.

The second test is called the Skill Evaluation. Here, candidates are asked to perform 5 randomly selected nurse’s aid skills, rated by a nurse evaluator. The candidates must successfully perform all five skills in order to achieve NNAAP certification.

Sample Testing Questions for CNA:

When a client has left-sided weakness, what part of a sweater is put on first?
(A) Both sleeves
(B) Left sleeve
(C) Client’s choice
(D) Right sleeve

Answer:  (B) Left sleeve

Exercises that move each muscle and joint are called:
(A) adduction
(B) range of motion
(C) abduction
(D) rotation

Answer:  (B) range of motion

The Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrust) is used for a client who has:
(A) a blocked airway
(B) a bloody nose
(C) fallen out of bed
(D) impaired eyesight

Answer:  (A) a blocked airway

Which of the following is a correct measurement of urinary output?
(A) 40 oz
(B) 2 cups
(C) 300 cc
(D) 1 quart

Answer:  (C) 300 cc

BEFORE taking the oral temperature of a client who has just finished a cold drink, the nurse aide should wait:
(A) 10 to 20 minutes
(B) 25 to 35 minutes
(C) 45 to 55 minutes
(D) at least 1 hour

Answer:  (A) 10 to 20 minutes

These are just some sample testing questions for the CNA exam. We will be offering full sample CNA exams shortly that you will be able to download and study at your leisure.

Within the vast scope of health care careers, one of the fundamental underlying functions is the area of direct care giving. These professionals are often classified as Certified Nursing Assistants, Nurse’s Aides, Patient Care Technicians, Home Health Aides, Personal Care Assistants, along with many other titles, depending on the work environment and the region.

Some of the many functions a CNA performs:

• * Taking Vital signs such as Blood pressure, pulse, etc.
• * Range of Motion Exercises, as prescribed by physical therapy.
• * Dressing (according to patients’ needs, ranging from minimal assistance to totally dependent)
• * Feeding (serving meals, physically feeding patients who are unable to do so themselves)
• * Bathing (bed baths, tub baths, showers)
• * Catheter care (emptying, upkeep of Intake & Output sheets when neccessary)
• * Making beds and keeping the patients’ rooms and belongings neat and organized
• * Documentation and record keeping of patient activity, medications, vitals, etc.
• * Assisting patients with movement (ambulation)
• * Report all changes, physical and mental, of the patients to the nurse

How does one become a CNA?

In order to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), you’ll need to take and pass the state CNA exam. Training programs to become a  CNA can be found through community colleges,  hospitals and medical facilities.  Many states also have Red Cross CNA class. Classes are generally taught by a registered nurse and the length of training depends on the program. Depending upon the particular facility, classes may run for two weeks, with a month or more of hands on training to follow. The classes offer the basics of what to expect with this job, however, this is a career in which skill levels and confidence dramatically improve once the nursing assistant becomes involved in the daily routine of actual caregiving.

The CNA test is made up of two parts, written and clinical. You will most likely be asked to bring someone with you to the test who will act as a ‘model’ for you to demonstrate your clinical skills on. The written portion of the test is mostly common sense.

The qualities necessary to be a Certified Nursing Assistant are very similar to the qualities needed in nursing. A CNA should be caring, patient, willing and able to do some physically strenuous activities. Most importantly, they should have the desire to help.

With the chronic staffing shortage in recent years, a vast majority of nursing assistants find themselves in the challenging position of trying to provide good quality care to far to many patients at once, due to short staffing problems being experienced around the world in this field. As a result, the turnover rate for nursing assistants is quite high – and this is not an easy job to begin with. Singlehandedly doing the work of two or more people proves overwhelming to many, and they leave the field.