CNA Training Class

Appearance is not one of the things they teach in CNA training classes. How a Certified Nursing Assistant maintains their own personal hygiene is a reflection on how he or she will maintain the personal hygiene of those in his or her care. Proper dress and personal maintenance is required of all people in any profession. It is always best to look one’s best and to dress accordingly at the workplace. This is very important for certified nursing assistants even more than in other professions. Proper personal hygiene and personal upkeep is paramount.

Make sure you are dressed appropriately to perform your job as a certified nursing assistant. It is required for nurse’s aides and other hospital personnel to wear scrubs. Depending on your employer you may have to wear a specific color or style but under any case scrubs are the staple for certified nursing assistants and other clinical workers in a hospital or long term care facility. Make sure to purchase enough scrubs so that you will always have a clean set to wear to work. There are many stores that offer scrubs and accessories for relatively affordable prices. Wash and press your scrubs for a neat appearance as wrinkles are unprofessional.

Read the rest of this entry »

The main goal of CNA training is understanding how to provide proper patient care. As a certified nursing assistant you will be caring for all types of patients. Some of your patients will have limited mobility and it will be your responsibility to make sure that they are properly taken care of. One of the main goals as a certified nursing assistant working with patients who have little to no mobility is preventing bedsores. Bedsores can be very painful and if left untreated can be fatal.

Bedsores can occur for a variety of reasons. For patients that have little or no mobility bedsores occur from prolonged pressure on a particular area. Because of the pressure the affected area is deprived of oxygen and the tissue and muscle of that area begin to deteriorate.

Other factors that cause bedsores are repeated friction on a particular body part and incontinence and improper cleaning of the area. There are particular people who are more at risk for developing bedsores. People who are diabetic and have circulatory problems are at an increased risk since their circulation is already compromised.

Read the rest of this entry »

The duties a Certified Nursing Assistant is expected to perform will depend largely on where you are working. For instance, a CNA’s duties at a hospital will be different than at a nursing home, or at a patient’s home. Some positions may require a considerable degree of physical exertion, while others may not.

A CNA must have the ability to understand and carry out routine non-technical, oral and written directions in relation patient and/or resident care. The willingness to cooperate and to carefully follow a prescribed routine is essential, as is discretion – patient privacy is something to be taken very seriously. You should have the ability to get along well with others and to secure cooperation of patients and/or residents. And even more so than many jobs, neatness and personal cleanliness are a must.

That said, the primary duties of a certified nursing assistant are always care of your patient. This can include daily care of a patient, and assistance as appropriate, such as help with eating, getting dressed, and movement.

As a CNA your duties may also include taking and logging patient information: vital signs (BP or blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and temperature), assessing your patients pain level, and their weight.

Read the rest of this entry »

Like all CNA jobs, the duties of a Certified Nursing Assistant in nursing homes can be numerous, varied, and challenging. Becoming a certified nursing assistant gives you the opportunity to assist people in the most basic but profound ways each day. CNAs that work in nursing homes help people who are either elderly or bedridden to maintain daily living. Working in a nursing home as a certified nursing assistant requires a commitment to providing a high level of care to individuals who cannot perform particular activities for themselves.

Certified nursing assistants are essentially the people who make sure that nursing home residents are properly cared for in the basic but most essential of ways. A CNA is responsible for giving residents baths and ensuring that residents are clean and dry to prevent irritation to the skin and more serious conditions related to improper cleanliness such as infection and bedsores. Other likely CNA duties:  brushing teeth, brushing and maintaining hair and completing many other daily hygienic chores that you would do for yourself for people who are unable to do so for themselves.

Read the rest of this entry »

One of the first lessons in CNA training is learning to take vital signs. Vital signs are very important as they provide information on an individual’s functioning. Measurement for vital signs includes taking a pulse, checking a person’s temperature, checking blood pressure and checking the lungs for breathing rate.

Checking vital signs is important as it provides information on whether of not a person’s body is functioning properly. The rate of a person’s vital signs is compared to a standard number for his or her age and sex. Learning to administer the vital sign test accurately and efficiently will ensure that you have an up to date assessment of your patient’s condition.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you are interested in becoming a certified nursing assistant but are deterred because of the cost of tuition you should know that there are a number of low-cost or free CNA training programs available. Depending on your location  and your willingness to research there are a variety of sources to receive nursing assistant training. Even if there isn’t a campus-based program nearby, there are low-cost and free CNA classes online.

One of the best places to look for affordable nursing assistant training is the American Red Cross. Contact your local chapter to get information on the scheduling for their Red Cross CNA class. The nursing assistant program through the American Red Cross is a fast paced program that can usually be completed in four to five weeks so it requires a significant amount of time availability and dedication. All programs are taught by registered nurses. The program is state approved and graduates become eligible to sit for certification after successfully completing both the classroom and clinical portions of the course. Contact your local American Red Cross for the start dates and current tuition rates.

Read the rest of this entry »

Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant encompasses more than the technical abilities obtained through CNA training classes. A person should possess particular character traits that are vital to performing the job of a certified nursing assistant as efficiently and compassionately as possible.

One of the most important character traits needed as a nurse’s aide is thoroughness. The ability to be dependable and reliable cannot be underestimated in this job. An employer will count on you to show up for work for your scheduled shift or any additional overtime shifts that you have committed yourself to. Failure to be prompt can leave patients without the proper care and hospitals and nursing homes even more understaffed.

Being thorough also is a benefit when caring for patients. Making sure to clean your patient’s body and change dressings and bandages and bed linen thoroughly will ensure the comfort of you patient and prevent unnecessary disease and infection. Being a person that someone can count on from the littlest to the most major of circumstances is crucial.

Read the rest of this entry »

Upon graduating from a state approved nursing assistant course and successfully passing a state given certification test, an individual can work in many organizations as a certified nursing assistant, or CNA. As a practicing nurse assistant, you will gain experience each day just by performing your duties, developing additional skills is both expected and desirable.

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

CNA training DVD’s can help you prepare to take your Certified Nursing Assistant exam. Most of the available courses on DVD are broken down into a few ‘modules’ covering basic nursing knowledge and understanding, and practical skills which go over the actual duties of a nurse assistant.

The CNA training DVD’s will go over the required Skills, generally broken down into descriptions and examples of the proper way to complete the following skills. They would include basic care duties such as sanitation, moving patients or ambulation, applying dressings or stockings, and general patient care such as dressing, feeding, cleaning, etc.

Other sections would deal with taking and recording a patient’s vital signs: breathing or respiration, pulse, their blood pressure, height & weight, etc. Read the rest of this entry »

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training prepares you for the CNA test for your state. Passing the CNA test with 80% will enable them to work as Certified Nursing Assistants under the guidance of registered nurses.

This test has both theory and clinical testing. The CNA Training is available online that you can take up from home at a very affordable price. The period of training may range from two weeks to several months depending on the demands from the state. This training explains the theory and shows few clinical findings.

For your clinical, or hands-on training, arrangements can be made at a hospital or nursing home. This will help in good clinical experience. Once completed, you should be fit enough to care for physically or mentally sick, injured, or disabled individuals in hospitals, and nursing homes.

Read the rest of this entry »