Duties Of A Certified Nursing Assistant

So, you’d like to become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) but your unsure of the actual duties of a certified nursing assistant?. The duties of a CNA is likely to vary depending on your position within the company you work for, and your range of responsibilities will also depend on where you work, and which state you work in. Generally speaking though, you will be the eyes and ears for the attending nurse you are working under.

Your main duty and priority as a CNA is to take care of your patient. You will be responsible for the daily care, routine, and management of your assigned patient, particularly so when you are caring for an elderly patient in a nursing home or extended care facility. Another of your roles will be to assist physicians and nurses, to help care for patients who are physically impaired, mentally disabled, seriously or terminally ill, and/or injured.

If your place of work is a Hospital or a Nursing Home, then there may be extra specific tasks that you will have to manage. In hospitals, the tasks you will have to perform are likely to vary depending on which unit/ward you are in. You’ll likely be required to record and monitor the patients vital signs, temparature, respiration, pulse, blood pressure, and also assess the patients level of pain. Some units/wards may have other specific requirements, eg: assisting the patient with eating, dressing, and moving around. CNA duties often include taking your patients history.

As a Certified Nursing Assistant, you have to be quick to observe and react in emergency situations. The different protocols for various procedures will vary slightly by state and institution, so you will have to adapt and learn depending on your place of work. Your duties are part of a total health care package for your patients and clients.

A significant reason that there is a shortage of qualified CNA’s is that this job has a high rate of turnover. Often, this is due to stress simply ‘burning out’, and this is something you should be aware of and try to avoid. Burning out is the result of feeling overwhelmed by your duties, to the point where you and the patient suffer, and is something that you must pay serious attention to. Like all jobs, its important to not over-do it, and if you are feeling overwhelmed then you should tell your employer as soon as you can, the quicker the situation is resolved the better you’ll feel, and your patient will also receive the level of care they need.

Your employer will depend on you to report back to them with accurate information, and to fill out patient charts accurately. If at any point you think something requires immediate attention from a Nurse, then you need to be able to communicate the message quickly, accurately, and effectively. Being comfortable with the nursing staff is a must for this job, as you will have to ask questions and ask for assistance when the need occurs.

CNA’s are normally very rare types of people, you need to be hard working, caring, responsible, accurate and able to adapt. Just like you, your employers also have the responsibility to protect each patient and to provide the highest possible level of care.

The duties of a Certified Nursing Assistant are always challenging, yet they can also be very rewarding and exciting. CNA’s generally have a high level of job satisfaction because they enjoy and aspire to care for people. If you are considering a career in the medical field, then becoming a CNA could be just the job you are looking for.