What Are The Duties Of A Certified Nursing Assistant?
The duties of a Certified Nursing Assistant will differ, depending on where it is that you work. For example, a CNA’s duty at a hospital will be different than a CNA’s duties at a Nursing Home. Some jobs may require a considerable amount of physical work and exertion, while other may require less so.
A Certified Nursing Assistant must have the ability to carry out routine directions given to them by a registered nurse or doctor, in relation to their patients or residents they care for. They must be willing to follow a prescribed routine with due care and technical apt, while maintaining patient privacy and discretion. CNA’s should have the ability to get along well with others, and to work hard to gain co-operation from patients and residents. Certified Nursing Assistants must be punctual, neatness and personal cleanliness are paramount.
However, that said, the main duties of a Certified Nursing Assistant will always be the care of their patient(s). This will likely include basic daily care of a patient, giving assistance where appropriate such as helping with eating, getting dressed, movement, toilet, exercise, etc etc.
As a qualified CNA, your duties are likely to also include taking and recording patient information, which includes taking their vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respitory rate,temperature), assessing your patients level of pain, and monitoring their weight.
Nurse Assistants are also required to report on their patients. Depending on the location and type of facility you work in, you may need to report to a registered nurse, doctor, or supervisor. A CNA is expected to be the eyes and ears for their superiors.
CNA’s need to be a special blend of person. They need to be patient, caring, responsive, punctual, aware, and most of all, responsible and work with professionalism. A Certified Nurse Assistants role may vary, but your #1 function will always be the welfare and wellbeing of your patient, and as such a CNA cannot afford to be distracted or dis-interested, otherwise the patient will suffer.
Here are some ‘real life’ examples of duties of a Certified Nursing Assistant, taken from a ‘Help Wanted’ classified ad:
- Assists in walking, feeding, bathing and related restorative and rehabilitative care activities for
patients and/or residents and aids in caring for their personal needs and comfort; - Assists nurses in lifting and turning patients and/or residents, in restraining disoriented patients
and/or residents, in holding patients and/or residents for treatment, in care of involuntary patients
and/or residents and may assist in preparing them for surgery; - Helps regulate number of visitors and gives information to visitors in accordance with instructions from
the nurse in charge; - Assists professional nursing personnel in carrying out assigned range of motion, promotion of self-help
and independence activities and reality orientation; - Assembles information concerning the patient’s and/or resident’s condition and enters reports on the
patient’s and/or residents record; - Cleans and sterilizes equipment;
- Labels and stores patients’ and/or residents’ clothes and turns over valuables to person designated by
the facility; - May assist with care and moving of room furniture, fixtures and supplies to help keep patients and/or
residents safe and comfortable; - May assist in cleaning, laundry, resident feeding, and resident transportation, as needed.
A certified nursing assistant should expect a certain amount of physical activity as part of the job, however most people with average health and muscle mass should manage this no problem.
I hope this list of duties of a certified nursing assistant gives you a clear view of what is expected of you when you do the actual job.