CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT - CARE GIVER COURSE
Title: CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT - CARE GIVER COURSE
Is It Hard to Be a CNA?
Being a certified nursing assistant, also known as a CNA, has become an intriguing career option for a lot of people. With its relatively minimal requirements, good pay, and high upside for potential career growth, becoming a nursing assistant provides a huge window of opportunity for people who want to try it out. But how hard is it really to be a CNA? This article will answer this question based on multiple facts about this job.
Becoming a CNA
Compared to other health care professionals that actually require you to have a college degree, applying to become a nursing assistant doesn’t require you to have one. With the minimum of a high school degree or equivalent, you can apply for a nursing assistant course near you. Other additional requirements that may be asked when applying include a clean criminal record, certification of being physically and mentally fit, and attending a local orientation.
Completing a CNA course will take you anywhere from 4 to 6 months. While completing the course, you can learn about basic clinical skills such as taking vital signs and administering basic life support. Once you complete the course, you become eligible to take the nursing assistant certification examination. This examination will cover topics that you need to master as a nursing assistant. Once certified, you can start working as a nursing assistant right away. You can also enjoy the multiple career options that being a CNA can offer.
Job responsibilities of a CNA
A nursing assistant plays multiple roles. Their core purpose is to aid patients with the activities of daily living, helping them get by with day-to-day tasks to enhance their recovery and functionality. They usually work under the supervision of a registered nurse, either under the setting of a hospital, a nursing home, or other health care facilities. A nursing assistant can perform any of the following as deemed fit. They can help patients bathe, dress up, use a toilet, and perform other basic tasks of daily living. They can also help in monitoring vital signs and record any concern/s the patient may have.
Potential obstacles for CNAs
The demand for nursing assistants remain high. This, combined with the relatively minimal requirements to become one, makes it an intriguing career option for a lot of people. However, just like with a lot of jobs, there are potential issues and obstacles that a CNA can face while at work. First of all, being exposed with patients make them prone to acquiring some diseases. Also, the work of a nursing assistant can be potentially exhausting, attending to multiple patients for long hours. There is also the occasional problem with burnout and abuse from co-workers.
The verdict
So is being a CNA hard? It certainly has its difficulties and risks, and it will break the wills of some people if they aren’t prepared for it. However, this is more than mitigated by a job that properly compensates, a career that presents multiple challenges and opportunities, and a life calling that will prove very fulfilling. Being a CNA is not an easy job, but it can easily work in your favor if you get it right.
