- Basic Nursing Skills
- Body Mechanics
- Infection Control
- Nutrition
- Basic Anatomy and Physiology
Licensed Practical Nurses or Registered
Nurses usually teach these courses where you get to learn many
different skills and can learn a lot from their experiences during
the training program. You need to undergo at least 75 hours of the
clinical training, which is also referred to as Clinical Externship.
You will get a chance to develop
various skills during the course of training, such as being able to
record the patient's important signs like respiratory rate, heart
rate and the patient's blood pressure. Apart from recording them
manually, you will also learn to take a print out of these signs by
storing the important details in the computer.
Being a Certified Nursing Assistant
means that you are constantly in touch with your patients, and hence
having good communication skills is extremely important. Your verbal
as well as non-verbal communication skills need to be well developed
so that you can interact with the patients effectively and understand
them properly.
Apart from becoming a Certified Nursing
Assistant in a short span of time, the other benefits are that you
can attend the required training courses as it suits you – be it in
the evenings, early mornings or over the weekends. This helps you
take care of your day to day responsibilities as well as attend the
extra training as time permits.
Once you complete the training, you
will have to appear for an examination that varies according to the
state. The National Association for Home Care administers a national
certification for home health aides.
The CNA skills training is very
essential if you want to fulfill your dream of becoming a Certified
Nursing Assistant. Unless and until you acquire the necessary skills,
it will be hard to achieve this goal. The CNA training will equip you
with the following essential skills:
Shifting Patients: As
a CNA, you will constantly have to handle patients – move them and
shift them as need arises. The shifting process may be required while
changing linen, while taking the patients to have their meals,
shifting the patients to the operation theater or while testing. The
patients are weak and you need to do the shifting with utmost care,
so that you don't land up harming yourself or the patients. You
should take care that you are not causing any kind of trouble or
discomfort to the patients while shifting them.
Maintaining Hygiene: CNAs
should not only ensure
cleanliness of the ward by keeping it dry and tidy; but also help
patients do their daily and basic tasks such as brushing teeth,
combing hair, taking bath, cleaning their hands and toileting. If the
patients cannot have food on their own, then it's the duty of the CNA
to assist them in feeding.
Handling medical instruments: Using
the medical instruments to measure the vitals of the patients such as
body temperature, sugar levels, blood pressure and heart rate is an
important CNA skill. The treatment of the patients depends on these
vital measurements and starts after they are recorded. Hence, it's
important for the CNA to be familiar with these medical instruments
and equipment. They need to gain expertise in using these medical
equipment to be able to measure the vitals accurately.
Record Keeping: As
a CNA, it is necessary to know how to collect the right information
from the patients about their illness and any medical history. They
need to record and maintain the important medical information which
helps the doctors in deciding which course of treatment is needed to
cure the patient.
The above
mentioned skills are necessary for anyone who aims to be a Certified
Nursing Assistant. Developing these skills will enable you to take
good care of the patients in the hospital and do your duty in a
proper manner.
A
lucrative career ahead of you
Becoming
a Certified Nursing Assistant is considered by many as a lucrative
career option because of the handsome salary packages and the kind of
work. This career can also act as a stepping stone for you to become
a Licensed Practical Nurse or a Registered Nurse.
The
career options for you are unlimited given the large number of
specializations and jobs available in the field of medicine.
By
becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant, you are not only securing
your career but also helping yourself become financially strong and
stable; besides helping many patients to handle their diseases and
recover. There are also other better and bigger career opportunities
waiting for you, once you have become a Certified Nursing Agent.
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