Employment Outlook for CNAs

CNAs are in great demand in the healthcare industry and the employment outlook for CNAs is quite bright. CNAs are responsible for taking care of the patients in hospitals, clinics as well as other healthcare facilities. CNAs may at times be assigned to handle 12 or more patients at the same time. CNAs help the patients do their daily tasks such as bathing, feeding, dressing and moving. CNAs are also responsible for monitoring the health condition of the patients and reporting the same to the doctors. Apart from this they assist senior nurses and doctors in medical procedures and handle medical equipment and instruments. They are an important link between the patients and the nurses as well as doctors. CNAs thus need to handle their responsibilities in a proper manner and should remain calm and composed at all times to handle stressful situations.

Employment Outlook for CNAs 

The aging population is increasing, and hence the employment outlook for CNAs remains quite good, and this is expected to rise through 2016. There is a great demand for CNAs as they are an important aspect of the medical or healthcare industry and there are several job opportunities available for them.

As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment outlook for CNAs is projected to rise by 28% between 2006 and 2016. This rise in the growth opportunities in much higher as compared to other professions. This growth rate can be different for different individual in the nursing professions, psychiatric careers and residential or home health aides.

The demand for in-home services is growing by the day, and hence it becomes much easier for home health aides to secure a job as compared to other CNAs. This information is based on the reports provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is due to the fact that the aging or the elderly population is growing and hospitals as well as insurance agencies are taking efforts to keep the costs minimum. These healthcare facilities as well as agencies are now moving the elderly patients to their homes at a faster rate. Patients who need long term care are also being taken care at their homes with the help of advanced medical equipment and technologies to provide them all the necessary care.

Though it is easy for home health aides to get a job soon as compared to other CNAs, the employment growth rate for these home health aides is not that high as they work in a slow growing hospital sector. On the other hand, there are great number of employment opportunities for CNAs in nursing as well as hospitals, compared to residential care facilities.

Job Openings for CNAs 

According to the reports of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career openings for a Certified Nursing Assistants will be high between 2006 and 2016. This is because there are less opportunities for advancement, the pay is quite low and there are greater physical demands on the CNAs. Due to all these reasons, many CNAs are likely to quit their jobs for pursuing higher or specialized training.

CNA Salaries 

The career of a Certified Nursing Assistant is the starting point in the nursing profession, and hence CNAs do not get highly paid. In fact the salaries of the CNAs are the lowest as compared to other nursing professions. However, after becoming a CNA and acquiring all the necessary knowledge and experience, the CNAs can look at advancing their career to higher positions in the medical and healthcare industry.

The CNA salaries depend on may factors such as the state and type of healthcare facility they are working in, number and time of the shifts as well as if they are working on private contracts . CNAs tend to make more money if they are working on weekends and holidays or are working in night shifts.

The average salary for CNAs in California is about $24,000. It is lower in Texas and is about $20,000. The average wage for CNAs on an hourly basis in 2002 was $9.59. This hourly wage ranged from $6.98 to $13.45 per hour depending upon the state.

Statistics also reveal that CNAs working in schools, franchise or who were self employed earned much higher than CNAs working in companies as well as colleges.

Bright Career Outlook for CNAs 

CNAs are employed in various types of healthcare facilities such as hospitals, long term care facilities, clinics, adult care centers and so on. In the U.S., there are about 1.4 million CNAs who are employed in several healthcare facilities.

The rate of job growth for CNAs is way above the average growth rate for other professions. This growth rate is projected to be around 21% by 2014. There will be a requirement of 500,000 additional CNAs by this time. Thus the employment outlook for CNAs stays bright.

There are a lot of changes taking place in the medical field and the need for medical professionals is growing rapidly. Many CNAs quit their jobs to pursue higher education and specialized training to become Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). This opens many career opportunities for aspiring CNAs who want to make a career in the medical field.