Nurses Aide Certification (CNA)

Pursuing a career as a Certified Nurses Aide (a.k.a. Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA) is a quick way to get into the field of nursing and health care. Any individual after completing their high school diploma or GED is eligible to take CNA certification classes and then the certified nurse assistant certification test, which is the first step in getting a job in a medical organization. For CNA certification, it is necessary to enroll in a certified nurse assistant program either at a bricks and mortar institution or in an online certified nursing assistant program. Certified nurses aides are always in demand and the pay scale is good compared to other professions at the same educational level. Along with this, it has career advancement possibilities, as you can become a license practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN), with additional education.

CNA salaries vary by state, ranging from $15,600 to $31,200. Another important feature of CNA salary is that it is paid on hourly basis. Currently, the highest wage offered is in the state of Alaska, paying $15 per hour. The second best states are California and New York, as both pay $14.5 per hour. CNAs earn the least in the state of Louisiana at $7.5 an hour. You can learn more CNA salaries at the ecnasalary.com website.

What Certified Nursing Assistants Do

In order to be a good nursing assistant you should have compassion and care for people. CNA’s help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. They are constantly dealing with sick and elderly patients who may be uncomfortable and even disagreeable.

Certified Nursing Aides will typically perform the following tasks:

Clean and bathe patients or residents
Help patients use the toilet and dress
Turn, reposition, and transfer patients between beds and wheelchairs
Listen to and record patients’ health concerns and report that information to nurses
Measure patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure and temperature
Serve meals and help patients eat

Certified Nursing Aides Work:

55% of Certified Nursing Aides are employed by nursing and residential care facilities while 28% are employed by hospitals. Nurses aides are given the dirtiest jobs like emptying bedpans and changing soiled sheets and usually spend the entire day on their feet. They will also often have to lift heavy patients. The need for CNAs is expected to increase at a rate higher than average due to the aging Baby boom population. Thus job prospects for nursing aides with formal training should be excellent, particularly in long-term care facilities. This occupation is emotionally and physically demanding so many nursing aides choose to leave the profession to get more training and become full-fledged nurses. This creates opportunities for jobseekers who want to become nursing aides.

Certification

When you complete the Certified Nursing Assistant program after completing High School, you have to take a certification exam and apply for the CNA license from the state license authority and then you are eligible to apply for CNA jobs. Before choosing a career as a certified nursing assistant, you need to do your research and get a thorough knowledge about the certified nursing assistant field. Make sure that you get your information from an authentic source like the Bureau of Labor Statistics; or you can visit the nearest nursing home and discuss the details about CNA positions. You can also compare the CNA salary with other medical professions such as Licensed Practical Nurses, Physical Therapy Assistants, Occupational Therapy Assistants, and Registered Nurses.