In order to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), you need to be certified in a CNA training program approved by the National League for Nursing Accredited Commission. This program will train you to assist patients with daily activities, such as personal hygiene, bathing and dressing. You would also be trained in making beds, light housekeeping, assisting the nurses, feeding patients, understanding vital signs, giving emotional and social support and basic treatments, and providing the nurse in charge with vital information regarding the patient's condition. After completing the program you will be working under fully qualified nurses like Licensed Practical Nurses or Registered Nurses.

However, in order to succeed in this profession it is essential that you should be prepared to do physically and emotionally exhausting work, and have a caring nature so that you can look after the basic needs of patients. If you feel that serving the sick and infirm patients is your goal, CNA training will be the first step towards a great career in the medical field. You can then move towards becoming a licensed nurse.

A Certified Nursing Assistant works in hospitals, doctor's offices, nursing homes, home care centers, clinics and mental health facilities where they look after the patients. They are also known as nursing assistants, nursing aides, home health aides, orderlies, and patient care technicians.

Eligibility For CNA Training

CNA training programs help the trainees to become capable of caring for patients of all ages in a very short span of time. The basic eligibility for entering this program is that you should have a high school diploma or a GED. You would also have to be prepared for a criminal background check and drug tests. You can get CNA training in the nursing home that you work for, or in a college. You can also opt for online training or by the Red Cross. By browsing the websites of different online training programs you can even get free CNA classes. You will need to check out whether you meet the requirements for training as a nursing assistant by contacting the State Nurse Aide Registry and/or State Licensing Board.

The duration of CNA classes is between six to 12 weeks. The different subjects of training include anatomy and physiology, basic nursing skills, patient care, clinical science skills, nutrition, and infection control. The focus is always on hands-on training which includes clinical activities like learning CPR and taking vital signs among others.

Tests For Certification

During the duration of the course you will have to take many tests, and before getting the CNA certification you will have to face a final assessment test which consists of a written and a practical portion. Whereas the written portion consists of a multiple choice test and an essay or critical thinking questions, the practical portion involves performing some procedures such as taking blood pressure reading, taking a patient's temperature, correct hand washing, and turning a patient correctly. The certification varies from State to State, and as such you should get the certification of the State where you live in. The need for certified nursing assistants is expected to rise in the coming years.

You can earn a salary between $20,000 and $30,000 a year at the entry level after completing CNA training. The salary varies from industry to industry because each place has its own requirements, and it also depends on the amount of experience that you have.