All Certified Nursing Assistants or CNAs assist patients with healthcare needs. They work under the supervisions of a Registered Nurse (RN) and or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). In some particular parts of the United States, the nursing assistants are called with different medical names such as Nursing Aides (NAs), Patient Care Assistants (PCA’s) and State Tested Nurse Aids (STNAs). PCA’s and STNAs are higher CNA positions; thus also requiring a higher level of experience and ability. Unfortunately, due to some liability and legal issues, CNAs are not allowed to perform certain procedures.To become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), an individual has to have ample CNA training and must be certified as such so, to be employed as a nursing assistant.
Nursing assistants find employment in various hospitals, nursing homes, personal homes, and adult day care centers. Most of them act as liaison between patients and LPNs or RNs. Simple as it sound; the specific role of CNAs is to provide vital information or status report of the patients to their direct supervisors. This is not actually easy because nursing assistants have to be checking on the patients on a regular basis and be as much thorough as possible to get accurate and real-time status update of the patients.
An aspirant can choose to take nursing aide courses for 2 years or go through an intensive long term training in some healthcare institutions. There are also various CNA training programs online that can be explored by individuals who are interested to work as nursing aides. The expanding economic recession is now creating a new world’s economy; leading many displaced workers to reconsider their career paths. This is one reason why many individuals are taking short-term courses like CNA training, to equip themselves with new skills as they embark on a new career.
Many institutions are offering CNA training programs online for individuals who are currently employed but want to pursue a CNA career in the future. There are different local and national institutions that offer certification exams like the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP), universities, and the health board of each state.
A CNA who have a 4-week training can receive $20,000 – $30,000 salary per annum. Salaries for CNAs vary from one state to another. For example, in Alabama CNAs are paid around $18,000 – $22,000; while in New York, they are paid around $22,000 – $31,000.