Who is a Certified Nursing Assistant?
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are healthcare professionals who aid in the achievement of activities of daily living among patients. They often are known too as nurses’ aid, Patient Care Assistant (PCA) and finally Nursing Assistant.
CNAs have daily interactions with different people and often get fulfillment while partaking of their duties. CNAs have attributes like flexibility, compassion, empathy, and better communication techniques. Through being CNAs, people are taught better time management and stronger physical strength.
What do CNAs do?
CNAs perform vital tasks in the community that benefits humanity wholly. Their responsibilities include bathing patients, responding timely to patient calls, information documentation, repositioning patients, taking their patient’s vital signs, stocking supplies, feeding patients, preparation of admission rooms, dressing wounds and aiding patients with elimination. These duties, however, vary with states and the levels of need for different nurses.
Why the CNAs shortage?
Despite the training of CNAs, there is a great shortage in the United States. The reasons for this include;
An aging population- With a growing aging population in the United States, there will be a need for more nurses. Currently, the nursing profession experiences high staff shortages. As of 2014, the Population Reference Bureau noted that over 46 million Americans were over 65 in age with a projected 18 million rise in this age-group by 2030. The baby boomer age cohort will have retired by then with many admitted in nursing homes.
Talent shortage- Nurses too will have an effect as most will retire and some retiring currently thereby leading to a shortage. The rise in an aging population presents a major cause for nurses’ shortage and a need for more CNAs training.
Federal funding limitations present another reason for CNAs shortage. Most nursing homes due to poor funds have closed doors and there has been a limited number of newer nursing homes built.
Medical insurance and nurses’ burnout- Medicare and Medicaid cuts to nursing homes have reduced thereby leading to poor care for patients like the elderly. This has led to cutting off staff and greater workload for CNA nurses. Through nurse burnouts, there has been a loss of trained personnel.
Therefore, there is a need for more CNAs. To achieve global health standards, this is vital. Anyone can be the change to this by applying for a CNAs program.
Why be a CNA?
The CNA is the wheel in a healthcare setting as they are vital for personal care of patients, the reassurance of loved ones and provision of many other services. CNAs report to nurses. However, nurses wholly depend on CNAs for vital information of their patients. So why would you opt to become a CNA?
1. The duration
The CNA program takes only approximately three months to complete with at least classroom training of 75 hours. One also gains clinical skills and become eligible for state exams immediately.
2. Only a high school diploma is needed. GED is permissible too and one has not to be a graduate to partake of the program.
3. The approved program is cheap. The costs for examination and certification are low too.
4. The demand for top quality CNAs is high with an estimated increase in job opportunities by 18% as projected by U.S Bureau of labor and statistics.
5. CNAs get to choose where to work as there are several different facilities with varied settings including hospitals, hospices, and even clinics.
6. Through being a CNA, one jumpstarts their career pathway. It may act as a stepping stone to achieving a vocational nurse or a licensed practical nurse status.
7. Job satisfaction rates with the CNA program are high as the sense of contributing to the society is achieved. Each day makes a CNA with an opportunity to make an impact on another patient’s life.