A Detailed Roadmap To Becoming A Certified Nurse Assistant

347 Comments / Medical Staffing / By adminpost / April 20, 2022 April 20, 2022

CNAs or Certified Nursing Assistants are an essential part of the healthcare team, just like the doctors, therapists, etc. They are professional healthcare workers who assist other nurses and provide basic nursing care and support to the patients. In addition to this, they help patients perform vital activities like bathing and feeding. Becoming a nursing assistant is a great way to kickstart your career in the medical field without even spending 4-5 years in college. You can get valuable experience working as a nursing assistant soon after training. The best thing is that it can open various opportunities for you in the nursing field.

Are you planning to become a nursing assistant? Read this blog to get a detailed roadmap to becoming a certified nurse assistant.

Steps To Becoming A Nursing Assistant

Becoming a certified nursing assistant is a fast and easy way compared to some medical careers that require a fair amount of hard work. Contrarily, some professions offer fast-track education and training. Becoming a nurse assistant can take less than a year or two.

We will discuss four steps to becoming a nurse assistant. The step will cover the process of attending school to passing the state-approved nursing assistant examination.

Earn A High-School Diploma

The first step requires you to complete your high-school diploma or GED. A GED automatically makes you eligible for enrollment in nurse assistant training. If you do not have the credentials for it, the state will require you to complete your higher education. After clearing high school or an equivalency test, you can go ahead.

Complete State Approved Training

The process of becoming a nurse assistant varies from state to state. Most of these programs recommend a minimum of 75 hours of classroom studies and training among experienced nurses and caregivers. You have to qualify for numerous tests and display the knowledge gained as you go ahead.

Most of your education and knowledge will be about human anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and medical terminology. The courses will include an introduction to many subjects of healthcare that emphasize nursing and medical care. Additionally, you will learn how to bathe, feed, and dress the patient under medical supervision.

Get Training In Medical Supervision

After completing the nurse assistant training program, you should get a supervised training program at a hospital or healthcare facility. For this purpose, there are federal regulations for becoming a nurse assistant, which mandates getting training for 16 hours. However, some states might have different guidelines. Consequently, it helps the authorities to check whether you can handle the physical requirements of the job or not. Or if you have a good level of knowledge and relevant experience as per nurse assistant standards.

During this phase of your training, you will work under the supervision of certified nurses. Registered nurses and doctors will mentor you and instruct you in your daily tasks. In your medical training, you will practice numerous opportunities for crucial skills in administering medications, injections, and other healthcare activities. Additionally, they assist registered nurses in observing the patient’s symptoms, prescriptions, and medical history. After which, they all work as a team.

Clear The NNAAP Examination

Once you have completed this step, you are eligible to clear the state-approved examination of Certified Nursing Assistant, CNA. The exam verifies your medical skills and expertise and if you know how to take care of the patients appropriately. The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) is mandatory in 20 states and determines eligibility for the nursing certification. The remaining states have their own nursing exam to check the eligibility of nurse assistants. Some states have criteria to get a certified nurse assistant license that permits them to work as a nurse assistant.

The NNAAP exam covers nursing-specific subjects, including several categories of physical care, skills, psychological care, and the role of nurse assistants. In addition to this, the exam questionnaire has different sections on anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. The test also determines how you react or perform if any emergency occurs. Consequently, it tests your ability to meet the patient needs who require care and health maintenance.

Why Choose To Become A Nurse Assistant

Nurse assistants are noble and crucial pillars of the health care department and society. Becoming a nurse assistant is a great way to kickstart your career in the medical field. Numerous people pursue advanced careers in the nursing profession after becoming nurse assistants. Additionally, you can choose to continue the profession to become a Registered Nurse and elevate your career. Being a registered nurse is a great way to get further promotions.

Do you want to know more about becoming a registered nurse?

Read our blog about:- How Long Does It Take To Become A Registered Nurse?

CNAs or certified nurse assistants can apply to the nursing schools to leverage their experience and outshine other candidates. Nursing schools value clinical expertise as part of their application process.

Perks Of Being A Nurse Assistant

Most nurse assistants will agree that the greatest perk of becoming a nurse assistant is the sense of fulfillment. Caring for others and helping to save lives is a great purpose to serve in this life. Therefore, people respect the noble role of nurses. Whether caring for disabled people or simply providing care to older adults, they always leave a positive impact on the people. Apart from this, nurse assistants enjoy various perks alongside their salary.

Numerous professions in the healthcare industry require 4-to 5 years of costly education and training. Whereas, to become a nurse assistant, you only need 1-2 years of inexpensive training.
The jobs of nurse assistants are crucial for society. Therefore, nurses working in the healthcare industry are safe and secure from pandemics, inflation, or recession. Registered nurses and nurse assistants are vital parts of the healthcare department. They have a comfortable job experience, and their jobs remain safe.
Nurse assistants can choose their shift timings and days of working. In addition to this, they can also choose if they want to work part-time, full time, on weekends, or holidays. They have meaningful, flexible choices of working and negotiating with the concerned authorities.
As a nurse assistant, you work in various environments like hospitals, clinics, etc. Moreover, you can work in universities, schools, private spaces, rehabilitation centers, etc. You can choose to work for senior citizens, kids, maternal care, etc. Each environment has its benefits based on location and requirements.
The scope of growth is great as you even get a promotion as a registered nurse. Furthermore, it opens your preferences to go for a travel nurse, home healthcare nurse, and many other professions.
A certified nurse assistant salary ranges from $1.6 lacs per year to $7.7 lacs. In contrast, the figure might vary from one place to another. However, private clinics, hospitals, and individuals might offer different salaries based on their capacity and requirements.

All of these perks are enough to enjoy a quality life. If you are an aspiring nurse or have completed your nurse assistant training, you can easily get your dream job.

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