Understanding the medical field can be tiring and confusing for many people. This is because there are too many career paths in the medical field to choose from. Each of these professions has its own certification requirements and ways you need to finish your education.
More people are intrigued about becoming a nursing assistant because this is a very demanding job. There is a shortage of nurses because more people are growing aging and need a lot of support.
The pandemic also highlighted the desperate need for more students in a nursing program because it is such a critical role. Here is the ultimate guide on how to become a nursing assistant. If you want a career change, this will make the most significant difference in people’s lives.
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What Is a Nursing Assistant?
A nursing assistant or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is a medical professional. They have a lot of dedication and compassion for their patients. Their job is to help patients and clients with comfortable daily living.
This involves washing and bathing patients, getting them dressed, feeding them, and answering calls from patients or the medical team you work for.
Some other parts of the job may also involve documenting and filing patients’ health issues. As a nursing assistant, you will directly be supervised by the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN).
Since the CNA, RN, and LPN all work together in the medical field and directly look after patients and clients, the career paths are different. If you wanted to become an RN, you would need to complete higher studies at a top medical academy.
Then you should have your degree with a lot more responsibilities than nursing assistants and LPNs. Since you are directly under the RN, you must finish a year-long formal training nursing program.
Some of the best nursing assistant programs can be completed within a few weeks or months. Each program has its own requirements that you should research. These can differ according to your state.
For instance, the entry requirements for a program or the criteria to earn your license may not be the same in Florida as it is in Massachusetts. If you are looking for the best education, check out this ultimate medical academy nursing program.
What Does a Nursing Assistant Do?
If you want to become a nursing assistant, you should prepare to provide hands-on and direct support to help your patients feel comfortable each day.
For example, you may need to brush someone’s teeth, clip their fingernails, cut their hair, and wash their body because they cannot do these things themselves due to age or disability.
At times, you will also need to serve food and even help your clients eat. They may struggle to hold cutlery or cut their food into smaller pieces, so you need to step in and give them a hand.
You might also be asked to monitor their diet and record how much food their eating. Then you will need to change their bedsheets and pillowcases for patients and reposition those who have been bedridden for too long to prevent bedsores.
While working with your RN and LPN, you will also need to assist them with medical procedures. This can include sanitizing, restocking, or preparing examination rooms to ensure the best experience for all patients.
You can also be asked to take someone’s temperature, blood pressure and record all vital signs. In many cases, patients or clients may approach you first with their problems because they spend the most time seeing you.
Then you will need to pass those requests. Although these are not the same responsibilities in every workplace, you can expect to deal with clients directly.
Where Can a Nursing Assistant Work?
Since you are front of the line to provide direct hands-on treatment for patients, plenty of places are always on the lookout for your skills. You can get hired by government organizations, hospitals, retirement communities, nursing homes, clinics, private houses, and mental health facilities.
This makes it worthwhile going to nursing school because you never have a shortage of opportunities to learn and grow. You can have the best career path building expertise from one setting to another and accumulate tons of experience to work anywhere.
How Many Hours Is the Job?
As a full-time nursing assistant, you can expect to work up to 12-hour shifts with a minimum of 8 hours. However, this would depend on the place you are working in.
They may require longer or shorter shifts, but that is the overall average to expect. Across the week, you should prepare to work up to 40-hours in total with a lot of scheduling flexibility.
Since you work in the medical field, you may also need to rock up for the job on weekends and public holidays. This is because you are taking care of the most vulnerable people and should have a lot of passion and dedication to push yourself.
Benefits of Becoming a Nurse
If you have decided on becoming a nurse, you will be pleased to know that it is one of the most rewarding professions in the medical field. You will also develop long-term and fulfilling relationships with your patients or clients and their loved ones.
This is because you will spend a lot of time with them while learning your clinical skills. You will also cultivate tons of soft skills like emotional intelligence and communication tactics that will drive you forward in the medical field.
Become a Nursing Assistant Today
Now that you know what goes into becoming a nursing assistant, you should find the best nursing program. It is essential to find an excellent medical academy where you can gain a lot of hands-on training to settle into your first job easily.
Always check to see your state’s licensing guidelines and earn your nursing assistant certification to give patients the best care. If you enjoyed reading this nursing guide, check out some of our other posts for more information.
