A CNA is someone who works under the supervision of a nurse and gives direct care to
patients. They can work in hospitals, nursing and retirement homes, or they can do private duty care which is
going to the patient’s home to provide care to them. In order to work as a CNA you need to be licensed.
Training in a CNA Skill School varies in length and
can range from 3 to 6 months. There is a state exam that needs to be taken and passed and it consists of two
parts. There is a clinical part where you are tested on a few CNA skills and then there is a written
portion.
There are many CNA skills that a CNA must have in order to work as well. Here are just a few of the many
different ones needed.
Personal Patient Care
This happens to be the main skill of a CNA. They are responsible for things such as bathing, assisting to the bathroom, getting
dressed, feeding, oral care and grooming, changing linens, transfers from bed to wheelchair or vice versa and
more. They may also help transport patients to different facilities or help with going to appointments if
needed. The CNA should always try to let the patient do as much as possible before helping them.
Vital Signs
Another one of the many CNA skills required is to take a patient’s vital
signs. If a CNA works in a hospital or a nursing home, they take vital signs a few times each shift. The vital
signs are then recorded in the patient’s record. You will be taught how to take a patient’s blood pressure,
pulse, respirations and heart rate.
Transferring and Lifting
As a trained CNA, there
are times when lifting a patient is required. It may include lifting a patient out of a chair into a bed, or
out of the bed into a wheelchair. Another one of the CNA skills is how to properly lift the patient. This is so
that neither you nor the patient gets hurt. Lifting may be required to change bed sheets or to be transferred
to other areas of the building.
Document and Record Care
Another requirement of a CNA is to keep records of all care
that id given to the patient throughout the day. This includes what the patient ate, vital signs, urine output
and other things that are requested by the nurse or the patient’s doctor.
Maintain Patient Cleanliness
There are other things that are required from a CNA and
include cleaning up after the patient eats or does other activities. You are also going to be required to make
sure the bed linens are clean and that the bed is made every morning. You are responsible for keeping the
patient clean at all times and you will be trained hoe to handle bio-hazardous materials such as soiled lines
with either body fluids or blood. As a CNA you also need to have proper hygiene. This includes having a
professional appearance at all times.