Certified Nursing Assistant

What Would I Do?

Nursing Assistants carry out the routine work in the general care of patients. They work under the direction of nursing and medical staff. Nursing Assistants’ duties depend on training, experience, and type of health care facility. Typically, Assistants answer patients’ call lights, deliver messages, make beds, and help patients eat, dress, and bathe.

CNA Responsibilities:

• Providing great patient care.
• Answering patient calls and determining how best to help them.
• Providing physical support for patients or residents with daily activities and personal hygiene, including bathing, dressing, getting out of bed, – using the toilet, walking, standing, or exercising.
• Turning and repositioning bedridden patients.
• Ensuring patients or residents receive appropriate diet by reviewing their dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences.
• Obtaining a wide range of information from physicians, caregivers, and nurses about patient conditions, treatment plans, and suggested activities.
• Measuring and recording food and liquid intake and urinary and fecal output and reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
• Recording vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and respiration rate as requested by staff.
• Examining patients to detect issues requiring medical care, including open wounds, bruises, or blood in the urine.
• Reminding patients to take medications and nutritional supplements.
• Noting observations of patient behavior, including complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
• Stay up to date on CNA training and facility policy and procedure.

CNA Requirements:

• State Certified Nursing Assistant Certification.
• Current CPR (American Heart Association).
• Nursing degree from a CNA program.
• Ability to think and work independently and with direction, and communicate with staff members in a fast-paced and sometimes stressful environment.
• Current certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
• High School graduate or equivalent.
• Current identification.
• Comfortable using a computer.
• Excellent personal hygiene.