Nursing Assistant Central

Whether you are a Nursing Assistant, a Nursing Student or are interested in more information in a career in health care, you will find information here to help guide you in your career choice.

For those of you who are not familiar with Nursing Assistants, they are known by many names: CNA's, Nurses Aides, Patient Care Technicians, Home Health Aides and more, depending on where you live and work.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), please be sure to check out "What is a CNA?" and "How do I Become a CNA?" For those of you who have recently attended CNA classes--congratulations! Tips to succeeding on the Nursing Assistant exam can be found here, and links to an online CNA practice test as well as nursing assistant exam review books can also be found on this site.

There is also a Nursing Assistant Central Message Board associated with this website. It's a very active message board and an excellent place to ask questions, learn and socialize with others in the field. All are welcome to participate, whether you're a past, present or prospective CNA.

Being a Nursing Assistant is not for everyone, and nursing facilities have been experiencing difficulty over the last few years attracting and retaining caring, qualified individuals. The pay scale isn't always up to par for the work expected of Nursing Assistants. More often than not, C.N.A.'s work short staffed, decreasing the quality of care that patients recieve while at the same time presenting a safety hazard to both staff and patients alike. The need for quality caregivers has become an important issue, and at times a problem, for healthcare facilities. Nationwide, this country has experienced somewhat of a crisis in the area of the direct caregiving field. As the number of nursing homes continues to increase, it is an unfortunate fact that the caregiving field has been lagging in numbers. The turnover rate for Nursing Assistants is phenomenal.

While being a Nursing Assistant can be stressful at times, it is also one of the most fulfilling and rewarding careers a person can enter into. For some of my personal thoughts on being a Nursing Assistant, read my essay entitled "I'm only a CNA". There are many issues surrounding this career, and as this website continues to evolve, it will be a source of information, and hopefully, encouragement, to Nursing Assistants worldwide. Please don't forget to bookmark this website and please visit again.