Nursing Assistant Central

If you want to work as a CNA in a hospital or other medical facility, first you’ll need to get certification from the state to prove that you know what you’re doing. This is to protect you from injury and generally unpleasant experiences and to ensure that all legal and liability issues are being dealt with appropriately for the facility within which you’ll be working.

Getting certified as a nursing assistant is a multi-step process. First, you’ll need to enroll in nursing assistant classes offered in your area. These can be found through community colleges, medical facilities, hospitals, vocation schools and even the local Red Cross. These courses will provide you with classroom education on the basics of care giving and some knowledge about medical issues you’ll need to have on the job. This can include topics on body mechanics, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, infection control, communication skills, and resident rights as well as instruction on caring for the daily needs of patients. In addition to this classroom instruction, students will be required to complete a clinical portion of the class as well. They will accompany an experienced nurse around the facility and engage directly in patient care under his/her supervision. While the requirements for each state will differ, most will want at least 75 hours of pre-employment training to grant certification.

After these courses are complete, students will need to take an examination through the state to get their certification. This exam is composed of two parts. The first will test students over their general knowledge of care giving and other health care related topics in a written test. The second will ask them to perform anywhere from three to five tasks in front of a state nurse examiner. This can include things like changing bed pans, moving patients, bathing patients and taking their temperature. Students will generally be told right away whether or not they’ve passed.

Once these essential elements are complete, most students will be fully able to gain certification for work in home health care or in medical facilities. Be sure to know the requirements of your home state, however, as there is some variation in policy when it comes to certification. Certified nursing assistants should be ready to pursue their new careers in health care with all the legal preparation to do so.

Featured Online Nursing Programs

	Rasmussen College - A.S. in Medical Administration. For those who are pursuing a career in medical assisting, Rasmussen College's Associate's degree in Medical Administration will provide students with the education needed to help run a healthcare office. Students will be prepared to face the various situations they will encounter in the workforce.
	Kaplan University - B.S. in Health Science. Students interested in becoming a nursing assistant will be very pleased with the Bachelor's Degree in Health Science that Kaplan University offers. Kaplan is a respected online institution with a history of providing high quality classes at affordable prices.
	Virginia College - The B.S. in Health Services Management. Virginia College Online is the perfect online university for students on the go. With classes online, students can take them when they have the free time to do so and from any location with internet access.