If becoming a Certified Nurse’s Assistant is a passion of yours then during a certification class, you will learn the skills needed to care for patients, attend to their daily needs, and communicate with them and their families.
Certified Nursing Assistant School
A CNA course will teach you the basics of patient care. Hygiene is important such as daily showers, brushing teeth, styling hair, and making sure that the patients look presentable, especially if the family is arriving.
CNAs will be trained in a structured classroom with a professional instructor. During class, students will engage in activities, watch videos, have a class discussion, and use the textbook for active learning.
Nutritional requirements are also taught in class. You will learn the essentials of fluid intake and the diets of each patient. Diets must be followed as per the doctor’s order and evaluated regularly. While following these requirements; they also need to be documented in progress notes. CNA class will train you how to do proper documentation. There are charts for vital signs, medication administration, as well as bladder output and bowel.
It’s also important for CNAs to have good communication skills with their patients. The nurses and doctors will rely on you to explain how the patient is feeling and what their progress has been.
A certified nursing assistant school will require students to go through CPR and First Aid training classes. These classes will certify students to properly administer CPR during an emergency where the patient would be unconscious.
Free Certified Nursing Assistant Classes
There are many opportunities for students to find free classes. In several states and counties, nursing homes or personal care homes will offer free CNA classes and earn a paycheck while learning. The U.S. Defense Department also offers free CNA training for military spouses. Free CNA classes can also be offered via a scholarship. Potential students will need to apply for them by submitting an application.
Free certified nursing assistant classes are also available online. There are many sites that will provide training, but it’s important to do a thorough Goggle search because some of them could be a scam.
Becoming State Certified
After the CNA training classes are completed students will then be able to set a time and date to take the state-certified nursing assistant boards exam. There are two parts to the exam, the first is the written portion where questions will be in multiple-choice form. Students are expected to have a study plan or guide for this test which consists of approximately 70 questions.
The oral exam is where the student will demonstrate to the state advisor the skills they learned in class. This includes bathing the individual, applying the bedpan, transferring from bed to chair, assist with eating, proper mouth care, measuring urine output, use of vital signs, and document data of outputs and vital signs. It’s important for students to practice before they take the test with a state board advisor.
