CNA Certification and CNA Training

How to select a good CNA school?

If you have a goal to work as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), the first thing you’ll have to do is to undergo CNA training program at a good CNA training school.  This would mean you’ll have to look for a CNA school in your vicinity that offers high quality training.  There are various facilities available to get yourself trained for a career as a certified nursing assistant.  We’ll list here various types of CNA training schools so that you can do some research yourself and find the best school for your CNA training needs.

CNA training courses conducted by the American Red Cross are considered among the best CNA training programs.  American Red Cross offer the CNA training courses in 36 locations in the United States.   Their CNA training program is considered of a superior degree because of the quality of the instruction and facilities used in the training. Students who complete CNA training coursework and clinical training at Red Cross are better prepared to take the CNA certification exam.

Another good alternative for good quality CNA training schools are the nursing schools.  Many nursing school also offer CNA training programs for those who aspire to become a CNA.  You should visit nursing schools in your area to find out if they offer CNA training programs.   Nursing schools are one of the best ways to get trained for a career as a nursing assistant because most such schools have experienced registered nurses teaching the course, and they usually have good facilities for clinical training too.   You will also have best access to jobs after completing your CNA certification from nursing schools. Read the rest of this entry »

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Getting CNA License

All CNA aspirants must first finish the CNA training program successfully and then pass the CNA certification exam with satisfactory score.   You then need to register with the nursing board of your state to be able to practice as a licensed CNA.  This is a part of the CNA licensing requirements.

CNA Registration

There are two databases in which you have to register yourself.  One is at the national level, also called the federal database and the other is the state database.  All the important information regarding the registration details of the certified nursing assistants are taken care, administered and compiled by a National council formed by the nursing state boards of all the states.  This national council consists of members from a good sixty boards.  Also, this board is well represented by members from all the states. The national council performs plenty of functions.  The council has set up certain standards for all the nurses and nursing assistants to adhere and it is required to maintain the personnel registry containing the details of nursing assistants up to date.

Keeping Your CNA License Active

All the levels of nursing assistants find place in the database which includes the second level of nursing assistants and the first level of nursing assistants along with the certified nursing assistants who administer medication.  The national council serves as a check house and looks in to all the issues concerning certification, education and discipline.  Read the rest of this entry »

There may be times when your ambitions and aspirations may be left unfulfilled due to many reasons, mainly lack of finance.  It is quite true that you want to get in to the wonderful and rewarding profession of a certified nursing assistant (CNA), but again the paucity of funds acts as an impediment.  Still, there is plenty to rejoice for you as there are plenty of free CNA training programs and CNA training courses offered at an affordable cost.  The only effort required from your side is you need to invest some time and conduct a thorough research.

Firstly, you need to locate all the free CNA training programs offered in your location.  Most of the programs are offered at the University campus and students usually feel that University based programs are the best.  Definitely it’s true. But to your sheer delight, you will find that there are plenty of quality programs available outside the University campus.

One such place which offers nursing assistant course at a moderate price is the American Red Cross.  The CNA training programs offered by Red Cross are well recognized and would definitely help the students.  You need to check with the local American Red Cross branch in your town or city and it would be good if you could visit them.  The program offered by them is an accelerated one and can be finished in very less time.  Ideally, the program takes only around five weeks to complete.  Therefore, it is highly advisable that you invest all your time during the duration of the course to learn all the skills and supreme dedication is a must. Read the rest of this entry »

Certified Nursing Assistants also known as CNAs or nurse aides support the nurse practitioners in delivering essential medical care to patients.  As the CNAs routinely notify the nurses concerning patients’ vital information and facts, they’re aptly known as the eyes and ears’ of the nurses.  The duties of a CNA differ based on their places of work – as they are employed in nursing homes, hopitals, health care centers, elder care facility, or even at a patient’s home.

One of many objectives of CNA training is exposure to the various tasks you’ll have to grasp.  CNA’s are all faced with one main responsibility -patient monitoring and care. Overall, the CNA job duties include the following tasks.

Monitoring the Patients’ Health: CNAs are responsible for observing any kind of changes in the patients’ overall health and updating it to the nurses periodically.  In some health care facilities, CNAs should also submit a written report concerning the medical problem of patients.

Patients’ Record: Maintaining medical record of patients, like blood pressure level, body temperature, weight, heartbeat rate, breathing rate etc. on a regular basis.  The CNA furthermore records the treatments delivered to a patient from time to time.

Personal Hygiene: To maintain patients’ individual hygiene which includes bathing, changing, nail care, shaving etc.

Housekeeping: Housekeeping services is another responsibility of a CNA.  They help to change bed-sheets, clean up the patients’ rooms, etc.

Toileting Requirements: CNA are responsible for the patients’ toileting needs.  Giving bedpan to bed-ridden patients, emptying the catheter bags are some of their duties.

Transport Patients: CNAs are accountable in moving the patients for health care check-ups, therapy treatments, and operations, back and forth from their beds. Read the rest of this entry »

Appearance and Personal Hygiene for Nurses and CNAs

Well, in today’s modern world appearance does contribute a lot to individual’s professional success.  More so if you are in a profession like nursing.  You are not taught a great deal regarding appearance during your nursing course because you are expected to be neat and clean all the time since your profession demands it.  How well a patient’s hygiene and well being can be maintained can easily be determined by looking at the personal hygiene and appearance of the nurses and nursing assistants.

In any profession, appearance plays a great role and in nursing profession, personal hygiene is obviously the most important requirement.  In the nursing profession, it is mandatory for all the nurses and nursing assistants to wear scrubs.  The style and color of the scrub may vary among different hospitals and employers, but as said earlier scrubs are an absolute must.  Read the rest of this entry »

CNA Test Preparation

As we have already seen before as to how the CNA Certification Test is structured, the various sections and how the questions are divided, let us now take a look at how this information can be sourced or in other words, how to prepare for the CNA Exam.

One of the best ways to procure this information is to browse the Internet libraries and download the information.  The information on the Internet will display massive information, along with the guidelines, regulations and rules to which the students have to adhere.  Students can also visit nearby bookshops and request for the latest CNA test questions along with the answers.

Since most of the questions in the written section cover topics like recording and taking down the readings of vital functions, personal and patient hygiene, procedures carried out in the laboratory and patient care, it is good to go through books based on these topics.

During the practical test a lot of emphasis is also laid on how the nursing assistants would handle the patients.  Let us look at some types of sample questions.  Questions may be framed as to how a nursing assistant should record the information?  Is the nursing assistant allowed to share the information with other nursing assistants or with the family members of the patients or should the information be passed on properly to the nursing assistant due to arrive in the next shift.

There may be a variety of questions on joints and muscles of the body and the various exercises in order to keep them healthy and fit.  Candidates should know the difference and have a thorough knowledge about rotation and motion exercises.  Since the nursing assistants would be dealing with people from all walks of life, it is important that all the nursing assistants maintain calm and deal with the patients in a very professional manner.

CNA Test Prep Guides

We recommend you to buy CNA Test Preparation books with illustrations and diagrams, since clinical procedures can be understood easily with the help of diagrams.  How to make bed for the patients, how to change the sleeping position of the patients and the way to take down the temperature of a patient can be understood only through diagrams and illustrations.

Some of the best books for CNA Test Preparation are  Nurse Assistant’s Exams by Daphna Moore and  Nursing Assistant/Nurse Aide Exam by LearningExpress. These books are of immense help to all students aspiring to take the CNA certification test. Read the rest of this entry »

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CNA Sample Test Questions

As it is already known, all the students who wish to pursue a career as nursing assistant need to clear the CNA certification exam which essentially consists of two parts, namely the practical section and the written section.  It is a good idea to get some practice about the examinations before taking the CNA certification test.  For the written test, sample test questions are available, which give a fair idea to the students about the questions in the final test.  Practicing these CNA sample test questions, you can develop confidence to take and pass the test with flying colors.

The written section of the final test consists of seventy questions and each question is a multiple choice question.  Out of these seventy questions, there are ten questions on which statistical data and information has to be collected.  These are essentially non scored questions or questions that need to be worked on before the test begins.

After the CNA written section is over, there is an oral test.  Here too, there are a total of seventy questions.  Out of these seventy questions, again there are sixty questions to be answered with multiple answers.  The remaining ten questions are framed to test the student’s fluency in medical terms and terminology, comprehension, vocabulary and reading skills.

The next test evaluates the clinical skills of the student.  Here, of the numerous aid skills performed by the nursing assistant, any five are chosen and the students are required to perform these skills.  All the practical tests performed by the students are evaluated by a doctor or a senior nursing assistant.  To prepare for the CNA practical test which involves interaction with the patients, a student can seek the help of a family member, who would act as a patient and practice carrying out the test on that family member.

Let us have a brief look at the nature of the questions which the students may have to answer during the course of the test.  The questions may be based on how to look after a patient who has been advised bed rest and how often his sleeping position ought to be changed.  There would be questions about the necessary first aid to be given to the patient in case he develops serious wounds, cuts or injury due to an accident or a bad fall.  There would be plenty of questions about how the vital parameters ought to be measured and how to take down the readings.  It is a good idea to have an overall view about the common communicable diseases, their symptoms, medication required, precautions and the importance of cleanliness.

A thorough preparation is a must to pass this examination, and the best way to prepare for the CNA exam is to get familiarize with the type of questions. We recommend the Prep Guide for Nursing Assistants by Barbara Acello.

In the next post we will cover more sample test questions for the CNA Certification Exam.

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Certified Nursing Assistant education for CNA Certification is now available online and one can do the CNA training courses from the comfort of one’s own home instead of going for classes.  The convenience and ease of sensible fees for doing the course online has made it an attractive proposition for millions who are interested in making a career in health care.  There are no special requirements needed to qualify for CNA certification training.  The online CNA training itself gears up the students to be able to qualify and prepare for the state exam.

There are many CNA aspirants who want to make a career in nursing, but do not find the time to travel to study at a campus or take on a course to qualify as a nursing assistant.  Taking such a course might also involve some financial burden.  Online CNA training courses are cheaper in comparison and could be pursued from the comforts of home.  The curriculum consists of studying theory and academics electronically and doing the lab and clinical work in person.  Students get familiar with long-term care for chronic and acute illnesses.

To become a full-fledged CNA, you have to first prepare and get through the state conducted CNA exam.  The training varies in different states.  In some states, students only have top undergo a two week course without any theory involved, whereas they need to undergo many weeks of formal education and clinical training in other states.  The only common requirement of all states is that the CNA has to gain mastery over certain laid down basic proficiencies.  These skills include taking vital signs of patients, documenting patient care, basic skills of communication, handling patients and theoretical education in anatomy and physiology.

There are some shortcomings in taking the online CNA training classes, though.  The students are unable to have interaction with their trainers and the other students.  Besides, online education also does not expose the students to work with patients and get exposed to clinical facilities, procedures and equipment.

CNAs can advance their education and training by undergoing advanced programs that are being provided by Nursing Boards in a few states.  Once they have undergone these additional courses, they will qualify and be called Advanced Unlicensed Assistant or Patient Care Technician.  They are also referred to as CNA-2.  Having undergone this additional training, the CNA-2 will be qualified to perform advanced procedures like tube feeding or insertion of catheter.

Though these procedures are taught online for advanced certification, the student misses out on the hands-on clinical training which may be required to be done.  The CNA aspirant may need to do some volunteer work at a nursing home, a care facility or a local hospital or take on apprenticeship at either of these places in order to get some hours of clinical training in addition to undergoing online CNA training courses.

Another reason for taking online courses for CNA training is to gain certification or for the purpose of renewing an expired CNA license.  Online CNA training courses also offer refresher courses for those in private services or for those who give care for home bound family members that may be suffering from long-term illnesses.

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For those people who aspire to become Certified Nursing Assistants, free CNA training is available through online CNA training or through employers such as vocational training organizations in your locality or hospitals.  Aspirants need to take and pass a state exam to qualify and get certification as a CNA.  Online CNA training, however, may not cover this.
CNA training courses differ from CNA training classes in that the courses are imparted by way of courseware that is either online or in printed format whereas classes involve clinical learning and practical knowledge imparted with hands-on experience.

CNA training is conducted by nursing homes and hospitals and depending on where you live, you can get trained for free by working with the facilities.  The ideal way to get more information is by calling the facilities and finding out if they have any free CNA training courses.  Long term care centers in your locality are the best facilities that would be looking for assistance in this regard and may be conducting CNA training.  Some local community colleges also have tie-ups with hospitals to offer free CNA training courses to aspirants.

Scholarship Programs such as the CNA/HHA also sponsor free training for individuals that qualify to work in long term care as Certified Nurse Assistants and Home Health Aides.  The entire cost of training inclusive of CNA certification exam is covered by these programs, which receive funding from the Department of Public Health of the state under their administration.

CNA training programs are also being offered by the Armed Services.  The Air Force Aid Society Spouse Employment Program is tied-up with Spectrum Medical Services and offers the CNA Program through some approved facilities for spouses of military personnel on active duty.

Some state health departments like the one in Oklahoma State offers free CNA training classes and is expected to cover training for nearly 1000 CNA students this year.  The funding comes from penalties levied on some nursing homes that used to carry out substandard care in the state of Oklahoma.  It is possible that CNAs graduating out of these nursing homes might benefit from the scholarships offered by the facilities.  The nursing homes offering these scholarships aim to improve the standards of patient care in facilities that offer long-term care.

The basic aim of the free CNA training program is to offer the chance for its nursing assistants to upgrade their knowledge and skills to a higher level.  Higher training is being offered by Tulsa Community College for CNAs who would like to advance still higher, though there is no funding at the current time.

The OSHD (Oklahoma State Health Department) is funding a program called the CNA Career Ladder Program.  The primary eligibility criterion is only for CNAs with experience in working with patients at long-term care facilities and skilled nursing facilities.  There are other criteria that the students need to fulfil  are submitting complete information on personal details including immunizations undergone and will also need to submit themselves to a drug screening test and allow a criminal background check to be done on themselves.

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Why Red Cross CNA classes?

From among the various kinds of Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training courses, one of the leading and popular is enrolling in the American Red Cross CNA training course.  Red Cross CNA Training classes are not only available more widely, but the course is considered to be of a far better quality and the instructors follow a higher standard of instruction.  Before opting for the Red Cross CNA classes, it would be advisable to remember that these classes are not for free.  However, there are other facilities that do offer free CNA training classes.

Across the United State, the American Red Cross introduced the specialized Red Cross CNA training in 36 cities late last year.  The Red Cross CNA training program is a very fulfilling course if you are in the process of deciding in choosing health care as your career.  A lot of Certified Nursing Assistants later work towards certifying to become a Registered Nurse (RN).

The American Red Cross training classes are designed to meet Federal CNA training levels, and each chapter has its programs designed to satisfy specific licensing requirements for the State.  The requirements specify the number of hours one needs to put in during the training period and what kind of procedures and practices need to be followed to complete the clinical training requirements.  CNA Training costs for the programs are also different for different chapters.

The Red Cross CNA training classes are available in several states and helps obtain CNA certification through the American Red Cross.  The curriculum followed is nationally recognized for CNA.  The clinical requirements and course hours, however, are different for each state.  Since each state has its own set of requirements, the Red Cross CNA class follows the state pattern.

All Red Cross CNA applicants should meet the following minimum requirements:

•    Age – 18 years and above
•    No felony convictions in the past 7 years
•    Should not be pregnant
•    Free from communicable diseases

In order to successfully complete the Nurse Assistant Training course, the course participants have to fully engage in sessions both in the classroom and successfully perform in knowledge and skills evaluations.  Some strenuous activity can be expected out of the participants, due to the specialized nature of skills required for this program.  In case you have some disability or a medical condition that you feel will be a hurdle in participating in the session requiring special skills, it would be advisable to consult with a suitable person at the Red Cross chapter and your doctor or health-care provider before you commence on your course.

There are two levels for the CNA examination – the Skills Test followed by the Written Test.  The complete examination would be of almost 6 hours and can be attempted on the same day.  The participant needs to clear the Skills Test successfully prior to attempting the Written Test.  The final test scores should be 80% or higher.  The test results are declared on the same day of the exams, and the certificate for the State Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) is sent to the applicant soon thereafter.

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