What Is A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)?

Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is an excellent way for adults to enter the medical field and make a difference in the lives of others. Whoever wants to provide care for the sick, the disabled and the elderly should consider the CNA career. In this article, we’ll look at what exactly a CNA is and why it’s worth the investment of time and money to pursue it.

What Does a CNA Do?

The CNA job is a bridge between the world of nursing and the world of patient care. This requires general duties of observation and reporting as well as direct patient care. CNAs perform basic medical care support, such as helping with basic mobility needs, serving meals, assisting with bathing, taking a patient’s temperature, and reporting changes to nurses or doctors. As an entry-level nursing profession, you’ll get to learn all the basics of the nursing profession and generally, you can complete the necessary training in six to twelve weeks.

Why Pursue A Career as a CNA?

First and foremost, the most important reason to pursue the CNA career is to help others. It allows you to make a real difference in someone’s life, no matter what their medical need is. It is both a challenging yet rewarding job and gives you the satisfaction of making a lasting, meaningful impact in people’s lives.

Second, becoming a CNA is a great way to enter the nursing field. It opens up the door to many more opportunities and you can use the experience from being a CNA to become a more highly-skilled and specialized nurse.

Third, the job security for CNAs is exceptional. With an aging population, there will be a continued and growing demand for CNAs to work in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and home health care over the next decade.

Finally, there is also the benefit of a higher salary potential, as future CNAs may be given higher wages as they gain experience and expertise.

The Bottom Line

If you are considering a job in the medical field, becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant is a great place to start. Not only will you be helping other people, you will get the satisfaction of having a stable job with excellent job security. You may be able to use this experience to move up to a higher-level nursing role as well.