How to Become a CNA: Prerequisites, Education and Certification
The healthcare providing process depends on the work of tireless and hardworking medical professionals, from minor health concerns to life-threatening conditions. In this article, we'll explore the road to becoming one of those professionals, a CNA. CNAs are valuable team members, as they work closely with patients and supervise and record any change in their vital signs, thus helping other medical professionals treat and cure their patients. Furthermore, we'll answer your questions like how to become a CNA, how long it takes, and how to become a CNA with online training programs.
What Is a CNA?
CNAs or certified nursing assistants are health-providing professionals responsible for all daily patient-oriented chores. Becoming a CNA is often a starting point for advancing to registered nurses (RN) or licensed practical nurses (LPN). They work under the supervision of other medical professionals like RNs and LPNs.
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What Does a CNA Do?
CNAs are valuable members of the medical team. They help with day-to-day patients' chores. Some of their daily duties include:
Assisting patients with dressing up, feeding, and bathing,
Analyzing the patients' vital signs,
Helping patients navigate,
Hand, foot, and nail care,
Positioning patients,
Transferring patients,
Dressing and cleaning wounds.
Besides necessary general skills like multitasking, communication, and organization skills, CNAs must possess specific skill sets according to their patient-oriented duties. Those skill sets include:
Nutrition - CNAs are responsible for handling all aspects of feeding patients, managing vitamins and supplement uptake, feeding patients who can't feed themselves, recording meal and supplement intake, etc.
Environment control - one aspect of their duties includes ensuring their patients are in a safe and clean environment.
Special procedures - CNAs must remain calm during emergencies or life-threatening circumstances and perform CPR, Heimlich maneuver, respiratory care, etc.
Patient care - all CNAs are required to have extensive craftsmanship like collecting specimens for tests, monitoring blood pressure, etc.
How Do You Become a CNA?
The path of becoming a CNA isn't a long and difficult one. The typical steps include finishing a training program, getting certified, and entering the workforce. There are many available training programs from which you can choose the one closest to your goals.
Prerequisites
Becoming a CNA doesn't have extensive criteria. The prerequisites to becoming a CNA include:
Attending an orientation information session,
High School diploma or GED,
Criminal background check by Red Cross before registration,
Completing the Red Cross physical form and TB test.
Education requirements
The first step of becoming a CNA is enrolling in a CNA training program accredited by ACEN. You can find CNA training programs in vocational schools or community colleges. Usually, they separate the program into theoretical and clinical sessions that teach students the fundamental skills and knowledge of working as a CNA.
A bonus to pursuing a CNA career is the option of attending an online training program through vocational schools or community colleges, depending on the state. This option helps students with family or work responsibilities maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Certification requirements
Completing the CNA training program follows taking the NNAAP or a state CNA competency exam. The exam consists of written and oral sections, during which you'll get tested on your clinical and physical skills like helping patients eat, pulse recording, and other clinical tasks. Typically, the written section of the examination has multiple-choice questions on anatomy, physiology, etc. After passing the exam, the next step is your state's CNA registry listing you. The CNA certification is valid for only two years, after which you'll have to renew the certification according to your state's requirements.
How long does it take to become a CNA?
A CNA training program can take three to twelve weeks to complete. However, the length of the training program varies depending on the state, as most states require 80 to 180 training hours.
Benefits of Becoming a CNA
Most CNAs will tell you that their occupation is an emotionally rewarding one. They help change patients' lives and, in turn, have their lives changed as well. They connect with the community and help patients and their families adapt to life-changing circumstances.
Becoming a CNA has a lot of benefits like helping build network connections, facilitating changing careers, having a colorful work environment, having job security, and many more.
Accessibility and affordability
Two benefits to becoming a CNA are accessibility and affordability, which is due to the necessary credential being earning a certification rather than a degree. There are many opportunities for free or low-cost courses. Some hospitals will even pay for your tuition and getting the training you need to advance in your career. Another bonus is the opportunity to take online courses and broaden your skillset.
Variety of work environments
Another benefit to becoming a CNA is the variety of work environments. Although the majority of CNAs work in nursing homes and hospitals, they can work in residential care centers, assisted living facilities, correctional facilities, clinics, medical offices, and home healthcare.
High demand
An additional benefit to becoming a CNA is the high concentration of vacancies around the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a high demand for CNAs. The industries with the highest level of employment for CNAs are:
Nursing care facilities - 471,160
General medical and surgical hospitals - 386,510
Continued care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly - 140,850
Home health care services - 83,560
Employment services - 39,910
The states with the highest employment level for CNAs are:
California - 94,450
New York - 85,490
Florida - 83,010
Texas - 71,700
Pennsylvania - 68,180
Flexibility
Because CNAs often will go back to school while working, a huge bonus is the working hours flexibility. There are three shifts available, and they can negotiate and control the working hours. This allows CNAs to maintain a healthy work-life balance and achieve their goals in the meantime.
Starting point to other health care careers
Working closely with patients allows CNAs to gain extensive knowledge of the inner workings of other positions, which is why after finishing an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing, CNAs can obtain the state licensure and promote to an RN or an LPN position.
CNA Salary and Job Outlook
The salary of CNAs depends on factors like location, experience, credentials, additional skills, etc. Based on the information provided by CNAs around the country, different salary information sites evaluate salaries differently.
Payscale estimates CNAs' salary at $30,885, with salaries ranging from $20k to $47k and entry-level positions starting at $12.72.
Whereas Glassdoor reports a salary of $36,057, with salaries starting at $26k and going as high as $50k for CNAs.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNAs should expect a job outlook of 8% (as fast as average) this decade. The job outlook is promising due to the professionals changing occupations, retiring, or leaving the workforce. In terms of job openings, CNAs can expect 192,800 openings each year.
Conclusion
As stated above, becoming a CNA has a lot of benefits. As a starting position, you get acquainted with the work environment, how to work in a medical team, and how to treat and provide care for patients. If you're a person who wants to work in the healthcare industry and work closely with patients, an entry position as a CNA would be perfect for you. And if becoming a CNA fits your life goals, you should start your journey today!