The job description of a Certified Nursing Assistant include
- Taking patient’s vital signs
- Feeding
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Ambulating
- Toileting
- Comforting and listening to the concerns of patients and residents
A Certified Nurse Assistant in the State of Missouri, as is with most other States, provides the above-mentioned services in health care settings such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities. They provide direct care to patients and/ or residents and work under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse or a Local Practicing Nurse.
In order to become a Certified Nurse Assistant, one must complete comprehensive training course from an institution accredited and approved by the state, and pass a state-approved competency examination. Meeting these basic requirements will see the candidate entered into the State’s Nurse Aid Registry, giving them the legal right to work anywhere in the Missouri.
If you have prior training in CNA from a different state, you can take the ‘CNA Challenge’, which will give you state permission to sit the competency examination without having to go through the training program again.
Basic CNA Certification Requirements in Missouri
- Complete the state-approved coursework/ training program
- Pass the CNA competency examination
- Submit fingerprint cards
- Pass a federal and state criminal background check
As set by the Federal Law, a typical CNA training program lasts a period of 8 to 13 weeks, giving candidates up to a minimum 75 hours of coursework, and a further 100 hours of practicals hands-on experience in a clinical setting.
Despite these basic requirements, individual institutions may have special requirements prior to commencing training. So be sure to check with the training institution that you are planning to join on what the basic requirements are.
The class work covers such things as:-
- Basic Nursing skills
- Disaster training
- Fire safety
- Patients rights
- Resident safety
- Psychology
- Sociology
CNA Challenge
If you had attained training in the same from a different state, there is always the provision of challenging the state to allow you to sit for the examination without going through the CNA training program all over again.
Once you have completed and met all the state requirements, you will be allowed to take the state-approved competency examination. Upon successful completion of the exam, you will be entered into the Missouri State CNA Registry, and listed as an active member. Note that employers always check the CNA registry before employing any CNAs.