CNA, short for Certified Nursing Assistant, as the name would suggest, works under the direct supervision of a nurse or a medical staff of the same stature as a nurse. A CNA works as a nurse’ helper hence is commonly referred to as a Certified Nurse Aide. The main role of a CNA is to help with patient care, basic patient testing, patient observation, and patient grooming i.e. cleaning, shaving, etc. CNAs work in long-term health care facilities, nursing homes, clinics, and hospitals but they are commonly employed in long-term health care facilities to help the elderly. The State of Pennsylvania mandate that all CNAs get special training before being offered with CNA certification.
Education
Prior to enrolling for any certification course, you will need to have a high school diploma or its equivalent. This training course is offered in vocational schools, community colleges, and continuing education facilities found throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
Eligibility
Pennsylvania has specific eligibility requirements for CNAs. You will need to undergo a physical examination and undertake two TB tests which should all turn out negative; you should be able to proof your residency and should have a clean criminal record done by the PA state Police.
Duties and responsibilities of a CNA
While a CNA will do several duties in any health care setting, the bulk of the work is on patient care. A CNA basically feeds a patient, cleans the patient, and helps in routine tests and checkups such as temperature and pulse and change the patient’s sleeping position. It is the work of a CNA to ensure the rooms are clean all the time. As is therefore evidence, a nursing assistant job is such a demanding one since most patients are unable to position or move themselves.
Training
A Pennsylvania-approved CNA course is made up of a minimum of 75 training hours basically covering patient rights, biology, anatomy, mental health needs, and rehabilitation methods among others. The other half of the training hours is spent on hands-on practical experience in a real clinical setting but under the supervision of an experienced nurse. As a student, you will work under the direct supervision of a registered nurse and will be monitored for emergency procedures, infection control, and patient care.
Exam
The PA CNA examination is given by the American Red Cross where a registered and experienced nurse evaluator will score students when on the clinical setting for practical examinations. The written part has 50 multiple choice questions while you will be required to do 5 different nurse aide skills under practical clinical settings.