How To Find CNA Certification Classes
So you’re seriously considering becoming a certified nursing assistant and are wondering, what’s the first step you need to take to achieve this goal. Well the first thing you will need to do is research local CNA certification classes.
When doing your research make sure that the CNA certification class that you choose has been approved by your state to provide nursing assistant coursework. These state approved CNA programs meet all the national standards set forth by the government for CNA training. These CNA certification programs are designed to get you prepared to work in hospitals, health care facilities, nursing homes and long term care facilities in your state.
Top level CNA certification classes will allow you to gain knowledge of how to become a certified nursing assistant through a rigorous regimen of classroom coursework along with hands on clinical experience in the field. If finding a local CNA certification class is proving difficult for you, you CNA also substitute this with an approved online CNA certification course. However you will still need to get hands on clinical experience at a local hospital or health care facility to round out your requirements.
Your CNA certification class will include but not be limited to the following. You will learn about infection control methods, basic nutritional guidelines, human anatomy, safety and emergency procedures and the role of nursing assistant in
various settings. Your laboratory/clinical part of training will most likely take place in a local hospital or nursing home where direct care is being offered to patients on a daily basis. These hands on portion of you training will be critical in helping you get a feel for the real world tasks of a certified nursing assistant in the field. You will get to interact with patients and health care staff and hone your skill set as a future nurse’s aide. You will get exposure to the administrative side of how a hospital or nursing home is run also.
Both aspect of your training will be a prerequisite to you taking your CNA certification exam. This exam is a National requirement that each state is required to oversee. Basically you will not be allowed to be placed on your state’s nurse’s aide registry until you have completed your CNA certification exam successfully. Sometimes you will find that your exam will be conducted at the CNA certification school you attend but other times you will be required to take the exam at a specific state facility.
Your CNA certification exam is a two part exam. First is the written exam that usually will consists of about 70 or so multiple choice question on what you’ve lean in the classroom setting. Next will be the hands on skills portion where you will be required to demonstrate in real time basic nurse’s assistant skills.
By enrolling in an approved CNA certification class you get the benefit of learning from approved registered nurses with years of clinical experience. These registered nurses will assist you in mastering the many skills you will need to soon take your part on your states nursing assistant’s registry. Once on the registry you will then be able to work anywhere in your state as a qualified and legal certified nurse’s aide.
If you wish to have a career in the field of medicine but for some reason can’t study to become a doctor or a nurse, then you might want to look at other opportunities. Being a medical assistant is one of those opportunities. To really know if this is the career path you want to tread, then you need to be familiar with the medical assistant job description.
First of all, a medical assistant is someone who undergoes formal training regarding the kind of services that the title requires. They hold certificates or diploma indicating they are certified but are not licensed.
A medical assistant job description entails both administrative and clinical functions. The most basic roles of a medical assistant is to help or guide the patients by providing assistance, explaining important details and pieces of information, and to provide services that are medically-related. A medical assistant will be performing under the guidance of a medical doctor or physician.
Some specific and standard tasks that are included in any medical assistant job description are:
Administrative Duties
- To explain the prescriptions, treatment procedures, diets and other medical advice or instructions given by the physician to the patients
- To schedule appointments
- To properly maintain all medical records
- To assist in preparing insurance claims particularly in billing and coding
- To compose or prepare correspondence
- To manage the finances
Clinical Duties
- To acquire information from the patients particularly their medical history and purpose of visit
- To measure and record vital signs like temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, height, and weight
- To keep, prepare and handle medical instruments and supplies
- To troubleshoot any problems encountered while using equipment
- To lead patients to the examination rooms and prepare them for medical examinations
- To assist the physician during the examinations
- To record the results of medical examinations
- To draw blood, collect tissue and other specimens of bodily fluids for testing
- To prepare and administer medications and injections as directed by the doctor
- To ready surgical procedures by fixing the schedules and checking the availability of surgical rooms
- To prepare charts and other documents before surgery
- To maintain a safe and secure working environment
Medical assistant job description also stresses that it is their responsibility to enhance their knowledge of their craft by undergoing trainings and attending other educational opportunities. They are also obliged to serve and protect their profession by following the standards of their practice and obey all the policies, rules, and procedures.
Part of a medical assistant job description that is probably never mentioned is to have enough strength and endurance to stand for most of your working hours. Though a medical assistant normally works inside an air-conditioned medical facility, you will probably spend most of your time standing and walking from here to there to assist each patient throughout the whole process from admission to release. Regular working hours last for about 40 hours per week though sometimes even after the patient’s release it is also your job to make check up on them. Another unspoken responsibility of a medical assistant is to smile and maintain an aura of positivity and hope.
