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What is a typical day like as a certified nursing assistant?

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Nija’s Answer

Hello Rosheana,

If you are considering to become a CNA, it entails providing a great deal of hands on patient care to persons in a nursing home, hospital and the patient's home environment. It involves dressing, bathing, feeding and other basic activities of life. A day in the life of a CNA looks like this listed below:

  • Turning or repositioning bedridden patients. Transferring patients from bed to wheelchair or from wheelchair to bed.
  • Taking patients’ temperature, blood pressure and other vital signs.
  • Answering patient calls.
  • Documenting patients’ health issues and report to nurses on any concerns. Cleaning rooms and bed linens.
  • Feeding patients, measuring and recording their food and liquid intake.
  • Helping with medical procedures.
  • Assist nurses in dressing wounds.
  • Be respectful and kind to patients and families. Treat patients with dignity.

Usually, when the CNAs begin their shift, they conduct rounds to obtain an update and information about the patients from the staff that completed their shift. Then the charge nurse meets with all of the CNAs on the unit to provide their assignments on which patients you will be giving care to. A CNA can be assigned to anywhere from 8 to 10 patients or more if there is a shortage of CNAs on the unit. Sometimes, a CNA is selected to do 1:1 with a patient that has a history of wandering or behavioral concerns. CNAs work different shifts.

It can be physically demanding at times performing responsibilities of a CNA. Being a CNA builds strong relationships with patients and their families.

I hope this answers your question. Good luck to you!

Nija recommends the following next steps:

Volunteer or do an internship where you can observe and get a sense of the day to day duties of a CNA.
Speak with CNAs about the nature of the job.
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Bradley’s Answer

This is a good question and I'm not going to beat around the bush, it is hard work but rewarding. I was a CNA for two years before I became a RN. Everything Nija wrote down is correct but in the real world those are hard task to complete if the patient is not able to sit up, talk or stand. Being a CNA will really determine if you want be a caregiver, or a RN, if you want to go further in the medical field. The first two weeks of being a CNA was really hard because I thought I made a huge mistake in the career I had already started. But I realized that the job was very rewarding when you truly help someone not for a paycheck but because you want to serve. The days are usually twelve hours long without a break, depending on where you work. If you do get a break leave the floor or someone will come up to wanting something done. Learn what is important and what is not, see your critical ill patients first. Learn to pace yourself because twelve hours is a long shift. Take care of yourself first, then do your job. If you get hurt or sick you cannot take care of someone else, like protecting your back, don't let know one cough on you, wash your hands etc... If you are doing a task for a RN and another RN ask you to do something else let them know, learn how to speak up for yourself unless it is an emergency like a code. Finally, determine what kind of nurse you want to be a good nurse or a bad one. Hope this helps.
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