A certified nursing assistant (CNA) provides basic care and assistance to patients under the supervision of nurses or other healthcare professionals. CNAs help with activities of daily living like eating, bathing and using the bathroom. To become a CNA, one must complete a training program and pass a competency exam. CNAs work in various healthcare settings like nursing homes, hospitals and private homes. While CNA duties are important for patient care and quality of life, CNAs earn a relatively low average salary of around $24,000 annually. However, the job outlook for CNAs is positive with projected growth of over 20% by 2020 due to increasing demand for healthcare workers.

1. All About Certified
Nursing Assistant

2. What Is A Certified Nursing Assistant
(CNA)?

3. A CNA is an individual working in healthcare.
CNAs work under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN)
or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
The CNA helps patients fulfill their basic quality of life needs.

4. These needs
include nutrition
and hygiene

5. They are legally prevented from performing
certain medical procedures.

6. Roles Of A Certified Nursing Assistant

7. A CNA is the main liaison between
the patient and the RN, LPN, and
other medical professionals

8. The CNA acts as the eyes and
ears of the medical team

9. The CNA relays information between
multiple patients and the rest of the
medical team.

10. The CNA helps patients fulfill their
dietary, hygienic, and other basic
quality of life needs

11. The CNA provides human compassion to patients.

12. Typical Job Description For A CNA
• Take patients’ vital signs
• Transfer patients from wheelchair to bed or vice versa as required
• Assist patients in bathing and eating
• Assist patients get exercise
• Dispense patient medication
• Clean and sanitize patient rooms and medical equipment
• Apply supports and bandages as directed by nurse or physician
• Document patient actions and events
• Transmit patient concerns to relevant personnel

13. How to Become A CNA

14. To become a CNA ones needs a minimum of high
school diploma or GED.

15. One enrolls and gets CNA training from an accredited
institution.

16. The CNA candidate must complete at least 75 hours
of classroom work and qualified practical work
depending on the State or training institution

17. A CNA must complete the certification exam and
may prepare for this through the CNAExamCram and
other learning resources

18. Classroom Training For CNA
Certification
In the classroom setting, the CNA candidate undergoes a 6-12 week
program where s/he is trained on:
Basic nursing
skills
Human
anatomy and
physiology
Diet and
nutrition
Control of
infection

19. Types Of Institutions That Train CNAs
High schools
Vocational
schools
Community
colleges
Universities
The Red
Cross
Private
clinics
Hospitals
and other
medical
facilities
The military

20. Where CNAs Work
CNAs work under many different kinds of settings to provide healthcare to needy
patients. The biggest employers of CNAs include:
Nursing homes
Hospital departments
Doctor practices/doctors’ offices
Outpatient clinics
Private homes
Schools

21. Careers Similar To CNA
Nursing aide
Psychiatric aide
Medical assistant
Physician’s assistant

22. Difference Between A CNA And Other
Healthcare Careers

23. A nursing aide requires no actual degree or
certification and one can become a nursing
aide through on-the-job training alone

24. The is no prescribed certification for a medical
assistant and each institution sets its own
standards and minimum requirements

25. A physician’s assistant is more highly
trained than a CNA and is legally
empowered to perform certain medical
procedures

26. A CNA has to get certification and renew it
periodically

27. Responsibilities Of A CNA
Administering treatments or medications such as
catheterizations, enemas, massages, suppositories, or
douches as prescribed by a physician
Document patient progress and report
observations, symptoms, and behaviors
Sanitizing and cleaning patient’s rooms
Apply clean bandages, dressing, or stocking under the
supervision of an RN/LPN

28. Training Requirements For A CNA
To become a CNA one has to complete a
CNA training program from an accredited
institution
The training course takes anywhere
between 4 to 12 weeks
To obtain certification, one has to
complete a CNA competency exam

29. Credentials Of A CNA
To qualify as a CNA, one has to
complete at least 75 hours of a stateapproved training course
One has to pass a CNA competency
exam
One can also get credentials from
The American Association of Medical
Assistants and the Association of
Medical Technologists
A CNA has to regularly renew their
credentials

30. Prerequisites For A CNA
Some institutions require that the candidate enroll for the following before
beginning the CNA training program:
• CPR
• First Aid
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Medical Terminology

31. Characteristics Of A CNA
There are some human qualities that should be inherent to the individual
willing to succeed as a CNA. These include:
Compassion
Empathy
Patience
Observation
skills

32. CNA Pay And Benefits
• CNAs in the US receive an annual average salary of about $24,000 per year
• The lowest-paid 10% bracket earn about $17,800 each year
• The highest-paid 10% bracket earns about $34,600 per year

33. CNA Best States To Work In
The following is the list of the Top 10 US States that employ the most CNAs and pay
the best rates in descending order:
1.
New York
2.
California
3.
Texas
4.
Florida
5.
Pennsylvania
6.
Ohio
7.
Michigan
8.
Idaho
9.
New Mexico
10. Alabama

34. CNA Job Outlook
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a positive outlook on the CNA
career with projections of rising demand of over 20% by the year
2020.
• There is also high demand for medical professionals with a CNA
background and as such, an RN or LPN with CNA background will earn
more
• CNAs can advance their education while on the job to earn associate’s
degrees and bachelor’s degrees and enhance their marketability