Why Should I Be a CNA?

Helping patients as a CNA is an essential job in the healthcare system. CNAs help maintain the dignity of each patient in a hospital or nursing home and ensure that all receive high-quality care. 

In healthcare, time is valuable, and healthcare providers don’t have the luxury of time. CNAs ensure that everything a patient needs gets done on time. 

For example, sometimes, nurses need to administer a patient’s medications. While on that, they need to get another patient’s vital indices. In such scenarios, CNAs can help get vitals so that nurses can focus on the medications.

Because CNAs are also actively involved in direct patient care, they can help point out changes to nurses before any serious problem arises. 

They are a vital part of promoting the health and well-being of each patient. Working as a CNA allows for hands-on experience in healthcare. 

What Would My Duties Be as CNA, and Why Are They Important?

The certified nursing assistant’s scope of practice will vary from state to state. Still, in general, the work of CNAs involves the following:

Taking Vital Signs

Vital signs can indicate changes in health and well-being. Accurate data collection is critical so that individuals can get proper medical care.

Nursing assistants, like licensed practical nurses, are responsible for taking vital signs like blood pressure.

Turning, Repositioning, and Transferring Patients

Carrying out these activities correctly ensures that a patient stays safe. It also helps prevent poor health problems like skin breakdown. 

For example, a patient on bed rest needs to be turned and repositioned to prevent bedsores.

Serve Meals to Patients and Help Them Eat

Sometimes, a patient needs to be on special diets to stay safe and recover from illness. For example, a patient recovering from a stroke might need help eating because he has difficulty swallowing. 

Ensuring adequate nutrition is also critical to promoting the overall health and recovery of a patient. 

Assist Patients in Activities of Daily Living

CNAs perform activities like helping patients bathe or use the toilet. 

Such activities not only help patients stay clean and comfortable, but they also allow CNAs to observe and report to the nurse any changes to the patient’s baseline level of functioning.

Act as a Patient Advocate and Communicator

CNAs are active healthcare team members. They can help patients get the best possible care by reporting patient needs and patient changes to nurses.