It is not overly difficult to become a certified nursing assistant. You will need to be motivated and to care about others in order to work successfully as a CNA. A certified nursing assistant provides basic (generally non-medical) care for patients and clients in healthcare and home health settings. There are five easy steps you can follow to become a CNA.
- Determine whether you will pay for a training program out of your pocket or search for free training options. Nursing care facilities often offer training at no cost to individuals who will then work for the employer for an agreed upon amount of time. Make a list of facilities in your area where you can search for employer-sponsored training. You might also be able to receive free training if you are unemployed or receiving public assistance benefits or if you have an extremely low income and are looking to improve your employment status.
- Search for nursing assistant training courses that you are interested in attending. You must find a course that has been approved by the state where you are receiving training. Such a course will offer classroom and clinical instruction to train you for your new career. Courses are often offered at community colleges and technical schools, nursing care facilities, some high schools and even some nursing schools. Contact any institutes of higher learning in your community and surrounding communities in order to find training options.
- Enroll in a program that best fits your needs. You will want to find a training program that you can afford or one that offers scholarship and other financial assistance programs. You will also want to attend a school offering a course schedule that works with your life. Some CNA training courses are offered on a part-time basis while others are full-time. You can even search for nighttime training programs or weekend courses.
- Complete the entire nursing assistant training course. Courses will include classroom instruction as well as hands on experience. It is necessary to complete all assignments and to attend all clinical instruction classes. If you must miss a class or a clinical day, it is necessary to contact your instructor right away to determine how you can make up your work. Upon completion of your course, the instructor can help you complete all necessary paperwork to schedule your certification exam
- Sit for the exam for certification in your state. You will need to follow all instructions that come with your test date announcement. In some states you will need to bring someone with you to act as your model patient for the skills portion of the test. Pass both the written and the skills portion of the test in order to receive your certification.
If you follow a few simple steps, you will be well on your way to becoming a certified nursing assistant. Some states will add you to the registry for nursing assistants once you pass the exam. In other states, you will need to make certain that your name is added to the list.
This is a Guest post by Catherine Bynes, a career blogger who writes mostly about certified nursing assistants.
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