If you are looking for a healthcare profession but are not ready to take the plunge to be a nurse, physician or therapist, you might want to become a certified nursing assistant. Working as a CNA, will provide you with the opportunity to evaluate whether or not you want to work in the healthcare field. After working as a nursing assistant, you might decide you want to further your career or to receive some specialty training. For example, you might decide to complete a phlebotomy course so that you are also trained to draw blood for lab work.
There are a few steps you need to take if you want to become a certified nursing assistant. The first thing you will want to do is to make sure that you have what it takes to work in this type of position. (Of course, you cannot answer this with absolute certainty until you begin training). You will want to make certain that you have the motivation and kind personality necessary to be a good nursing assistant. Are you willing to work hard and to sometimes perform duties that are less than enjoyable for you? Are you a compassionate and patient person? If you can answer yes to these questions, you can further consider a career as a CNA.
The next thing you will need to do is to find a certified nursing assistant training program. You can find these programs in allied health colleges, community colleges, on-site at healthcare facilities and through the American Red Cross. Do your homework to find a reputable nursing assistant program that will provide you with the skills you need to be successful.
In order to become a certified nursing assistant, you will need to enroll in a course. Keep in mind that you should attend each class. You will have classroom studies to learn about becoming a nursing assistant and to learn some basic medical skills. You will also have hands on practice where you will learn how to provide services for patients. You need to successfully complete your coursework before you can sit for the certification exam.
The CNA certification exam will include a written and oral test. You will be asked a variety of questions pertaining to your job as a nursing assistant. The test will include multiple choice questions for which you will need to select the best answer. The next portion of the test will be called the skills test. You will have to select a few of the skills that you will need as a Nursing assistant. It will then be necessary to perform those skills in front of a testing proctor to demonstrate your ability.
If you pass the examination, you will then become a certified nursing assistant. You need to be able to successfully complete both portions of the exam before you will be certified. Upon certification, you can start to search for a job opportunity in your new field.
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