A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) works to provide care for patients. It’s a job that involves a lot of responsibilities, from bedside assistance to basic nursing procedures.
Though it entails supervision from a Registered Nurse (RN), much of a CNA’s work requires a mix of skills to be able to properly care for a patient. A good CNA must exhibit the following:
Passion
It’s not easy to attend to the needs of other people round the clock. Whether it’s assisting bedridden patients, serving meals, sanitizing areas, or updating patient records, the work can be tedious.
But one can stay dedicated to any task or juggle various responsibilities. It’s the passion to provide care that will build resolve in a CNA’s heart.
In turn, this will affect their work and be felt by the patients.
Patience
No pun intended, but attending to a patient requires patience. There’s a sense of compassion that a CNA must have to address the needs of those with lower levels of mobility. Eating, bathing, dressing, and undressing are relatively simple tasks that require regular assistance.
This is in addition to the complaints and uncooperative behaviors that some patients may exhibit. In such scenarios, it’s a no-no to lose patience. Instead of causing more stress, CNAs have to stay calm, level-headed, and caring.
Knowledge
A CNA must have the ability to address health-related issues. Though not at the level of an RN, becoming a CNA still requires a short course or semester of study. This includes familiarization with health charts and patient records.
CNAs are counted on to spot any health concerns. This means they should have a body of knowledge to draw from when the need arises.
From taking vital signs to preparing medical equipment and analyzing medical history — these can be useful in many situations. The knowledge can only stem from curiosity and an interest to learn as much as possible.
Communication
Since CNAs work hand-in-hand with RNs, there must be clear communication between the two for the betterment of the patients. This comes in the form of regular reports that summarize all the necessary info.
Good communication skills will help make sure that patient needs are understood and cared for. Even in interactions with patients, a good CNA can detect when there’s discomfort or when someone is going through pain. Most importantly, talking to them to know what’s going on is a vital skill.
Attention to detail
This brings us to the final quality that a CNA should have. Attending to and caring for other people requires attention to detail. This entails a combination of instinct and knowledge to determine when something is off or if action must be taken to help a patient immediately.
If a caregiver doesn’t notice when things go wrong, then patients will be in trouble. This is why a CNA must have a good eye when it comes to all patient concerns.
In short, CNAs should be passionate about providing care. They must have the patience to help others without losing their cool, and the knowledge that comes from a will to learn about patient care. They must communicate well with both patients and nurses, and have a good eye to keep things in order.
There’s no perfect CNA, but those who want to put in honest work can try their best and do a great job of it.
For more information about becoming a CNA, contact us at:
CNA TRAINING INSTITUTE,INC
140 Eldridge Road # G, Sugar Land, TX 77478
Phone: (346) 908-0942
https://cnatraininginstitute.org/
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