Duties of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA)

Certified nursing assistants or CNAs have an extremely vital responsibility. They are one of the primary caregivers in hospitals or healthcare facilities. The exact job description or duties of certified nursing assistants can vary from one facility to another. The career prospects of CNAs are particularly promising now since the sector is witnessing exponential growth. As increasing healthcare needs call for more professionals and trained staff, the demand for certified nursing assistants will only surge.

Let us highlight the principal duties of a CNA:

• One of the primary responsibilities of a CNA is to attend to the basic needs of patients. Patients may need help with bathing, eating, dressing and grooming. A CNA will attend to all of these and general caring. For instance, patients may require massages or certain special help with the chores. Patients who have suffered strokes, physical injuries or have undergone surgeries require different kind of care. A CNA will follow the guidelines recommended by the doctor and shall attend to the needs.

• A CNA will monitor the vital signs of the patients. Normally, a CNA is assigned a number of patients just as there are supervising doctors in every ward or for a certain number of patients. Certified nursing assistants will check the blood pressure, temperature and even observe the overall health. Any red flag should be spotted by a CNA and the doctor should be called. Certified nursing assistants will also assist the patients to and from operation theaters, physician’s office or even the traveling to and from a hospital if needed.

• Depending on the type of medical attention and care needed, a CNA may also be the housekeeper for cabins or wards. Certified nursing assistants may make the beds of the patients, bring the meals and ensure that the rooms or the wards are kept clean. This would include cleaning soiled sheets and bedpans.

• Certified nursing assistants are trained to help doctors and nurses, even surgeons. CNAs are trained to handle medical equipments, in the setting up and dismantling of state of the art machines and can also be of active help during various medical procedures.

• Not all CNAs would be available for emergency responses but just as doctors on call, some certified nursing assistants may be emergency duties. While on a regular shift, a CNA will be one of the first to call for immediate medical intervention should anything be wrong with a patient.