Certified nursing assistants or CNAs have an extremely stressful job with plenty of physical tasks embedded into it every day. As well, it can be emotionally taxing because it tends to involve developing emotional connections to one’s patients. While it tends not to make its practitioners wealthy, it can be very emotionally gratifying.
A CNA must meet the daily needs of their patients. For one thing, this involves observing and recording a patient’s status and updating their records accordingly. It will also involve helping patients with the daily requirements of living a life, whether that is:
- Brushing their teeth
- Getting dressed
- Toileting
- Getting up
- Anything else they might need
Furthermore, some CNA’s well be able to administer medication to patients under the supervision of an RN or a doctor. This will vary from state to state so it will not be applicable to all CNA workers.
CNAs need to keep their eyes on their patients’ vital signs, and keep the RN informed about any sort of changes which may take place. These signs include body temperature, details about their breathing, blood sugar level, their blood pressure and pulse speed, as well as other things. This position can also include lifting patients from one place to another, and transferring them from one ward to another area for treatment.
The main tasks of a CNA are providing emotional and physical support to patients who cannot help themselves. This involves one part counseling, one part lifting, one part being a personal trainer during exercise routines, and another part being a second set of hands to help with the basic processes of life. Whether it be feeding them through a tube, clipping their nails, washing or bathing them, the CNA helps the patient with everything. Being a CNA can take on a physical and emotional toll so you’ll need to be emotionally strong and physically fit to pursue a job in this profession.
Coupled with nurturing a patient’s needs, a CNA must also keep the patient’s room clean through basic tasks like tidying up and changing the sheets on their bed as well as sterilizing medical equipment immediately after it is used each time, every time. Cleanliness requirements in a medical facility are strict because of the massive risk of infectious illness. Last but not least, detailed nutritional records about the patient’s eating patterns are also important.
Preparing a patient for operations and treatments is also a crucial task which falls to the CNA. This involves making sure the patient is safe, and reporting anything unsafe to medical authorities. This can even involve training and mentoring newer CNAs in how to do their jobs correctly.
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