Nursing is among the most noble professions. Deciding to become a nurse, whether you chose to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA) or a registered nurse (RN), is choosing a lifetime of service to others often with little in the way of reward – aside from the satisfaction of helping other people. Therefore, nursing is truly a calling, and it is a type of work that you should experience before you fully commit to nursing as a career. But is this possible? Can you actually work as a nurse without going through years of nursing school? Believe it or not, you could train to be a CNA in as little as one month with the only previous requirement being a high school diploma. Frankly, we would go so far as to say that anyone who wishes to work in healthcare should first experience the humbling, eye-opening, and heart-opening life of a CNA.
CNA Job Description
A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is the person who provides basic care to patients in a healthcare facility. A CNA assists patients with hygiene, including helping them go to the bathroom, helping to bathe them, and changing their bedding; he or she also serves patients their meals and helps them eat. In addition, a CNA measures patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure and temperature.
Another essential role of a CNA is listening to patients and relaying their concerns to an RN or doctor. Since CNAs spend a lot more time with patients than doctors or other nurses do, this part of their job is especially important. Patients often feel nervous when doctors stop by but will chatter endlessly to the friendly CNA while he or she is helping the patient get more comfortable in bed or helping them eat their breakfast – often relaying important symptoms or other key information in the process.
Aside from being an essential link in the doctor-patient communication chain, as well as all the other practical responsibilities of the job, CNAs are the ones who offer patients emotional support through their empathy and compassion. Being in a hospital is often a very scary and lonely experience for patients, which is why a friendly face and a patient, understanding ear can make all the difference.
How Can I Become a CNA?
As we mentioned before, it’s easy to become a CNA. The only requirement to enter a CNA program is a high school diploma, including a GED. As far as how long the training program takes, you can become a CNA in as little as four weeks and up to ten weeks (one to four months). Furthermore, there are currently many programs that allow you to become a CNA online from the comfort of your home – although you will need to complete some in-person clinical practice hours. Finally, you will need to pass a state-issued certification exam.
As far as training programs go, there are many different options to choose from. However, one option to consider no matter where you live in the United States is the Red Cross Nurse Assistant Training. Red cross claims that students who take their nurse assistant training will be ready to take the certification exam in four to eight weeks and that historically over 80% of its students pass the exam.
If I Become a CNA, Can I Stay a CNA?
Although we think it would be a very meaningful educational experience for any healthcare worker to spend some time working as a CNA, being a CNA long-term can certainly be a career choice in and of itself.
If you find that you enjoy the close relationships with patients and enjoy taking care of people and being able to truly brighten someone’s day, then you should consider being a CNA long-term. On the other hand, if you are drawn to the more medical aspects of nursing, you should consider continuing your studies to become an RN.
Another consideration that will help you decide whether you would like to remain a CNA or continue your nursing studies is potential salary and availability of jobs. It is a reality that the average national annual salary for a certified nursing assistant is $32,050 whereas the average national salary for a registered nurse is $75,330 – more than double that of a CNA. Nevertheless, depending on where you live, it might be a lot easier to find work as a CNA than as an RN. Furthermore, if you need to supplement your income, you can always consider picking up some per diem work, which implies picking up extra shifts when you have time – often at a different healthcare facility than the one you work at permanently. In fact, many people decide to only work per diem, meaning that they pick up as many shifts as they like whenever they like without working at any one place full time.
If you are interested in per diem work, visit Nursa™ to explore per diem nursing jobs near you.
What Will It Be for You?
Are you naturally sociable and a born caretaker but a tad squeamish around needles? Then, hands down, you should become a CNA. Likewise, if you could calmly dissect frogs in Biology class but have a hard time looking people in the eye, you should also become a CNA – even if it is just a stop on the road to becoming a different type of healthcare professional – because working as a CNA would teach you to truly care about and connect with your patients. After working as a CNA, your approach to interacting with patients would be forever changed; you would never forget that a patient has a name and a face and that caring for them implies much more than a medical intervention.
