CNA: Career or a Career Builder?
If you're looking for a career that will provide you with irrefutable job security, and have an interest in the field of healthcare then look for the nearest nursing assistant training program and sign up!Compared to other training and studying programs in the healthcare field, the road to be a CNA is more easily afforded. Additionally, a bachelor's or associate's degree is not required, just your high school diploma or GED equivalent.Most courses are 12 weeks long but some can be completed in as little as four weeks. They can be taken online instead of in a classroom, nevertheless in-person training is required of either. Once you've successfully completed the course and the clinical portion, you can sit for the exam. After you've passed the exam to the required standards, you have earned the CNA designation.
Job Security for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts that the job growth for Nursing Assistants and Orderlies will grow at a rate of 9%. Overall the healthcare industry is experiencing growth, and many attribute that growth to the aging baby boomer population.According to the BLS; skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, continuing care communities, home health services, and government facilities comprise the list of employers for CNAs.
There are Many Hospital CNA Jobs Near You
In 2018, hospitals; both locally run, and privately run, employed 27% of the nation's CNAs. These jobs are often coveted for several reasons. The benefits that come with working as a government employee typically include good health insurance coverage and a higher pay rate or salary.Hospital work for a CNA offers more of a variety than other settings as well. CNA's will come into contact with patients from different cultures, a wider range of ages, and different medical conditions as well. There is less opportunity for building a close rapport with patients (as opposed to other work environments for CNAs) due to the fact that lengthy hospital stays are rather unusual in hospitals. If you appreciate the changes and challenges that accompany high patient turnover, this may be the premium environment for you.
CNAs Jobs in Home Health Services
Home health work is another setting in which CNAs find work. Home health work can be very gratifying as it often fosters a close rapport between nursing assistant and their patient. CNAs who work in as home health aides are often content with a somewhat lower pay rate because the patient to CNA ratio is 1:1. Many CNAs find that providing care for one patient their entire shift instead of many to be a welcome circumstance in spite of the grief that accompanies the passing of a patient. Home health work employs only about 5% of all employed CNAs, therefore it is rather competitive. If you are compassionate but emotionally resilient, this may be a work environment in which you could be very happy.
Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities Employ CNAs
It is no secret that the baby boomer generation is aging, and therefore the healthcare industry for that age group has grown immensely. Retirement communities and assisted living facilities are a work environment in which CNAs are vital for their smooth functioning. They allow elderly persons to continue to live in an independent community, with support. These types of work settings employ about 11% of all CNAs.
CNAs Can Work for the Government
Government jobs aren't lauded for being high-paying but everyone knows that government employees have the best benefits. CNAs can find work for the government by working in government run medical facilities across the nation. These jobs aren't always easy to land, perhaps in part because there aren't as many of them. According to BLS data from 2018 the government employed just 4% of all employed CNAs. Nevertheless, given time and experience, and persistence in looking and applying for government posts, the job security and benefits that come with a government job make the hunt and the wait worthwhile.
Skilled Nursing Facilities Are the Biggest CNA Employer
Indeed, skilled nursing facilities employ the largest percentage of CNAs at 38% in the year 2018. Skilled nursing facilities jobs are frequently the first job a new CNA will land. In part this is due to the fact that skilled nursing facilities always have need for CNAs. The job security, the opportunity for learning new skills, the experience gained to hone those skills, and the occasion to build rapport with your patients are some of the benefits of working in this environment. If you are a person who thrives in a job where you will be busy, you will be needed, and the hours will pass quickly, this may be just the right setting for you.
Being a CNA Can be a Career or a Career Builder: You Choose
Working as a CNA is a great starter for a career in the healthcare industry. If you're unsure about going into debt to be an LPN or RN, get certified as a nurse assistant and dive into the industry.If you are already studying to be an LPN or an RN, then why not get your certification to work as a CNA during time off from your studies? Gain valuable experience in the field, and affording you opportunities to observe and learn from LPNs and RNs; there's no down side.Some people also choose to be a CNA as their career. There is an immense job security in this profession, and the fact that this role is vital to making the daily lives better for others can be remarkably satisfying.Whichever route you choose to take, NursaTM can make that path more profitable for you. We have high paying PRN shifts available in cities and towns near you for CNAs. With your certification, you can build your professional digital portfolio on our smartphone application and land PRN shifts where you want them, and when you want them. Pick up an extra couple of shifts this week so that next week you can do something special.
