Earn a Higher Salary with PRN CNA Jobs in Ogden
Are you ready to increase your CNA salary? Find out how a per diem staffing app, Nursa, can connect you to the best PRN jobs near you as a CNA.
What is a CNA?
CNAs are certified nursing assistants. CNAs perform essential patient care functions, such as taking vital signs and recording them correctly. They are also in charge of reporting any changes they feel necessary to the rest of the medical team in case any treatment needs to be changed or in case urgent treatment is required. Furthermore, their work is vital to the correct working of the hospital or healthcare facility in which they are working, as CNAs have a deeper insight than other professionals into what is happening with patients in detail, from one moment to the next, precisely given their close interaction with each patient.
CNAs attend to patients' basic needs, for example, helping patients who cannot dress, grooming, combing their hair, bathing, and even feeding when necessary. They must ensure that patients are calm, that they are receiving their treatment well, and that they are comfortable and hydrated. For this, they need practical communication skills, as they must understand even the facial gestures that express how a patient and their families feel. This is why CNAs have quite an important and generally under-recognized job within hospitals.
Nursing assistants in Ogden, Utah, usually work in the team nursing model alongside licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), and other allied healthcare workers.
Some CNAs may be dedicated to more advanced functions, depending on their training, e.g., they may administer medications to patients or support their intravenous treatment when needed. For this, each CNA must train in different areas and become certified to have more privileges within the work environment, thus increasing the value of their work and their demand in various settings. The more courses and training they can obtain, the better job opportunities they will find.
How to Become a CNA in Utah?
To become CNAs in Utah, they must first complete a CNA training program in Utah that lasts at least 100 hours, and this will qualify them to take the state competency exam for CNAs. Once passed, they will be licensed to begin working in Utah and gain experience to further their careers, which may be to continue training as CNAs or to continue their education to complete RN training. Whether or not to continue their education will depend on each individual and their situation.
CNAs have many challenges within their careers, and some common challenges for nursing assistants are:
- The work can be physically demanding. Some patients are not mobile and must be carried from one place to another, moved from their beds, etc. The work also involves cleaning and moving furniture, like hospital beds or armchairs.
- Shifts can be too long or inconvenient, which CNAs must adapt to. Many times, they will have night or weekend shifts, or they will have 12+ hour shifts. If CNAs are uncomfortable choosing long shifts, they can always try to avoid them, although most nursing staff prefer 12-hour shifts.
- Some patients may be more challenging than others. Sometimes, some patients need to be more cooperative. Nursing is a human job. Therefore there will always be challenges on the communication side.
- Overall, they must be able to balance all the tasks they need to accomplish, so they need to be organized, prioritize and follow an order in caring for each patient.
- They can sometimes feel burnout, which is, unfortunately, becoming a constant reality for CNAs, as the shortage of nurses in Utah is causing more work for the few CNAs there are. Consequently, they feel fatigued and eventually burnout, so guarding against stress and only taking on jobs they know they can finish is essential.
What's the Median CNA Salary in Ogden?
The average CNA salary in Ogden is $30,630 per year. This salary can be supplemented in many ways if CNAs wish. It is easy to find more competitive salaries with mobile applications such as Nursa, which quickly helps search for PRN CNA jobs in Ogden.
Per Diem CNA Shifts: What are They?
Per diem or PRN shifts (PRN stands for pro re nata) are temporary shifts that CNAs can take. They are shifts available on an emergency basis from the hospital. The hospital or healthcare facility needs to fill shifts quickly and offer higher hourly pay for CNAs in Ogden. Through the application, CNAs can find jobs near them, both per diem shifts and local travel CNA jobs, for CNAs who want to stay close to home. Both options supplement the salary of CNAs by helping them meet their goals and supporting their objectives.
Overall, CNA jobs in the app are easy to search for, they need to create an account and upload their credentials to start looking for shifts, and they can even search for shifts by areas close to where they are or choose a spot on the map where they would like to work.