Certified Nursing Assistant
Working as a Certified Nursing Assistant allows you to nurture your desire to help others, while earning a living. Certified Nursing Assistants can find work at numerous facilities. Healthcare has become the largest source of jobs, so it is no surprise that CNAs have no issue with finding employment. CNAs can work in hospice care, nursing homes, correctional institutions, hospitals, insurance agencies, drug treatment centers, assisted living facilities, and the list goes on. Becoming a CNA will give you the freedom to expand your career opportunities.
In the State of New Jersey Certified Nursing Aids work under the supervision of a licensed Registered Nurse in assisting patients of all ages. Contact with the patient is often long term making the CNA an important part of their daily routine as well as vital to their care and treatment.
Duties of a CNA may include:
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Taking and recording vital signs such as
pulse and blood pressure - Dressing and/or bathing a patient
- Oral hygiene, skin and hair care
- Toilet assistance, bowel and bladder monitoring
- Feeding
- Assistance walking or transporting in a wheel chair
- Help with wheel chair use
- Lifting, repositioning and turning bedridden patients
- Assistance with range-of-motion exercises
- Various observations that require reporting and documenting
- Reporting as needed to the nurse
Employment Opportunities:
The duties of a CNA often require a heavy workload and physical demands that keep the turn-over rate for nursing assistants high. CNAs are in demand especially in hospitals, nursing facilities and assisted living communities. Baby boomers have reached their senior status which means there will be a greater number of active older Americans than ever before. Facilities will be built and agencies created that will necessitate a growing number of CNAs to staff them. Job opportunity and security in this field is on the rise.
CNA’s cannot work in patients’ private homes nor administer medication without the Medication Aid Certification. Often CNA’s continue their education adding CHHA to their certification since it requires only 10 additional hours. Both the CHHA and Medication Aide certification significantly improve employment opportunities.
For more information about program costs and deadlines, please submit our brief contact form, and a representative from DMLC will respond with a personalized phone call shortly.