Nursing assistants play a crucial role in the healthcare sector. This article will give you a quick look at what it takes to become a nursing assistant, how the job market is, and how much they make.

Why are nursing assistants important?

Your nursing assistant is probably the most indispensable person on your healthcare team. This is because your CNA is your voice and understands your concerns better than anyone else. For this reason, all the other members of the healthcare team really listen to the nursing assistant. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are in the hands of the nursing facility.

As they interact with the patients on a day-to-day basis and spend several hours with them, they know how the patient feels or what they want. In other words, they are basically the right-hand partners of doctors and nurses. The communication that CNAs have with the patients builds trust for the entire facility.

CNAs make sure that patients receive holistic care and that all of their needs are met. Take, for instance, the case of an elderly patient suffering from pneumonia. The doctor and the nurse will administer the required medicines and may also give the patient oxygen to make sure that they can recover faster.

However, this patient also has numerous other needs that the doctor or the nurse cannot fulfill. Still, these needs are critical for the overall well-being of the patient eventually, and that is when the CNA steps in. Their assistance is particularly crucial for bedridden patients who require help with even their basic needs.

CNAs deliver care; they interact with the patient and spend time with them around the clock. They are usually the first line of interaction, observation, and treatment for the patient. This makes their work crucial. Unless the CNAs do their job effectively, the team cannot follow along and provide care.

The nursing assistant job outlook

 

The job outlook for nursing assistants looks quite promising, and the demand continues to increase. If you enjoy serving people and providing care, a career as a nursing assistant is just right for you. As you pursue your nursing assistant course, keep in mind that your job is crucial not only to your patient and the healthcare team you are working with, but also to the entire community.

What do nursing assistants do?

Working with nurses and doctors, nursing assistants provide care for the patient. They help with preparation, cleanup, and other work around the medical facility. In other words, they are the extra pair of hands that enable doctors and nurses to provide optimal care to their patients. Their job also includes making and cleaning bedding.

They take samples that have been taken to the lab to be tested and do other jobs around the hospital. Nursing assistants are not much different from medical assistants. They are also called nursing aides. Sometimes CNAs perform purely administrative jobs. In this case, they act as secretaries for nurses.

This is clerical work, usually performed under the supervision of a nursing manager. The job requires entering patient information into the system correctly and making plans for appointments, follow-ups, and other medical procedures.

Top 5 jobs performed by CNAs

Nursing assistants prepare equipment and instruments. They bathe and dress patients; they clean and make beds; they feed patients who need help delivering nutritional supplements as advised by doctors or nurses; and they follow directions given by doctors regarding treatment. They also help with paperwork.

Where do nursing assistants work?

They work in hospitals or private healthcare practices. Their job involves monitoring the patients and helping with their treatments. They also do clerical work, such as completing paperwork and filing.

Nursing assistants also have job opportunities in rehabilitation centers, correctional facilities, and care homes. They may also work as assistants in educational settings. Depending upon where they work as a nursing assistant, their job can be stressful at times. Even so, the workload and hours of nursing assistants are not as irregular or hectic as those of registered nurses.

How do I become a nursing assistant?

To be a nursing assistant, you have to complete a post-secondary training program. However, unlike an RN or an LPN, you don’t need a degree. You can complete the diploma program through an institution accredited by the state. Once you have completed the course, you have to pass a certification exam, which allows you to start your medical career.

The job outlook for nursing assistants

The job outlook for nursing assistants is not much different from that of orderlies. Job opportunities for CNAs are expected to increase by 21% over the next decade. This is higher than the projected job growth for several other career options across the country.

As the population ages, there will be even more demand. Because there aren’t enough trained professionals in the US right now, there is a big need for nursing assistants. Most nursing assistants are paid $11.73 per hour, and the median salary is $24,400.

However, those who have years of working experience and have received advanced training can earn more. In Texas, the average salary for a certified nursing assistant is $33,824; the range usually falls between $30,827 and $37,348.