Nursing Schools Careers > Certified Nursing Assistants

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Certified Nursing Assistants

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Certified Nursing Assistants provide care to patients while working under the supervision of a Registered Nurse in a health care facility. Certified Nursing Assistants are also known as nurse's aides. Some health care facilities now refer to C.N.A.'s as Patient Care Technicians. Assistants provide patients with basic care providing things such as vital information and giving emotional support to patients. With a shortage of nurses around the country C.N.A.'s play a big role in health care and jobs as a C.N.A. are abundant in almost every state of the country. Assistants provide hands on care to patients who are unable to provide for themselves. They serve as Assistants to the Registered Nurse and primarily serve as a bridge between the Registered Nurse the patients and the health care facility or provider.

Certified Nursing Assistants - Training

In order to become a Certified the majority of states require training Assistants to attend classes. A C.N.A. is required to attend training classes in order to become certified. Unlike many jobs a high school diploma isn't required for Nursing Assistants to become certified,all that is required is assistants become certified through taking the certification classes.

Some health care facilities are in such dire need of C.N.A.'s they offer paid training classes in exchange for Assistants to work. Training usually lasts between two weeks to a month and at the end of the classes student become full Nursing Assistants.

Many students pay for their education by becoming a C.N.A..

Nursing Assistants can become certified with a very short training period before becoming certified. Nursing Assistants often use this career as a stepping stone to becoming a nurse or some other health care related occupation. C.N.A.'s receive excellent pay which varies around the country and health care providers around the United States are looking for Certified Nursing Assistants.

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