CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants) are growing increasingly important in todays medical care. Trained CNAs work under the supervision of nurses and tend to the basic care and basic living needs of their patients. Nearly every state has slightly different CNA training programs, the duties of certified nursing assistants are rarely the same between health care institutions. That being said, there are however some common tasks, mostly relating to basic care:

• Assisting with the operation of medical equipment
• Checking and measuring patient vital signs
• Patient hygiene maintenance (such as grooming and bathing)
• Feeding and communicating (emotional support) are very important roles as the modern CNA spends more time with patients than nurses or doctors.

The coursework for becoming a CNA will go over a great variety of things. Some sample topics include: patient mobility (proper methods for lifting and moving patients, helping them walk, use the restroom), first aid training and many basic physical therapy skills. Because of the one on one and assistive nature of nursing, it is highly recommended that you make sure you really enjoy helping people with their medical needs before signing up for CNA schooling (or any online colleges for that matter). The curriculum is often very large and generally challenging to suit the fast paced workplace. It should be noted that long hours are complimented with generally very acceptable pay.

Now that you have a general overview of what CNAs do, let’s examine some of the options for CNA training available to you. Basically, there are two types of training; on campus training and online courses. Online courses can range from CNA to online msn programs, offering a full range of career opportunities. Generally speaking, hands on classes are probably better in terms of experience, and online courses are better in terms of flexibility and ease of getting enrolled. (For a more in depth discussion, the advantages and disadvantages of each are detailed here: CNA Training Online vs On Campus.). We should also note that increasing amounts of hospitals are offering free CNA training to employees both new and current. Be mindful that while this is a good way to get into the field, most hospitals will require you to work for them for a stated period after you complete your training.