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Home CNA Become A CNA

The Things You Will Need If You Want To Become A CNA


In order to become a CNA there are a few things that you will need to do. First you will need to examine your commitment to helping people, then you will need to enroll in an approved school, and finally you will need to take your states certification exam. A certified nursing assistant is an important player on a health care team.


The first thing that you need in order to be a CNA is compassion. A CNA is the hands on portion of the health care profession. A good CNA does not hesitate to give hands on care to a variety of patients. When you are a CNA you cannot judge a patient by condition, race, religion, or affliction. You have to be able to set aside your feelings in order to help others.

There are many schools available for CNA training. Ordinarily the school takes about four to six months and offers a wide variety of testing solutions. There are two portions to the school. There is the textbook portion and the clinical portion. Most schools help you with both.

The textbook portion of the training deals with theory, ethics, and how to do things. The clinical portion of the training deals with actual patient care. Normally schools have agreements with local health care facilities to allow students to practice. These are called clinical and are closely supervised.

The certification exam requirements vary from state to state. Most states have a clinical portion of the exam and a written portion. The clinical portion is often conducted in a classroom set up like ordinary patient care situations. You will most likely have to demonstrate the basics of taking vitals and patient care.

The test itself can be challenged. If you want to challenge the test you will need to contact the state board that certifies nurses and CNAs. Each state is different and has different requirements for challenging the test. This is also known as taking the test blind. If you do not go to the school you will need to pay a fee and just take the test on one of the many times of year it is offered.

In order to become a CNA you will need to examine your willingness to do patient care. You will also have to pass your states CNA certification exam. Most people enroll in a training course that provides everything a student needs to take the test.