A Day On The Job With A CNA

Regardless of whether he or she works for an assisted living facility or a traditional hospital, the typical nurse’s assistant will perform many of the same fundamental duties of a CNA. 

With this vital health care profession's increasing popularity, however, many people decide to pursue this career without a clear understanding of what they're getting into.

What Are The Duties Of A CNA?

The duties of the typical certified nursing assistant can usually be broken down into the areas of bedside care and observation. While certain employers may require their CNAs to also perform other tasks, the following tasks will usually be included in their day-to-day job description.

Bedside Care Duties

For all of the time that CNA classes spend teaching students about how to monitor patients and perform low-level medical activities, the vast majority of their workdays will ultimately be spent providing bedside care. Some prospective nursing assistants may view this as a letdown of sorts, but the truth is that it is an absolutely vital responsibility.

Helping the sick to maintain good hygiene, eat well, and keep their living quarters clean is crucial to their speedy recovery. Therefore, helping them to bathe, providing them with meals, changing out their bedding and clothes, and assisting them with getting back on their feet and regaining their mobility should all be viewed as sources of pride for the CNA. Not only do these activities provide just as much value to the patient as their medications in many cases, but they also assist greatly in building the trust required in order to be effective in the other half of the certified nursing assistant's job - observation.

Observation Duties

Many of the observation duties of a CNA are traditional nursing tasks such as monitoring vital signs, watching for fluctuations in weight, recording bodily functions and other things that may indicate a change in the patient's condition. Of equal importance, but less well-known however, is the responsibility of watching for mood swings and actually talking to the patient regularly to find out how he or she feels. As mentioned above, the prerequisite for being successful in this area is establishing trust.

Because the CNA is essentially the conduit between the physician and the patient throughout most of the day, it is of utmost importance that a personal relationship be established. There is much more to a person's recovery from illness or injury than just their blood pressure and body temperature. Of equal importance is their psychological condition, and supporting the health of this part of a person requires a nursing assistant who is willing to listen, provide emotional support and help the person to remain optimistic.

What Else Do CNAs Do?

Depending upon where a person works, a CNA may be asked by an employer to fill roles outside of those discussed above. Working in an assisted living home may entail spending time playing games with seniors or serving as a guide on afternoon trips to the mall. Being employed in a small, physician's office may require the nursing assistant to answer phones and occasionally run errands. The possibilities are really as varied as are the types of employers themselves.

No matter where a nurse’s aide winds up working though, it can safely be assumed that priority number one of his or her job will be to help patients recover and feel good about the people who are caring for them. This unique angle on health care is what makes the duties of a CNA not only important, but often so rewarding for the health care provider as well.