Hi, everyone.
I'm Aleysia.
I'm a certified nursing assistant, also known as a CNA.
And CNAs, like myself, are integral members
amongst health care as we support
nursing staff and caring for our patients.
I've been a CNA for three years.
And if you've been considering a career as a CNA, in this video,
I'll be sharing with you everything
you need to know about being a CNA,
including role responsibilities and requirements you
need to become one.
I'll even give you insight on where you can work as a CNA
and how much money you can make as a CNA as well.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Now, if you're interested in working in health care
or even becoming a nurse, a role as a CNA
can be a great place to start.
So I'm sure you're wondering, what does the CNA even do?
Let me give you some facts.
So what does a CNA do?
A CNA's role is to assist nurses with activities
of daily living, or ADLs, within patient care.
Other names for CNA could be nursing assistant,
certified nursing assistant, patient care assistant, PCA,
patient care technician, PCT, or even nurse's aide.
There is a variety of different names for the role,
but regardless of the name, all the roles
perform the same task for patients.
My CNA experience started at an acute rehab hospital,
where I work now.
I started off as a full-time CNA on the TBI, brain injury unit,
where I fell in love with health care.
Later, after working alongside nurses and in health care,
I decided to go to nursing school.
I was able to drop my full-time hours down
to per diem, and being per diem allowed me to still be a CNA
and get patient care experience while going to nursing school
at the same time.
Now, what is the difference between a medical assistant
and a CNA?
Medical assistants get to enjoy the best of both worlds,
as they have more of a variety of where they can
work based on the facilities.
They also are able to tackle both direct patient care
and also doing administrative work.
CNAs, on the other hand, work directly
with patients at all times.
And both roles are very similar, just
have overall different tasks.
If you're looking for more tips, company reviews, or new job
opportunities, you can create at Indeed account and customize
your job feed to get started.
So now that we know what a CNA does,
let's discuss the requirements to become one.
So in order to obtain a CNA license,
you would have to complete a CNA program.
CNA programs or trainings can take up
to a month or eight weeks, depending
on your state and your program.
After completion of your program,
CNAs do have to take a state board license exam as well
as a live skill test in order to obtain your license.
You do get a CNA certificate once you
graduate from your program.
But when you pass your state exam,
that is when you receive your CNA license.
Without that active CNA license, which needs to be renewed every
two years, you cannot work as a senior regardless
of the certificate from your program.
You might have the question on where to get certified.
Many different facilities, hospitals, even health care
companies also hold programs so that you
can have an opportunity to work for their company or hospital
or facility as well.
So let's now talk about some CNA skills.
CNA skills include bathing, dressing, feeding,
obtaining vital signs for patients, bathroom assistance,
or all activities of daily living, or ADLs, for patients.
It's very important that CNAs only perform tasks
within their scope of practice.
If tasks are done outside of a CNA scope of practice
or if a CNA does a task beyond what their scope
or license permits them to do, you
can be at risk of losing your license.
So it's important to follow your state's protocols
for your license.
Different states allow CNAs to do different things
within your scope of practice.
So it all depends.
For advice on how to incorporate these skills in your resume,
be sure to check this video right here.
Now that we know how to become a CNA, let's talk
about where CNA can work.
CNAs can work at hospitals, at the home, long-term care
facilities, and nursing home, assisted living,
and the list goes on.
Most common shifts for CNA are 7:00 to 3:00, 3:00 to 11:00,
or 11:00 to 7:00.
A common question that I get asked often
is, how much money can a CNA make?
According to Indeed data, the average base salary for CNA
is $16.88 per hour.
You can also use Indeed salary calculator
to get a personalized report about the average pay
for your role.
However, CNAs can now make up to $30 or even more per hour
due to the high demand as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic.
If you found this helpful, please
hit the Like button down below and subscribe to our channel.
For more tips, I recommend checking our playlist here.
I hope you found this information helpful
and will use it in the future for your upcoming job prep.
Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you next time.
Bye.
[MUSIC PLAYING]