Knowledge

Passing both sections of the exam was only the start of your journey as a CNA. You will need to continue to stay on top of the most current insights of direct patient care. As a CNA, you will have to develop the required skills to handle daily tasks efficiently. In addition to using the knowledge you acquired during your initial studies as a CnA, you will also need to absorb the policies of the workplace. Regardless of size, every workplace has its own written and unwritten codes on how duties should be carried out. The written policies can be learned quickly, but the unwritten policies will be the ones that may take a longer stretch of time to not only learn, but master. This segues nicely to the next skill that is required for all CNAs: a firm backbone.

The Firm Backbone

The daily work of a CNA is filled with many compromises. You will have to deliver superb care to your patients while working within the complex web of written and unwritten rules of the workplace. At times this professional “dance” of sorts seems simple, but it can quickly transform into something far more intricate and complex in nature. Handling a situation improperly has serious consequences for a CNA on many levels. You do not want to injure or harm your patient, nor do you want to risk losing your job or your CNA license.

Physical Strength

So far, all of the CNA skills required have been primarily mental in scope. It would be a great error to give the impression that there are no physical requirements to being a great CNA and this is not the case at all. The daily tasks you will be required to carry out are definitely physical. To give your patients world class care, you will need to be able to lift, bend and stand for long periods of time. This can lead to a lot of wear and tear on the body, even for the most fit nurse aide. Naturally, the more physical stamina you possess, the easier it will be to perform your CNA duties. The feeling of perpetual exhaustion is one of the top reasons why many CNAs leave this career path early. By meeting the physical requirements of this profession head on, you’ll be in a much better position to have a long and successful career as a CNA.

Determination

Speaking of the physical, one of the skills you will need as a CNA is to have plenty of determination and emotional fortitude. Many of the patients you will encounter as a CNA are at the end stage of life. It will be your primary task to make them as comfortable as possible. It can be very difficult to go into work everyday knowing that the patients you’ve grown attached to could very well not be there anymore. There’s plenty of support groups established where other CNAs get together and give each other the support they need to get through the challenges of the profession.

Overall, there are many skills you will be required to possess as a CNA. However, if you plan ahead and stay as informed as possible, you will be able to develop those skills in no time at all!

First, you must decide up front if you’re actually the right type of person to take online CNA classes. If you’re someone that is against learning new technology, then an online CNA class may not be the best approach. One common mistake a lot of newcomers make as they consider online education is that they fail to realize the level of computerization their education has approached. If you are the type of learner that can only learn effectively sitting face to face with the instructor, then any advantage that you gain in an online CNA class would be countered by the struggles involved in adapting to being without that face to face interaction. Understanding what your strengths and weaknesses are within education is key to deciding whether or not online CNA classes are the best option.

Next, you will want to look at some pretty distinct criteria for choosing the right set of online CNA classes to take. There’s plenty of choices to choose from, and you’ll need to determine a set of criteria ahead of time in order to narrow them down.

The first criteria is definitely accreditation. Every CNA professional should have career advancement as a top priority, and if you do not choose an accredited school, it will be definitely to pursue higher levels of nursing education. In addition, an accredited school has another benefit: it is more likely to cover the certification requirements for your state than a school that has no accreditation behind it. Be sure to check very carefully; if necessary, you can always call the school and ask questions. It is safe to be wary of a school that does not allow you to seek out this vital piece of information, since it’s surely a sign that the school is not accredited at all.

The second criteria that you will need to keep in mind is time. If you are on a strict timetable for accomplishing your goal of becoming a CNA, you may want to choose a class that has a shorter overall course length. However, if you can afford any time flexibility at all, you will want to select a longer course that gives you more time to really digest the information presented.

The third criteria is the school’s ability to connect you with the appropriate amount of hands on experience. In order to successfully pass the CNA course, you will usually have to complete a minimum amount of hours in an actual clinical setting. The best schools do not force you to go on your own to find welcoming facilities for students; they should already have plenty of associations with local facilities in your area that you can gain experience at.

All things considered, online CNA classes are truly a great value for those that are willing to commit and adapt to this remarkable platform. With the information in this guide, you should have no trouble selecting the set of online CNA classes that are just right for you!

The Mark of a Good Sample Question

There’s a few things that make all the difference between a decent sample question and a good sample question when it comes to the CNA exam.

For example, take the following question:

If your patient says, “Why is this happening to me?” or makes a comment like, “I guess I am being punished for the things I’ve done”, what is the best possible response?

(A)Reply, “Don’t be silly; you’re not being punished!”
(B)Listen quietly without saying anything at all
(C)Ignore your patient completely in the hope they’ll get the hint
(D)Make jokes to try to break up the tension

It’s tempting to go with D if you’re a naturally funny person, but the chance of offending your patient are actually very high. After all, it is difficult to tell what could possibly offend someone these days.

The other answers have their own perils as well. A is a very common answer, but it’s not the best possible response. C is the worse response possible, since it’s almost always taken as an uncaring position from the perspective of the patient. The best answer to give is actually B – listen quietly, but don’t inject your comments into the situation.

Why is this such a good sample question?

It reflects the reality of the world you will enter as a CNA. There are truly no real right and wrong answers in real life, but the answer to this sample question reflects the best response that you can give while maintaining as professional of a nature as possible.

Getting the Maximum Benefit out of Sample Questions for the CNA Exam

The biggest concern you should have while you’re studying for the CNA exam is how to get the most out of the time you spend. After all, before you get your CNA license you will most likely be working in another profession and therefore have other time obligations that need to be addressed. It’s important to maximize the time you spend studying not only to make the best out of the time you spend, but also to make sure that what you’re studying will be absorbed to the point where recalling the information is easy.

One of the best tools for making sure that you truly master the material are flash cards. It may seem basic, but flash cards help the mind recall key facts that can be summoned later when you really need them, like during the actual exam.

Since the CNA exam is also partially hands-on in nature, you will want to try to practice various scenarios as much as possible. Since using actual people to practice your CNA skills will be difficult, you can always use.

All things considered, studying for the CNA exam is challenging, but it is not impossible to pass the test. What’s required is simply the determination to succeed, coupled with good study habits. If you take the time to study the test, you should have everything you need to pass the test and get your CNA license!

So, what is actual CNA work like? While it is true that the daily tasks of a CNA can vary from place to place, there are a core set of activities that do not change much at all. It is this core that you will want to study and use as a basis to decide whether or not this career path is really right for you.

The biggest chunk of a CNAs day is within direct patient care. The average CNA does not only have one patient to look after, but often several patients. The numbers can vary a bit depending on the facility, but the average number is about ten. Depending on the shift, this can mean a lot of work for the CNA that must still be carried out as professionally as possible.

The schedule of most CNAs falls into a few key shifts: overnight, mornings, and evenings. CNAs generally have the choice of an 8 hour or a 12 hour shift. If you’re the type of person that would not be able to see yourself working 12 hours straight, you may want to look into CNA jobs that have shorter shifts. There’s plenty of variety out there, it’s just a matter of going into this profession as informed as possible so you know what your options really are.

As mentioned above, one of the greatest aspects of CNA work direct patient care. However, this goes far beyond merely sitting with the patient and asking them about their day. As a skilled health care assistant, you will be responsible for checking the patient’s vitals, monitoring changes, and assisting them in carrying out the most basic of life’s functions. If they need assistance with standing up, you would be required to help them get out of bed.

Viewed from another perspective, a CNAs job within direct patient care is to build a complete picture from which the nurses on staff can better take care of the patients. If there’s something that is outside the scope of your duties, it will need to be forwarded to the available pool of nurses on the shift with you. However, it is important to learn what is actually considered outside the scope of your abilities. For example, if your state does allow CNAs to draw blood in the process of taking care of their patients, then this is something that would not be forwarded to the nurse team. Instead, you would have to roll up your sleeves and take care of drawing the blood yourself without supervision or assistance.

All things considered, CNA work is fast paced and definitely demanding, but for those that find themselves called to this profession, it can definitely be rewarding as well. With the information in this guide, you should have a better insight into what CNAs actually do.

There are a few different factors that determine the salary of a CNA, and some of these factors can even be controlled by the actual CNA. The first is definitely experience. Entry-level CNAs are expected to “pay their dues” much like other entry level workers in other industries, in order to get the experience necessary to move to bigger and better positions. However, this is not an area that’s completely out of the control of the CNA. Gaining experience ahead of time as a volunteer in hospice care or another allied health position can often allow the new CNA the necessary leverage to negotiate a slightly higher salary. The key to keep in mind is to provide a solid value to the employer at all times. Anything you can do to set yourself aside from the other CNA candidates is definitely a good thing.

Another area that affects CNA salary is location. The location of a CNA job opening is a major factor in determining how much the position will actually offer. If the job opening is in a smaller city or town, it will be harder to actually get a larger starting salary than if the job opening is in a major city. This is because most opening salaries are based on the cost of living for that particular area, and CNA jobs are not an exception to this rule. If you are finding that the CNA positions offered in your area are not to your liking, you may want to consider moving to a larger area where there are more opportunities available. Again, this is definitely general information and every area will vary in terms of salary.

The size of the facility will also make a difference in terms of the salary offered. A small home aide facility may not be able to offer as much as an upscale retirement community or a full fledged hospital. Knowing what type of organization you are applying for employment to can help you determine how much leeway you have with respect to CNA salary.

One factor to also consider as you begin reviewing potential CNA salaries is the possibility of bonuses. Many positions that have been open for a long time often come with bonuses to help the employer find someone to fill it. The additional money they would have to pay pales in comparison to having someone qualified on staff to take care of patients and otherwise keep order in the facility. While some bonuses are indeed paid upfront upon actually signing an offer of employment, many bonuses are actually paid out after a certain amount of days have been worked. Even if the job does not have an advertised bonus, it is always worth your time to ask the employer if the position qualifies for any sign on bonuses. The worse they can tell you is no, and it becomes your decision of whether or not to continue to seek employment within that organization.

Overall, CNA salary is just one key in determining whether or not this career path is right for you. Naturally, you do not want to enter this profession just for the money. However, if you are truly serious about helping others as a CNA, you’ll find that the standard CNA salary offered is actually very competitive.