The Certified Nursing Assistant’s Role
A certified nursing assistant, or CNA, works under the supervision of nurses to deliver high quality care to patients. The job requires long hours and many responsibilities, but caring for patients on a daily basis provides some of the greatest rewards any profession could offer. Not to mention, the skills you learn as a certified nursing assistant can prepare you for a long-term career in the nursing field.
Take a closer look at the daily duties of a certified nursing assistant (one who has completed CNA certification). Here are five important job objectives you can expect to perform as a CNA.
1. Feed, bathe, and dress patients
Certified nursing assistants help patients with their basic needs. Generally, this means helping them bathe, dress and feed themselves. These patients might include stroke victims, the elderly residents of nursing homes, or individuals recovering from an accident, injuries or surgeries in a hospital.
2. Take patient vital signs
From temperature to blood pressure, some CNAs are responsible for taking and recording patient vital signs. Routine tasks such as these are typically the initial steps of a patient’s visit to a physician’s office or hospital, which means the CNA has the responsibility of making a positive first impression for the medical team.
3. Serve meals, make beds, and keep rooms clean
In line with meeting patients’ basic needs, duties of a certified nursing assistant often include serving meals to patients, making beds and helping clean rooms. This can mean cleaning out bedpans and changing soiled sheets. It also means getting the chance to have regular, one-on-one contact with patients—the compassionate relationships that can help people make it through times of illness with dignity.
4. Set up medical equipment and assist with some medical procedures
Storing and setting up medical equipment might involve laying out tools for the next patient exam or perhaps moving heavy medical equipment from one room to another. Some states allow CNA’s who have had the appropriate training to assist with or perform some medical procedures, such as drawing blood.
5. Answer calls for help and observe changes in a patient’s condition or behavior
Working so closely with patients on a daily basis, CNAs observe not only the obvious changes in a patient’s physical condition but the subtleties of their emotional state. That intuition can have immeasurable impact on helping patients make it through a trying recovery or come to terms with a long-term condition.
Whether they take a patient’s blood pressure before the doctor comes in, bring them breakfast in the morning or simply listen, CNAs make a significant difference to the quality of care patients receive.
Getting certified as a nursing assistant is a great way to begin your move up the nursing career ladder. Once you become certified, your next step is to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), and then earn your associate’s degree in nursing and become a registered nurse. From there you’ll have nearly limitless options to consider in advanced practice nursing and administrative careers.
CNAs are considered the backbone of nursing. These healthcare workers often provide the majority of hands-on patient care duties that include assisting patients with bathing, grooming, dressing, helping with walking, transfers from one place to another, turning bed-bound patient position, feeding, toileting, and many other essential activities of daily living commonly termed ADLs.
A certified nursing assistant works under the supervision of an LPN, Vocational Nurse, or Registered Nurse depending on the facility or healthcare practice. A CNA may be more limited in the scope of their duties that they are allowed to legally perform depending on the location of the care setting.
State laws that oversee healthcare workers like CNAs can differ significantly. A CNA working in one state may be seen passing meds in assisted living environments, and CNAs working in another state may only be able to monitor or supervise capable patients as they take their own medications.
Can a CNA Draw Blood?
Yes, a CNA can legally draw blood in some states if they complete and pass further phlebotomy training classes. However, not all states allow this.
Can a CNA Give Shots / Injections?
No, most CNAs are not legally allowed to prepare or give intramuscular or IV shots or injections. Insulin and heparin must be given by an LPN or RN, sometimes requiring two nurses as a safety check.
Can a CNA Administer Medication?
Yes, in some states, CNAs that pass additional medication administration training to become a medication tech can give some medications. These may include oral, nasal (nose), optic (eye), otic (ear) or topical (dermal-skin) types of medications under nursing supervision.
Can a CNA Do Wound Care?
No, open wound care is something RNs perform. They have the knowledge/skills to assess wound depth, type, and wound treatment, positive or negative changes. However, nurses rely on their CNAs to report changes in skin condition promptly if seen during patient showering, toileting, or dressing.
Can CNAs Take Blood Sugar?
Yes, some assisted living facilities allow CNAs to get patient blood sugar readings and perform blood glucose machine checks to ensure accuracy.
Can CNAs Insert Catheters?
No, a CNA may not insert catheters or remove them. Nurses are responsible for ensuring patient safety during catheter insertions or removals. CNAs can monitor fluid intake and output from urinary catheter bags and empty them when full.
Can a CNA Do Dressing Changes?
Yes, most assisted living facilities allow CNAs with the proper training to perform non-invasive and uncomplicated dressing changes under the supervision of an RN. Typically, the nurse will be there to assess any wound, then the CNA completes the dressing change.
Can a CNA Do Tube Feeding?
No, only nurses should do tube feedings. This requires accurate nursing assessment skills that nurses are taught.
Can a CNA Do a Sputum Test?
Yes, a CNA can collect a sputum sample after proper training.
Can a CNA Do a Bowel Evacuation?
No, only RNs should attempt bowel evacuation measures. This can be dangerous otherwise. There is a risk of a vaso-vagal response that may cause the patient to pass out or even trigger a stroke.
What Are CNAs Not Allowed to Do?
CNAs must adhere to their state’s CNA guidelines of care. In general, CNAs should not do anything considered invasive, dangerous or neglectful.
Contact your state CNA registry to determine what you can or cannot do in your specific area.