The person providing the hands-on care at nursing homes and hospitals is the professional Certified Nursing Aide, also referred to as the Certified Nursing Assistant or "C.N.A." This person is considered a direct caregiver. Certified Nursing Aides also provide care for seniors in their homes as employees of senior home care agencies.
Positions similar to a nursing aide which require less training to provide care are a Home Health Aide and Personal Care Assistant. Certification requirements vary based on the requirements of each state's laws and licensing regulations.
A Certified Nursing Aide can find employment at hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living communities, senior day care centers, senior home care agencies, hospices and community senior service programs. Usually a Registered Nurse supervises the Certified Nursing Assistant. However, the nursing aide is the person who has daily contact with the senior and can be the most valuable source of information about the senior's condition for doctors and family members.
Where and how are aides trained? Community colleges, community service programs and sometimes hospitals provide training programs for certification. These can be full-time day programs which will only last for a couple months or evening programs. Field experience is required which involves working in an actual care setting, such as a nursing home. By becoming involved in the daily routine of caregiving, the nursing aide student can apply the skills they have learned in the classroom to develop competency. Background checks, drug testing and necessary immunizations are also required for completion of the nursing certificate.
Over the past several years, a staffing shortage has developed for Certified Nursing Aides because of the growing population of older adults. In addition, as medical technology has improved, many seniors are living longer lives while requiring additional care for their medical conditions such as the use of oxygen, multiple medications and mobility assistance. Many times hands-on care assistance is also required.
In addition to the need for more caregivers because of the aging population, there is also the issue of burnout which causes high-turnover of caregivers at nursing facilities and hospitals. Many times it is a challenge to provide quality care to multiple patients. Because of this, many Certified Nursing Aides prefer to work for senior home care agencies where they are caring for just one person at a time.
Duties Certified Nursing Assistants perform include:
* Dressing
* Bathing
* Feeding
* Toileting
* Vital signs
* Catheter care
* Assists with ambulation
* Range of Motion Exercises
* Assists into and out of wheelchairs
* Makes beds, changes bed linens
* Turns bedridden patients every two hours, to prevent bedsores
* Provides updates to care plans to supervisor
* Monitors safety
* Documents daily care provided in care plan notes
* Light housekeeping to maintain cleanliness
In addition to providing assistance for a senior's physical care needs, nursing assistants also provide emotional support. They are often the only person a senior has regular interactions with and because of this, the senior will lean on them for emotional support. Aides are also trained to relieve stress by talking to co-workers and supervisors, exercising, meditating and using humor.
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