CNAs work in various healthcare settings, including general and specialty hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living establishments, and rehabilitation facilities. In some cases, their non-routine duties may be somewhat dependent on where they work.
The patient populations CNAs work with can also vary along with the work setting. CNAs in hospitals might work inwards with specific age groups, such as infants or young children. They may work in specialty hospitals with cancer patients or patients with other specific health conditions.
CNAs who work in nursing homes deal with elderly patients, while those who work in rehabilitation facilities may interface with patients of all ages with various ailments or diseases. CNAs in memory care facilities have the challenge of working with patients who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
As a CNA, you have an abundance of options. You can work in environments and with populations that you are interested in and most comfortable with.
What Does a CNA Do?
CNAs ensure the wellbeing of their patients by performing a variety of tasks that help with daily living activities. Because CNAs typically spend more time with patients than nurses or doctors, they understand their behaviors and health statuses.
They get to know each patient, their typical behaviors, and their general state of health and are often the first to notice physical or emotional changes. Whether identifying decreased mobility, increased pain, or memory issues, CNAs play important roles in the early detection of symptoms and may identify issues that other healthcare personnel do not.
CNA Duties
Individual tasks can vary based on where a CNA works and the type of patients they serve, but typical responsibilities include:
- Answering call buttons and alerting nurses to emergencies
- Monitoring patient needs and reporting any issues to other healthcare personnel
- Helping patients with their daily needs, such as eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting
- Ensuring patient comfort by changing bedding, filling water jugs, and positioning items so they are in reach
- Repositioning patients in beds
- Helping patients move from a bed to a chair or wheelchair and back
- Assisting with lifting patients from their beds to examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers
Depending on state regulations and facility requirements, some CNAs may perform additional advanced duties that include:
- Measuring and recording food and liquid consumption
- Accompanying patients to off-site doctor appointments
- Stocking or issuing medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays
- Measuring vital signs, including blood pressure, oxygen level, and temperature
- Explaining medical procedures and tests to patients and their families
- Dispensing medication as prescribed
- Changing dressings and bandages
- Setting up equipment such as oxygen tents, portable radiograph (X-ray) equipment, or IVs
- Assisting in minor medical procedures
Is CNA Considered a Nurse?
As their titles imply, certified nursing assistants “assist” nurses and other physicians rather than working as official nurses themselves. That said, CNAs are vital members of the nursing profession. For CNAs to practice, they must be under the supervision of registered nurses or licensed practical nurses. Because they are not legally responsible for the medical care of the patients, they must practice under those who are.
