A Day in the Life of a CNA

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

A certified nursing assistant (CNA) is an important caregiver who provides a healthcare assistance to the patients. This is one of the most responsible and respectful jobs in nursing. They provide a variety of healthcare services that deal with different conditions. An ordinary working day of a CNA can be rather challenging, because she often has to work in different situations that require not only professional skills but also emotional and physical efforts.

Normally, a day of a CNA lasts for 8 or 12 hours. It depends on the health care establishment where she is working. Regardless of the kind of a medical setting, a CNA delivers similar services to all the patients. If a CNA has an eight-hour shift, her working day starts at 6 or 7 am. In order to begin her working shift exactly on time, she has to come beforehand. According to the situation at place, a CNA begins to accomplish her responsibilities. If the shift begins early in the morning, a CNA goes through patient list and calls them for breakfast. A CNA brings the meal trays and feeds the disabled patients who cannot eat on their own. After that, she brings the trays to the kitchen and begins to provide other health care services to the patients. She should pay a special attention to the total care patients, because they are helpless without her assistance.

After the breakfast, all patients should be washed, dressed, and make their beds. It is time to be ready for lunch. This activity lasts for 2.5-3 hours. Actually, a CNA is supposed to provide patients with a full bed bath. However, there is no time to do this with each of them. Thus, she washes only sensitive areas of the patients. In order to escape unpleasant body smell, a CNA uses some body spray. It is not good to do so, but there is no choice because of the lack of time. After lunch, a CNA should check every patient again. Those who used to take a nap after the meals should be laid down. She also needs to change the diapers for those who require this. During the shift, a CNA has no time to relax, because she is always busy with her cores. She can leave home only when another CNA comes for her shift. This is a must for every NCA. If she does something wrong she can lose her license.

For new comers, the responsibilities may seem more complicated, because she has to follow the experienced nurses and learn from them how to do things. This may be rather challenging at the beginning. Once, a certified nursing assistant learn all details of her duties, she can be able to work on her own. The main duty of a CNA is to provide an effective patient’s care for each person. She should work hard in order to serve the trust of sick people and the personnel. At the beginning, a CNA profession may seem rather fascinating. However, it is a hard work with long working hours and specific difficulties. Working with sick people is not an easy job. A certified nursing assistant should provide daily health care for patients who really need help. Some people are not able to dress or eat on their own. It is difficult to realize the importance of this job, unless a person is there and does her job.

A CNA’s responsibilities are very helpful for patients and the whole health care setting. Only those who love people can perform all the duties of a NCA and deserve patients’ trust.