A Certified Nursing Assistant or a CNA is primarily responsible for providing basic patient care. This basic care may include assisting patients with bathing, eating, using the restroom, or simply walking. Their healthcare involvement may consist of taking vital signs, assisting with medical procedures and more. With their versatility and wide-ranging tasks, Certified Nursing Assistants have become highly sought-after healthcare professionals, proving to be invaluable team members in the healthcare industry. Find out more about what CNAs do.
What does a CNA do?
Basic Patient Care
One of the main responsibilities of a CNA is providing patients with basic care. This can be basic everyday functions such as eating, dressing and grooming. In short, they help patients maintain personal hygiene and comfort.
Vital Signs Monitoring
Another duty of a CNA includes monitoring vital signs. CNAs are trained to measure and document vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature and respiratory rate. Regularly monitoring these vital signs is crucial for healthcare professionals when assessing a patient’s overall health.
Medication Support
A CNA will help with administering medications under the guidance and supervision of a licensed healthcare professional or registered nurse. CNAs will ensure that patients are administered the correct medications at the appropriate times.
Learn More: Trained Medication Administration (TMA) Course
Procedure Assistance
Certified nursing assistants may assist nurses and medical staff with medical procedures. This could include tending to wounds, assisting patients by transferring them from various areas within their room, specimen collection and more.
Observation
CNAs are responsible for carefully observing patients and promptly reporting on changes in their condition. This is an essential function as it can help healthcare professionals detect and address any potential health issues.
These are just some of the meaningful contributions that Certified Nursing Assistants make in caring for patients. With an extensive range of responsibilities, CNAs assist nursing teams and other medical staff with delivering quality healthcare services to those they care for. Certified nursing assistants are critical to the care and well-being of patients in the healthcare system. If you would like to learn more about becoming a CNA or would like to start your career supporting others, sign up for our CNA Nursing Certification.
HeartCert CPR is your trusted training partner for CPR, ACLS, PALS, EMR, First Aid, CNA, IV, EKG and more, in Minnesota and throughout the United States.
HeartCert CPR courses include CPR/AED/First Aid, Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Certified Nursing Assistant training, IV training, EKG training, babysitter basics and more. Courses and certifications from both the American Heart Association and American Red Cross are available.
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