Patient care inside a hospital or other medical facility requires the work of several professionals. Students that have a desire to work alongside registered nurses and their patients can enter specific training that will prepare them for the workplace. Accredited online professional nursing assistant training options are available that train students to become certified nursing assistants.
Training to become a CNA teaches students to give patients the assistance they need, which typically involves daily living activities. This entry-level career can be obtained after students complete the necessary training. Education is relatively short and usually lasts approximately six months. Colleges that offer programs online provide students with a combined education. This means that education cannot be fully completed via distance learning. The online portion of education is typically completed first. Students will work through textbook learning that focuses on assisting theories that they will need inside the profession. The second portion, also online, requires students to work through video instruction where they are tested on the practical aspects of the job. The third and often most important aspect of education is where students attend clinical courses. In this setting, students are able to practice their skills and learn to work with other medical professionals on patient care.
Online nursing assistant schools and colleges generally offer a certificate of completion. Programs teach students the different ways to care for patients. Students explore the profession as they learn how to take vital signs, manage infections, and clean bedsores. Specific training aspects also prepare students to bath, feed, and groom patients that need that type of care. Coursework also teaches students to correctly help their supervising nurse treat patients by providing them with necessary feedback about the patient. This can include their physical state as well as their emotional and mental states. Educational courses are centered on these duties and needed medical knowledge to perform tasks correctly. Common coursework subjects may include:
- Vital Signs
- Safety of Patients
- Home Healthcare
- Body Systems
Course topics may be included in both online and clinical courses depending on the program. Education is central to the type of work students will be conducting. Duties may include collecting blood specimens, administering electrocardiograms, and performing diagnostic tests. Once a program is completed students are required to pass a state-approved examination.
There are two main parts to any given test. The first section is the written portion. Multiple choice questions will break down what students learned inside their theory courses. Questions will cover the knowledge gained in nutrition, hygiene, infection, and proper professional conduct. Other areas will consist of psychosocial care questions on the emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs of a patient. The second portion of the exam is the clinical skills test. Students will be required to demonstrate CNA duties. This section will have students taking blood pressure readings, bathing, and feeding patients. Tests will also require students to work with a patient on their motion exercises and properly providing catheter services.
After certification is gained students are able to enter careers as CNAs. Start a combined accredited nursing assistant training program and enter the field in six months. The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools ( http://www.abhes.org/ ) can fully accredit the schools and colleges that provide students with the quality career training they need to become successful professionals.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.
Copyright 2010 – All rights reserved by PETAP.org.
