Choosing to get your CNA Certification online has some pros and cons. A CNA is a certified nursing assistant, very similar to the nurse's aides of years ago. These helpers performed tasks that were halfway between medical and housekeeping chores, and worked with a few nurses each shift to perform duties that nurses had no time or interest in performing.
A CNA replaces the old fashioned Nurses Aides from years ago. Nurses Aides took care of tasks that nurses didn't have time for and sometimes just didn't want to do. Changing beds and handing out bedpans were typical chores that were handed off the aides. It didn't take a lot of training, and most of the training was done on the job once you were hired.
As time went on, medical laws changed and privacy issues were brought to the forefront. Nurse's aides were upgraded to what is now a CNA, and formal training and educational programs were started at high schools and colleges and even private instructional centers. Courses lasted anywhere from a month to nine months depending on where you went and how much practical experience you were given.
There are two vital parts of this type of curriculum. One is classroom study where you learn theory, and the other is literally on the job training where you get hands on practical experience working in a medical setting, usually a hospital or nursing home.
Some courses provide you with practical experience and training early on in your studies. Sometimes this is because the school is associated with a hospital, a scenario typically found in large cities. And once you graduate, you are probably placed in that hospital once you pass your licensing exam.
You can interact with the class and even practice things like dressings, but other important tasks like making a bed or moving IV poles will be all but impossible to practice without having access to these things in your own home.
Just remember - you can pass your program with an A and you can ace your state exam, but if you haven't mastered all the hands on tasks you'll be responsible for mastering your first week on the job, you might be forced into taking extra courses to give you the practice you didn't get the first time around.
If you want to work in a big hospital, find out what schools they are affiliated with. Graduates of these programs are sought after in the industry and if you do well, you'll have your pick after graduation.
A CNA replaces the old fashioned Nurses Aides from years ago. Nurses Aides took care of tasks that nurses didn't have time for and sometimes just didn't want to do. Changing beds and handing out bedpans were typical chores that were handed off the aides. It didn't take a lot of training, and most of the training was done on the job once you were hired.
As time went on, medical laws changed and privacy issues were brought to the forefront. Nurse's aides were upgraded to what is now a CNA, and formal training and educational programs were started at high schools and colleges and even private instructional centers. Courses lasted anywhere from a month to nine months depending on where you went and how much practical experience you were given.
There are two vital parts of this type of curriculum. One is classroom study where you learn theory, and the other is literally on the job training where you get hands on practical experience working in a medical setting, usually a hospital or nursing home.
Some courses provide you with practical experience and training early on in your studies. Sometimes this is because the school is associated with a hospital, a scenario typically found in large cities. And once you graduate, you are probably placed in that hospital once you pass your licensing exam.
You can interact with the class and even practice things like dressings, but other important tasks like making a bed or moving IV poles will be all but impossible to practice without having access to these things in your own home.
Just remember - you can pass your program with an A and you can ace your state exam, but if you haven't mastered all the hands on tasks you'll be responsible for mastering your first week on the job, you might be forced into taking extra courses to give you the practice you didn't get the first time around.
If you want to work in a big hospital, find out what schools they are affiliated with. Graduates of these programs are sought after in the industry and if you do well, you'll have your pick after graduation.
About the Author:
Make certain to check out Kenny's excellent writing on CNA Training and Red Cross CNA Training.