Are you ready to join an industry that values its employees while giving you the opportunity to learn new skills and develop special relationships with patients? CNAs, otherwise known as Certified Nursing Assistants, will give you the chance to grow professionally and personally.  

What is a CNA?

A CNA provides support to patients and nurses. This support can include bathing, feeding, or transporting hospital patients to more administrative tasks like stocking medical supplies and logging patient information. A CNA can be an entry point for many healthcare professionals wanting to pursue different nursing careers.  

Job Responsibilities

CNAs take on many responsibilities within various healthcare facilities including:

  • Helping patients with eating and getting dressed
  • Grooming patients
  • Repositioning patients in bed
  • Transferring patients from the bed to the wheelchair
  • Measuring vital signs 
  • Cleaning and preparing rooms for new patients
  • Answering phone calls
  • Reporting patient information 
  • Assisting RNs and LPNs 
  • Caring for wounds

Education

You do not have to have a degree to work as a CNA. However, aspiring Massachusetts CNAs are required to be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check, and pass an accredited CNA class program. The accredited CNA class needs to be 100 hours long, including 75 classroom hours and 25 hands-on training hours at a nursing facility. 

Skills Needed

All CNAs need common interpersonal relationship skills, like good communication and compassion for others, to succeed in this role. You’ll also need to have strong attention to detail when working with patients’ vitals and reporting information. Some other skills required include multitasking, a strong work ethic, staying calm under pressure, time management, and stamina and strength to stand on your feet for long periods. 

The Benefits of Working as a CNA

Job Stability

There is always a growing demand for CNAs; there are approximately 174k job openings for CNAs between 2024 and 2029. This means that there are more opportunities to find a job in this field.  

Wide Experience

Those who work as CNAs will provide basic nursing care while exploring it in different healthcare settings. They’ll gain experience working with doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and various other healthcare professionals. 

Travel Opportunities

You could have the opportunity to travel around the country as a CNA. Some positions are based in one location while other areas offer contract opportunities to explore the world. This is a great way to learn new skills while also exploring new areas.

Emotionally Rewarding

Each CNA has the power to impact the patients that they work with. You can build relationships with patients and their families with your compassionate care. If you’re interested in making a difference in people’s lives, pursuing a career as a CNA might be the perfect job choice for you.

Learn more about the role of a CNA today, and how you can get involved.