If you are interested to choose Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) as a career then you may be delighted to know that the American Red Cross provides nationally recognized CNA training in different part of the United States. The training covers a nationally recognized curriculum and uses the requirements of each state.

According to the American Red Cross rules, a CNA trainee must attend all classes for the successful completion of the course. You must also display good performance in skill and knowledge evaluation test. The trainings can be strenuous sometimes and might require extensive physical effort, so the participants must be physically fit as well as free of any communicable disease in order to fully participate in the training classes and drills. If you have any questions regarding the medical conditions, then you must discuss them in advance before the course starts. During the course, some of the skills that the trainee learn are measuring a patient’s blood pressure, temperature, and pulse, positioning the patient safely as well as ambulating them. They are also required to maintain all the documentations, charts and paperwork. And, in a Red Cross CNA course, students also learn to take CPR to better handle emergency circumstances.

Red Cross CNA training

After successful completion of the Red Cross CNA training course, you must sit for a CNA license exam which must be successfully completed before entering a medical facility. The exam consist of two parts: the Skills Test and the Written Test. The exam takes approximately five and a half hours for completion. The trainee should first pass the Skills Test before taking the Written Test. Upon successfully passing the examination, the trainee will receive a certification stating that he or she is legally permitted to work as a CNA.

The American Red Cross training program has its own set of requirements that the CNA participants must fulfill. These are:

• The participant must be 18 years or older
• The participant should not have been involved in any kind of felony or misdemeanor within last 7 years.
• The trainee cannot be pregnant.
• The trainee must be free of all communicable diseases.

During the course of study, all students are required to:

• Arrive on time
• Attend all classes (only 6 missed hours are permitted; all the missed hours must be covered)
• Pass the final test with a score of 80% or higher

Are you one of those many people who want to pursue an exciting career as a CNA but don’t have much idea about the CNA career itself? If your answer is yes then we are here to give you all information required to kick start your career.

A CNA, which stands for Certified Nursing Assistant, is a medical officer that is in charge of various activities related to patients. A CNA takes care of all records of a patient and updates the RN, or doctor. Additionally, a CNA is the first person most patients see before the RN or doctor comes in to the hospital, nursing home, or patient room at a doctor’s office.

CNA career

To become a CNA, there are certain requirements that you must meet in order to get legal permit to work. The requirements may vary from one state to another; however, the general requirements are usually the same at all the states. To start a reputed career of a CNA, the first thing that you need to consider is getting the best possible education. Usually, you can take CNA training classes at various community colleges, universities, nursing homes and hospitals as well as American Red Cross. The cost of CNA training usually ranges from $800 to $1200. You can also get financial aid at community colleges for your studies. At some nursing homes and hospitals, you can even get free CNA trainings. Usually at such nursing homes, you will have to work for them for a certain period of time.

If you don’t have enough time to attend a CNA training class, you can also take online CNA class. You can take the theoretical part of the CNA training through online classes and then register at a local medical facility for the practical session. In order to appear the CNA certification examination, you will have to complete 75 to 125 hours of classes. After you complete your training classes, you can register for the CNA certification exam of your state. The exam consists of two sections: the written test and the clinical test. In order to get the CNA license, you will have to pass both the test in the same setting.

After you pass the CNA certification exam, you are ready to start your career as a Certified Nursing Assistant. The last but not the least, to get a job as a CNA, you should start hunting for CAN jobs and vacations. You should tailor a strong CNA resume that will help you get a well paying CNA job. Also, you should prepare yourself for the job interview. You should confidently express yourself and your qualities that will persuade the employer to hire you. If all done as said, your CNA career will flourish.

Good luck!