If you are one among those who are planning to opt Certified Nursing Assistant as a career then it is essential for you to know how to earn a CNA license to enter the field of nursing. To work as a nursing assistant, you must possess a certification stating that you are officially permitted to do so. To get such a certification, you must first complete all the required qualifications and trainings. The CNA training duration is of 75 hours which consists of theoretical and practical clinical knowledge, which also must be approved by the respective state. After completing your training you must apply and sit for the CNA licensing examination. The licensing exam for CNA is taken in two parts which are clinical part and theoretical part.

-          Clinical exam is basically a way to test how you apply your clinical knowledge and understanding in real life situation i.e. in healthcare environment. To take the clinical exam, you may be required to take a volunteer with you to the examination site, using whom you can exhibit the clinical skills and signs you have learned in your course. A state examiner will be there to examine what you have learnt in your practical training and how you apply them in. In the examination, you will be asked to demonstrate a few (generally three to five) practical training skills that you have learnt during your training. But before you start the exam, you will have to properly wash your hands in-front of the examiner and dry them off with a paper towel. Also, the same paper towel must be used to turn the tap off. The examiner is very conscious about your each and every step during the demonstration (including washing your hands and drying them with paper towel). The examiners examine your demonstrated skills closely, so it is important to perform well on the clinical examination.

-          Theoretical exams require you to apply your clinical knowledge and understanding in theoretical examination conditions. These are generally straight forward. You can always take a look at the sample questions or previous examinations. You can also find free sample questions and trial tests on the internet.

After successfully passing the license exam, you will be granted CNA license by the respective state and you will be permitted to work in medical facilities.

To become a Certified Nursing Assistant, you must be qualified and meet the appropriate requirements. CNA training programs are indeed essential when you plan to get into an entry level job in nursing. Due to the ever increasing demand of nursing assistants, the number of CNA training institutes has also grown up. So, the task of choosing the appropriate CNA training school may baffle you and it is indeed important to pick up the right options amidst the large pool of CNA training providers.

CNA training programs are usually offered by several community colleges, universities, nursing homes and hospitals and even American Red Cross. The CNA training program offered by the American Red Cross is well reputed across the country and it follows the requirements of each state. So American Red Cross CNA training can also be a good choice for you. When making a choice among various CNA training providers, it is essential that you consider a training program that is being conducted by Registered Nurses. In general, the CNA trainers need to be Registered Nurses and they are also required to get recertified once in few years to continue training the CNA trainees. So it is important to make sure that the trainers the institute are well qualified as well as legally permitted to train others.

CNA programs

When considering a CNA training program, you should consider the practical exposure as an important factor. The major part of your CNA training class consists of theory, so it is important that you get good hands on exposure. It is important to equip yourself with the practical aspects that are associated with the CNA training and the career. In medical industry, any employer seeks skilled manpower apart from the education, so it is important that you stand out from the bunch of applicants that apply for the CNA job. Therefore it is essential to consider a good CNA training school that provides sufficient practical.

The CNA training program is targeted to train students with knowledge and skills required to work in the medical facilities. During the CNA training program, you are taught how to measure vital signs such as measuring blood pressure, temperature, pulse, ambulate bed ridden patients and prepare documents and reports of the patients. A CNA is also required to report the medical condition of a patient to the doctor. A CNA is the person who lives in close proximity with the patient. A CNA is thus required to have varied amount of skills in order to handle all the tasks effectively. A good CNA program will train you for all these required skills and will thus help you in starting your CNA career effectively.