You want to work in the medical field. Great! You've got plenty of options. One of these is taking a CNA training program. What does that mean? CNA's are certified nursing assistants. They provide basic medical care to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical facilities. In most areas, you'll need to complete a state-approved program before you start caring for patients. These are typically short-length courses, meaning that you won't need to stay in school for months or semesters before you start working. What will you learn in CNA training classes? Check out the skills and concepts that this type of healthcare prep program offers.

CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation saves lives in emergency situations. You'll learn how to help a patient who has stopped breathing or has had an event/accident that causes their heart to stop beating. During CPR training, the teacher will help you to master breathing and chest compression techniques. You won't just learn how to give CPR to adults in need. Most classes require students to learn about infant and child resuscitation too.

Vital Signs

Part of a CNA's duties include taking basic vital signs and providing them to the nurse, doctor, or other supervising medical professional. This includes heart rate/pulse, blood pressure, breathing rate and temperature. During a CNA training class you'll have the opportunity to try these out on real people. This type of hands-on experience will give you confidence in your ability to take vitals and help your teacher direct you when it comes to what works (and what doesn't) in real-life experiences.

Infection Prevention/Control

Disease can spread quickly in a hospital or nursing care environment. That's where you come in. As a nursing assistant, you'll be part of a team who works to stop the spread of illness. During your classes, you'll learn how disease is transmitted from person to person, person to object and object to person. You'll also learn about proper and acceptable techniques for keeping yourself and your patients safe. This includes using gloves, hand-washing and handling medical equipment/bedding.

Moving Patients

CNAs often have to help patients move. This might mean moving patients into different positions while bathing them, moving them from the bed to a wheel chair or transporting them in beds/wheelchairs. CNA training classes provide the information that you need to know in order to move patients safely and give you the chance to try out what you've learned through hands-on experiences. You may practice moving other students to simulate what you'll do on the job with real patients.

Nursing assistants are vital parts of the healthcare team. Before you start working as a CNA, you'll need to get the skills that the job requires. That said, your training won't take long. Before you know, you'll be on your way to a career in a medical setting.

For more information, contact Prepared 4 Care-Nurse Aide Training or a similar organization.