Work as a CNA: What Kind of Role Can I Pursue with Nursing Assistant Training?

Are you thinking of becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)? If the job outlook factors into your decision to seek work as a CNA, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment of nursing assistants will increase 4% between 2022 and 2032, which is as fast as the average for all occupations.¹

If you’re interested in taking the first steps toward pursuing a new career as a CNA, keep reading to learn exactly what CNAs do, where you can work as a CNA, and more.

What Is a CNA?

Professionals in this type of position may be referred to as a nursing assistant, orderly, nurse’s assistant, or patient care technician. However, the CNA designation indicates that the individual has successfully passed the Certified Nursing Assistant exam or Certified Nurse Aide exam—the exact title varies by state.

CNAs are responsible for providing basic care to patients, which may take place in a hospital, long-term care setting, or in the patient’s own home.

How to Become a CNA

Becoming a CNA involves both formal training and passing a certification exam. You’ll need to enroll in nursing assistant education, which can be completed in two months. Unlike training for healthcare office positions, which may be completed online, nursing assistant training programs involve both classroom learning and hands-on practice to prepare you for face-to-face patient interactions.

For the classroom portion of training, nursing assistant programs usually cover such topics as:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Personal care
• Patient rights
• Nutrition and hydration
• Basic first aid
• Collecting samples and specimens
• Infection control
• Data gathering for medical records
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills

Federal requirements mandate a minimum of 75 hours of training for nursing assistants. However, those requirements can vary by state—with some states requiring 120 hours or more of training.²

Most states also specify a minimum number of clinical hours, which can be gained through a clinical externship. This hands-on experience allows students to practice basic nursing assistant skills such as:

• Taking vital signs, including blood pressure, temperature, and pulse
• Taking weight and height measurements
• Recording patient health information
• Properly washing and cleaning a patient
• Helping patients who require mobility assistance

In addition to completing nursing assistant coursework and clinical experience, many states require students to pass a certification exam and background check before working with patients. For example, to achieve the Florida Certified Nursing Assistant credential, graduates of a state-approved training program must complete a background screening, which includes getting fingerprinted, and passing an examination.³

Florida’s two-part certified nursing assistant exam tests the knowledge learned in school with multiple-choice questions. It also requires students to demonstrate clinical abilities by performing nursing assistant skills. Nursing assistants who successfully complete the background screening and both sections of the exam earn the CNA designation.

What Does a Certified Nursing Assistant Do? Their General Duties

Working as a CNA involves carrying out a variety of basic nursing assistant duties. These responsibilities can include:

• Taking vital signs and patient measurements
• Bathing and/or washing patients
• Checking on wounds to prevent infections
• Helping patients with daily living functions such as eating, getting dressed, using the restroom, etc.
• Talking with patients and recording their reported symptoms
• Relaying patient information to doctors and nurses
• Turning or moving patients
• Helping patients transfer position (for example, from sitting to laying, sitting to standing, etc.)

These are just some of the duties you may be expected to perform as a CNA. A CNA’s job description and responsibilities will vary depending on the exact job, the patients they work with, and where they work.

CNAs also need to be comfortable working closely with patients. You’ll be interacting with them face-to-face and helping them function as normally as possible, even if they’re bedridden. You may also be helping them with quite intimate tasks, such as bathing or helping them use the toilet. So, you need to be comfortable and discreet in doing this.
Where Can CNAs Work?

Now that you have an idea of what the work entails, you may be wondering where exactly you might end up working. As a CNA, you’ll have a few different options as to where you can apply your skills, knowledge, and education. The BLS provides some insights into the work environment of nursing assistants.¹

Hospitals

General and specialty hospitals are common work environments for certified nursing assistants. At general medical and surgical hospitals, you’re likely to encounter a wide variety of patients. CNAs at specialty hospitals, on the other hand, may primarily work with patients who have a specific condition or are within particular age ranges. These types of workplaces can include cancer centers, rehabilitation facilities, or pediatric hospitals.

Hospital jobs are usually full-time positions, which means they may provide benefits, job security, and access to connections with doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. Hospitals may also offer a higher base wage for CNAs than some other workplaces.¹

If you’re interested in working at a hospital, you might want to consider speaking with healthcare professionals there, attending networking events, and/or volunteering. If administrators, doctors, and nurses know you and see that you’re a hard worker, you may be more likely to get a CNA job when you apply. Sometimes, volunteer positions can turn into paying ones, so don’t underestimate the power of donating your time.

Long-Term Nursing Facilities

Working at long-term nursing facilities like nursing homes and assisted living centers is by far the most common position for a certified nursing assistant. BLS estimates indicate that 33% of nursing assistants are employed in nursing care facilities, and another 11% work in retirement communities and assisted living centers.⁴ These facilities house the elderly, patients with severe disabilities, patients with serious illnesses, and others.

These patients usually require round-the-clock care, which can mean longer shifts at all hours of the day. This type of work environment can be a good starting point for CNAs. It allows you to practice the skills you learned in school, learn how to work with many patients at a time, and gain confidence in your CNA capabilities.

Since almost half of all nursing assistants are employed in nursing and assisted living facilities, you may be more likely to land your first job with this type of organization. It can be a resume builder and help you gain hands-on experience, which you can later transfer to another type of work environment if you wish.

This type of healthcare setting may also offer benefits, full-time work, and regular work hours, though it could involve overnight shifts and/or overtime.

Home Health Services

Home health aides perform similar duties as CNAs working at nursing facilities. The main difference is that a home health aide usually works with one patient at a time in the patient’s own home instead of balancing the needs of multiple patients at any given time, which can be the case at a hospital or long-term care facility.

You’ll usually be providing care for patients with similar conditions as those in long-term facilities that prefer a home environment or have assistance from family members.
Most CNAs don’t begin in this type of role since there is usually no direct supervision or other workers to help new hires learn the ropes. Consequently, home health service agencies often prefer to hire experienced CNAs for these types of jobs.

One of the advantages of home health positions is that they may offer more flexibility than working for a facility since you may be able to work out a schedule based on the patient’s needs. It can also be lower stress than working for a hospital or long-term facility because you’ll be working with one patient at a time instead of many.

Other Places You Can Find Work as a CNA

In addition to the types of facilities and home health agencies described above, CNAs may find positions with local, state, or federal governments. For example, some CNAs are employed by state hospitals, while others may work for federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Defense, or the Bureau of Prisons.

Apart from state-run hospitals, the BLS estimates that the government employs about 4% of the nation’s nursing assistants.⁴ So, these types of positions may be harder to come by than more traditional CNA jobs that involve working for hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.

Final Thoughts

Deciding where to work as a CNA depends on your experience, connections, location, and specific interests. Do you want a job where you’re always busy, have an opportunity to work with many patients, and can learn from and share the workload with other nursing assistants? Then you may want to consider applying for jobs at a hospital or a long-term care facility.

Or maybe you are interested in working more closely with a smaller number of patients and getting to know them on a more personal level. In this case, a home health aide position may work well for you.

Another option is to help provide care to veterans. If there is a VA hospital nearby, this type of government job could be a possibility.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you live near Tampa or Clearwater, Florida, Ultimate Medical Academy offers a Nursing Assistant diploma program. This program can be completed in two months, but completion times can vary depending on the individual student.

Alternatively, you can earn a diploma or associate degree in UMA’s Patient Care Technician program. Both of these programs prepare you to sit for Florida’s CNA exam upon meeting eligibility requirements.

If you’re already enrolled in a training program and want to prepare for your first CNA role, check out UMA’s articles designed to help you find jobs, perform well in a nursing assistant interview, and work toward gaining a position.