How to Know If Becoming a Nurse Aid Is the Right Job for You
Being a Certified Nurse Aid is the first step in advancing your nursing career. It is a very fulfilling job and will give you tremendous rewards. As a nurse aid, you work closely with patients and provide them with daily basic care. Being a nurse aid may not be for everyone though. Is it the right choice for you?
Also known as nurse assistants, orderlies, patient care technicians and home health aids, nurse aids are the front liners in patient care and are probably the most vital in the daily operations of a health care facility or hospital.
Everyday patient care like giving baths, changing clothes and giving proper food and medicine are part of a nurse aid's routine. Their jobs are similar to that of a Registered Nurse in that they also do basic nursing procedures.
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They check vital signs, heartbeat, blood pressure and temperature. It is also their responsibility to report to their supervisor if there are any significant changes in a patient's condition. These are all done under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.
The requirements for earning a Certified Nurse Aid certificate is a first and foremost a high school diploma. Once you have that, you must of course complete a certification program or course from a school or healthcare facility.
Certification courses usually lasts 6 to 12 weeks, depending on what state you are in. Courses tackle subject such as biology, human anatomy, basic pharmacology, nutrition and physiology. After completing your classroom courses you are required to spend around 2 weeks doing hands-on training in an actual healthcare facility.
It is undoubtedly less difficult than getting a Registered Nurse degree but will still require a lot of dedication and discipline. After you have completed the course, you must pass the State Certification Program.
There are many things you must consider when you decide to become a nurse aid. Working in this environment will at most times be challenging, to say the least. Unpleasant smells, vomit, bodily discharge, and blood are just some of the things you may encounter everyday.
There will also be the task of dealing with patients that are difficult to please. Needless to say, it will require perseverance and commitment to keep working in this kind of environment.
If you are doubtful of your abilities, you can be assured with the fact that the work will surely become easier once you are used to it. Just remember that the best nurses started out as nurse aids.
Patients who are handicapped and very ill may be difficult to work with. Thus, you will need tremendous amounts of patience and compassion to deal with this.
You must also have good people skills so you can fully understand a patient's needs and empathize with them. Understandably, it is very hard to remain pleasant under these circumstances but as a nurse aid, you must for your own benefit.
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Stressful situations are part of the everyday life in healthcare facilities and how you handle this stress will decide if you are meant for this type of work or not.
You must always be able to remain calm and make quick and correct decisions when the moment calls for it. At times, a patient's well being will fully depend on how you handle stressful situations.
Caring for patients is a very demanding job. But time will surely come when everything becomes second nature to you and you will handle your job with ease and comfort. That is when you will truly be fulfilled and happy as a nurse aid.
