There are many jobs in the world, but one that will always be needed is nursing assistants. To be a nursing assistant, a person must have compassion and a desire to help people. It is not an easy job, but it can be very rewarding. As the baby boom population ages, the need for nursing assistants is increasing. Some important things to know about this job are educational training, work activities, and work conditions.
Educational Training and Abilities
A nursing assistant performs many important tasks for people who are unable to care for themselves. According to the article, “Everything You Want To Know About Being A CNA” published by nursingassistants.net, a certified nursing assistant is a person that works under a nurse and provides care to residents who cannot provide their own cares alone. They provide assistance with bathing, toileting, eating, dressing, transferring, and oral care. According to Linda Whitenton and Marty Walker authors of Exam Cram, a nursing assistant must know how to take vitals including: pulse, blood pressure, respirations, temperature, and oxygen level (55). Nursing aides often are at the bottom of the health-care personnel hierarchy according to Swanson the author of Careers in Health …show more content…
Being compassionate and having patience are two of the most important qualities to have for this job. “Be observant when working with residents by watching/listening to their mood because you will spend more time with them than any other caregiver” says Walker (57). Aides deliver much of the human touch care that comforts and calms a patient (Swanson 211). Some important qualities needed for this job are dependability, patience, emotional stability, and physical strength (213). “Caring is the most important quality. You can be the most skillful assistant in the facility but, if you do not care for them and about them then you are in the wrong job” (Whitenton