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Difference Between CNA 1 and CNA 2

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:08:49 +0100

Certified nursing aides work in the medical facilities to provide basic care to the patients. They are responsible for managing daily routine of the residents, assisting them in moving around, ensuring cleanliness in the room, and supervising food intake of the patients. If you want to join a medical industry as a CNA, then you must obtain the certification and license in order to work as a nursing aide. There are also ample opportunities for the career advancement in nursing profession. You can proceed further by becoming CNA 2 or PCA (Patient care assistant). It is essential to know about the difference between the positions of CNA 1 and CNA 2 for advancing further in nursing industry.

Certified nursing assistants work in the hospitals and medical organizations to handle the duties like bathing the patients, changing cloths of residents, moving them from wheelchair to bed, controlling infection and so on. The average salary for CNA is around USD 30,000 per annum.

CNA 2 is also known as PCA (Patient Care Assistant). The role of CNA 2 in a medical organization extends to the responsibilities such as personal care, arranging small tests, changing tubes and saline for the patients and so on. The salary for PCA or CNA 2 ranges from USD 32,000 to USD 34,000 per year.

How to Demonstrate Range of Motion Exercises during CNA Skills Test

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:01:41 +0100

Being a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), you are not only responsible for performing single activity; rather you will be asked to perform multiple tasks as per the situation and the demand of the patients. Sometimes you might be asked to help the patients in performing with range-of-motion exercises such as rotating the head, arms, legs, wrist, and elbow from one side to another or any different types of exercises. Usually the patients need to perform these exercises twice a day, as per the instruction of the physiotherapist. One of the reasons for performing these exercises is to maintain the flexibility of the body.

Before demonstrating range of motion exercises during CNA skills test, make sure that you have properly washed your hands; otherwise the patients might get infected. Be confident and pay attention to each detailed information provided, while demonstrating the skill test. If you find any abnormalities in the patients during exercises, then you should immediately report to the concerned person or the doctor. It is essential that you should be calm and polite while demonstrating the exercises to the patients because some patients may easily grasp the techniques of exercise, but some may take time to understand the techniques of how to perform the exercises.

It is important that the patients perform the exercise staring from the head, followed by neck, spinal cord, arms, legs and finally toes and the ankles. It is essential that the patients perform these exercises correctly and therefore it is necessary that you should demonstrate it properly.

How Much does CNA Classes Cost

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 06:31:41 +0100

Making a career in nursing field is trend that is expected to see a rise as the employment rates in this field is expected to grow multi-folds by 2020. The health care industry is a recession-proof industry. The demand for certified nursing assistant (CNA) is expected to increase as the elderly population in the United States has increased. The nursing-career aspirants can start their nursing career by enrolling for a certified nursing aide program. The minimum academic qualification required for this job profile is GED (General Educational Development) or high school diploma. Before enrolling for such program the candidate needs to make sure whether they are eligible for the program as per the state applicable age criteria.

The cost of a CNA program is another factor that a candidate needs to consider before opting for a certified nursing aide program. The program can cost anywhere between USD 400 and USD 1200. There are several factors that affect the cost of the training program. The location is a major factor that might affect the cost of training program. If you are opting for a CNA program provided by an hospital or institute in a metropolis area, then the cost of the course can be more than the cost of the course in some remote area.

The training program is divided into theoretical or practical sessions. The candidate needs to complete specified hours of training as per the state laws. Training programs provided by various institutes may provide training for several weeks to several months. Depending upon the length of the course the cost of a CNA program can vary. Placement assistance, training quality, equipment, and other facilities provided by the institute are some other factors that affect the fees charged for this course.

The CNA classes cost should be known to those who plan to start their career in nursing as certified nurse assistant. Plan to enroll in a training program that is within your budget but make sure that you enroll for the program with an accredited organization.

Comparing CMA and CNA Salaries

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:45:25 +0100

While pursuing a career in the field of nursing and health care, it is essential that you should have the complete knowledge about the job position and its related details. But in some of the cases confusion might creep in, and one of the cases is the difference between CNA and CMA. These two are totally different, as CNA (Certified nursing assistant) is only responsible for looking after the patients, whereas a CMA (Certified medical assistant) is responsible for handling the various department in the hospital such as clinical, clerical, administrative and specialist, you can find more about this on dailystrength.org.

While comparing the salaries of certified medical assistant and certified nursing assistant, it was noticed that CMA salary is almost double as that of CNA salary. According to the latest survey it is concluded that the salary of a certified nursing assistant ranges from $12 to $15 per hour and the salary of a certified medical assistant ranges from $18 to $20 per hour. Therefore the yearly salary of a CNA comes in between $25000 to $35000 and that of CMA comes around $30000 to $35000. There is a difference in the salary hike of the CMA and CNA as a certified medical assistant gets a salary hike of 32% to 35% during their salary appraisal, but in the case of certified nursing assistant gets a salary hike of almost 18% to 20% during their salary appraisal.

A certified medical assistant has to complete 2 years of Associate Degree to apply for the job of a certified medical assistant (learn more here) but a CNA has to only complete 6 months of diploma degree to apply for CNA jobs. This comparison in salary should be known beforehand so that it would be easy for people to apply for these job profiles.

The Benefits of Taking a CNA Practice Test

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 05:26:43 +0100

Have you wondered what are the benefits of taking a CNA practice test? Well most of you might feel confident that you have studied well and so are ready to face the real exam. There is one way to find out if you are right and taking a CNA practice test help you in doing so.

If you go through a set of practice test papers, you would know the topics that need to be paid attention. For example, you have not have prepared a chapter, well but think that you have prepared for it then this will become evident when you solve a set of CNA sample questions and answers.

Apart from letting you know how much you have prepared for your exam, it also helps you finish your paper on time. You may not believe it but it’s true. Yes, it can be possible if you attempt every practice test paper very sincerely. Go to a room where you will not be disturbed. Note the time of start and finish. Do this more than once and you will know if you really can finish your paper on time. If you are unable to do so, check what made you lose your concentration.

If you are really serious about becoming a CNA, then you better take more than one practice test. Do not be overconfident if you get a very good score and do not become depressed if you could not get all the questions right. If you have a very high score, check if you can get consistent score for the next few practice test papers. Similarly, if you did not get a satisfactory score, then check what kind of answers you did not get right.

So if one of your friends asks you, “What are the benefits of taking a CNA practice test?” you should tell your friend that it helps you feel confident, removes overconfidence and fear of the written test. It also helps you in time management, which in turn, helps you to solve your paper on time. There are some good tips here that will further help you in your preparation for the test.

How to Renew an Expired CNA Certification

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 06:20:17 +0100

If you are planning to renew your CNA certification, then you need to keep certain things in your mind. It’s compulsory for a CNA to have a work experience in the past two years to renew his/her certification. If you fit in this category, then you can make use of 'Nurse Assistance Registry Renewal' form to show your data and information to renew an expired certification. It’s also possible to renew your certification if you have not worked for the last two years.

Few important steps which you need to follow while renewing your Expired CNA Certification:

First and foremost you need to collect your renewal form from the Nurse Assistance registry. Fill all your professional and personal details in the form.
The second part of the form should be filled by healthcare employer. The employer can be both ex-employee and present working employer. This employee should be from your organization where you have worked earlier.
After the employee have filled the second section of the form, sign and enter the date in the application. Now you need to send this form through mail for your particular state where you belong.
This process may take couple of week’s times; therefore you need to be patience enough. You can check the status online.
After clearing your CNA program, if you did not work for the past 24 month, then it’s compulsory for you to appear for CNA certification exam again to renew your certification. Before you plan for this exam you need to register yourself with nurse assistance program. To brush up your knowledge you can take up a few CNA practice tests online.
The requirements and procedures may differ from state to state where you are working. Always remember before renewing your certification to check with Nurse Assistance Registry. If you are aware of the facts that your certificate will not get renewed, then it’s advised not to fill the details.

If you follow the above mentioned tips correctly, your certificate will be renewed without any trouble and you can work again as a nurse assistant. It is recommended to renew CNA Certificate at regular intervals to maintain good records with the employers.