CNA Schools - How to Choose a Right CNA School

There are many CNA Schools and there are some aspects that you need to take into consideration when choosing a Certified Nursing Assistant school for yourself.
Factors to find a CNA school
Location
Some of the major problems you have about any type of school are class size, school size and location. You need to look for a school in a nearby area, asking yourself how far you are ready to travel to attend your classes.
The reason why you should investigate the school and class size is because many students prefer to take classes in smaller classes and schools, while some others may prefer to attend larger schools with larger class sizes.
Facilities
Make sure that CNA schools you are considering will be affiliated with hospitals, nursing homes or other medical educational facilities where you can practice your CNA skills and obtain practical experience.
Accreditation
Choose CNA schools that have been recognized and certified by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing and Education or the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC). This means that the schools have all the necessary standards of education set by these specialized institutions and it is a very good indicator that you will obtain the best education.
Class Schedules
Before choosing a school, you need to check that the Certified Nursing Assistant schools you have chosen have CNA classes scheduled in ways that are convenient for your schedule.
Tuition
Tuition is another important factor when choosing a school. Prices vary considerably between private and public CNA schools, and also between in-state and out-of-state students at state schools.
Several Certified Nursing Assistant schools offer scholarships as well as some financial aid to help their students deal with the tuition costs, keep in mind that financial aid in smaller institutions can differ very much compared to large ones.
Clinical Rotation
Clinical rotation is the amount of active participation that CNA students obtain in clinics, nursing homes and hospitals in which you need to inquire if school provides enough clinical rotation time.

CNA Certification for a Promising Career

The profession of nursing assistant is quite interesting but tiring too. The main responsibility of these nursing assistants is to look after the patients in every possible way and this involves helping the patients to accomplish their routine activities, recording the vital signs and so on.
Every state has its own list of training programs and courses for nursing. The students can select the subject that interests them the most. The individuals who are willing to attend these CNA training programs must keep certain points in mind. Some of them include:
• Maintaining regularity and punctuality is a must • Making notes of all the important points • Taking all the practical classes seriously and regularly
These training programs not only enhance individuals' skills but also help them to gain an actual experience of the clinical environment.
After completing the training, the students are supposed to give a certification examination in order to become a certified nursing assistant. For passing the certification, a proper practice is a must. The main things that are analyzed in these certification exams are mentioned below:
• Grasping power and understanding capability of the individuals • Knowledge of a particular subject
The key features of the certification exam of nursing are listed as under:
• CNA certification Test has two levels, a written test followed by a skill test • The complete examination gets over in 6 hours. • Only the candidates who successfully pass the written test are allowed to give the written test. The minimum score required to get certified is 80%. • The individuals who fulfill this condition become Certified Nursing Assistant. • The result is declared on the same day of examination and certificates are distributed within two to three days.
As seen from the above points that it is quite easy to obtain nursing certification, hence, every nursing assistant must get certified for better career opportunities.

Acquire Quality Training for Achieving CNA Certification

The individuals who are interested in making their career in the field of medical science have an option of becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant as a first step in their careers. The profession of a CNA is quite rewarding and demands a lot of focus and dedication. The students can achieve the CNA training to pass the certification exam and get good jobs with acceptable salaries and many other benefits.
There are many community colleges and high schools that offer training sessions to the aspiring nursing assistants. These colleges prepare the candidates with the basic nursing skills that will prove to be quite useful for the students to clear the certification exam of nursing. Some of these skills include:
• Caring for patients • Taking vital signs from patients • Feeding the patients who cannot do this on their own • Assisting with the overall personal hygiene of patients • Helping the doctors during operations • Filling the insurance forms • Recording blood pressure, temperature of the patients
After completing training from a reputed institute or from the online sites that offer free CNA training, the applicants are required to give the certification exam. The key features of the CNA certification exam are mentioned below:
• Conducted in order to analyze the performance and skills of the students • Comprises of 2 tests-a written test followed by a skill test. • Written test checks the understanding of basic skills of nursing possessed by the candidate • Skill test is meant for the purpose of testing student's knowledge of the specific skills • Only the individuals, who pass the written test are allowed to appear for the skill test • At least 80% score is needed to pass the exam and obtain certification
The main benefit of becoming a certified nursing assistant is job security. In addition to this, the salary paid to these assistants is higher as compared to the unskilled individuals. Hence, it is recommendable to all the wannabe nursing assistants to become certified.

Training Programs for Obtaining CNA Certification

With the increase in old age population, there is a rise in demand for the nursing assistants who can take proper care of the patients in hospitals, health care centers, private clinics and so on. The applicants, who are properly qualified and certified, are preferred above the unskilled individuals.
As far as the education is concerned, the students can join any of the community college that offers CNA training programs. After completing training from a reputed institute, the aspiring nursing assistants can prepare for CNA Certification.
There are many local high schools and colleges that provide training in the nursing field. The main features of these training sessions are mentioned below:
• Comprises of 75 hours classroom learning programs • Consists of 16 hours hands on clinical trainings programs • Students are required to attend the classes regularly and punctually • Different subjects covered during the training period include topics related to the dressing and hygiene of the patients, giving first aid, recording vital signs, blood pressure, temperature and so on.
Every willing candidate, who wants to become a nursing assistant, can join these training programs if he/she fulfills the following criteria:
• At least 18 yrs of age • No criminal record
In addition to the training sessions in colleges, there are many online sites that provide CNA classes at flexible time opportunities. The candidates, who are in a job or cannot spare time to attend the classes regularly, can join these online sessions.
After completing their training, the students are required to pass a certification exam of nursing having following features:
• Comprises of a written test followed by a skill test • Written test checks the knowledge of basic nursing skills while skill test is conducted for the purpose of analyzing the students' understanding of specific and in depth topics • At least, 80% score is required to pass CNA certification test
Hence, the students can become certified nursing assistants and raise their salaries.