What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Nursing Assistant

Certified nursing assistants are walking in a hospital hallway

Becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) is a rewarding career that offers a lot of room to grow. As a CNA, you’ll help contribute to patient care and assist your medical team with administrative duties. 

Unlike other careers in the medical field, you don’t need a degree to become certified as a nursing assistant. Instead, you’ll need a certification. Let’s learn how you can get into the field of nursing in less than two months as a CNA.

How to Become a Nursing Assistant

Get Your High School Diploma or GED

The first step to any higher education is to get your high school diploma or GED certificate. Once you’ve done that, you can start exploring nursing assistant programs in Miami.

Complete a Nursing Assistant Program

CNA programs can be found at most two-year colleges. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the classroom. Most nursing assistant programs are less than two months, which will vary by college. Cambridge’s CNA programs take approximately five weeks to complete.

In the program, you’ll learn things like general patient care, medication administration and how to record vital signs. Most programs will also set up your required clinical training and prepare you for your state’s certification exam. 

Pass the Certification Exam

Requirements to become a CNA may vary from state to state, so be sure to check your own state’s nursing assistant requirements. One of these requirements will be to pass a state-approved exam. Once you pass the exam, you’ll be ready for entry-level employment as a CNA.

Qualities You Need as a Nursing Assistant

Besides education, training and licensure, there are personal attributes you can develop to be successful as a nursing assistant:

  • Strong communication skills: Throughout the day you have to relay a lot of information to medical staff and patients. How you communicate with each person is very important. Patients will need less jargon and more explanation, whereas doctors will need concise medical summaries.
  • Empathy and understanding: Patients are often nervous and scared, and so are their families. You need a caring and compassionate attitude to be successful as a nursing assistant. 
  • Patience and flexibility: Any number of things can happen during the shift of a nursing assistant. You have to adapt to whatever the day brings, and be prepared for quickly changing priorities. Patients are feeling their worst and could be quite irritable. Patience is key.
  • Attention to detail: Patients and staff will rely on your ability to be accurate and pay attention. You’ll be recording data and working with patient charts, but you also have to pay attention to nonverbal cues by patients. Being attentive to details could save a life.
  • Physical endurance: It’s no secret that being a nursing assistant requires a lot of strength. You will be on your feet most of the day and will also do a lot of bending.
  • Teamwork: As a nursing assistant, you’re part of a team. You won’t make diagnoses or decisions about treatment, but you will need to follow instructions and collaborate effectively to help care for patients. This is where strong communication and listening skills come into play.   

Are You Ready to Become a Nursing Assistant? Enroll at Cambridge Today.

You can become a CNA in Miami with Cambridge. Our comprehensive program teaches you everything you need to excel as a nursing assistant, including a clinical externship to give you hands-on training. Get started by giving us a call at 877-206-4279 or send us a message.

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