There are certain vital skills that you need to enable you to work as a nursing assistant, or as a professional in any healthcare field. The nursing assistant test is not a step that can be skipped in the process of becoming a nursing assistant.
Your life as a certified nursing assistant will primarily center on caregiving to patients. You cannot choose to be a nursing assistant without having the qualities of one. You must have lots of patience, and compassion, and be able to administer care to others.
A certified nursing assistant must also prove to be a good observer, paying attention to details that others would ordinarily ignore. You must also be very stable emotionally. This is because as a nursing assistant, you are expected to be a support system for the patients you attend to. So you cannot be unstable yourself.
After possessing these traits, the next wise thing to do is to prepare for your certified nursing assistant test. You cannot be certified as a nursing assistant if you do not pass this test. It doesn’t matter how compassionate and skilled you are.
This is because the role of a nursing assistant is a very critical one. Patients will be entrusted to you most of the time. You will be responsible for their care, drugs, and injections. The way to ensure that you are ready for this role is to have you pass the test.
One of the key ways to prepare for this test is to take a certified nursing assistant practice test. It is commonly known as a CNA practice test. Another important step is to learn and understand the roles of a certified nursing assistant.
The Roles Of a Certified Nursing Assistant
To properly execute your responsibilities as a nursing assistant, you must first understand them. The role played by CNAs in hospitals is a very vital one. They are an integral part of the healthcare system. They spend more time with patients than doctors and nurses ever will.
Below is a list of the roles of a certified nursing assistant:
1. They Are Responsible for Patients’ Hygiene
Nursing assistants are given the responsibility to care for patients in the hospital. They look out for and help them with daily activities. They ensure that they are neat at all times, especially if their condition limits them physically.
They help patients with bathing, dressing, shaving, brushing, etc. They are also the ones who ensure that the patients sleep on regularly changed and neat bedspreads. Whatever contributes to the hygiene and cleanliness of the patient, is handed over to the nursing assistant.
2. They Handle Patients’ Mobility
It is the nursing assistants who help patients who are immobile move around. They look out for those confined in a wheelchair and help move them about from time to time. They also support healing patients who need to walk around as a form of exercise.
The role of moving patients about does not only count for long distant movements. Nursing assistants may have to turn or move patients to get them ready for medications. They also move patients when it’s time to change their bedsheets and clothes.
3. Medical Care
Certified nursing assistants carry out various check-ups on patients. They are the ones who check the blood pressure of patients, their temperature, and also their response to medication.
They administer their drugs and ensure that they take the right dosage, and at the right time too. They also prepare patients before they go in for surgery sessions. They document the medical information of patients and also dress their wounds
4. They Serve As Support Systems
This is one of the most important roles of nursing assistants. They stand in as emotional as well as physical support systems for patients. Most of the time, the condition of a patient can be traumatizing. If there is no loved one around to soothe them, nursing assistants step in.
To maintain this closeness with patients, nursing assistants have to prove themselves trustworthy and friendly. It is safe to say that nursing assistants are the friends of patients. This is why compassion and patience are important traits in this field.
5. Communication Flow
Doctors and nurses can not always be around patients as much as nursing assistants would be. In this case, nursing assistants play the vital role of keeping communication flowing.
They keep a close watch on the patients, observe for changes and immediately call the notice of the doctor. They also speak on behalf of the patients to friends, family, or loved ones. This ensures that those in the life of the patient are kept up to date with the patient’s improvement.
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What to Expect In a Certified Nursing Assistant Test
Having the necessary traits and knowledge of the roles of a certified nursing assistant is vital. However, it only gets you halfway there. You’ll have to be well-prepared for your nursing assistant test.
Below are a few tips to help give you an edge and get you ready for the test:
1. Test Of Nursing Skills
One of the tests you will face is that of your nursing skills. The minor and major ones are all-inclusive.
From handwashing to temperature checks, to blood pressure checks, expect to be asked to carry it all out. Bearing this in mind, do not go into the test hall unprepared.
2. Uniqueness in State Patterns
One of the determinants of test patterns is your State. Your location will play a great role in the type of test questions you see, and their patterns.
While preparing, take your time to research the certified nursing assistant test pattern of your State.
3. Quality Of Appearance
The easiest way to give a good first impression of yourself is to appear smart for your test. Do not take the choice of what you wear on that day lightly.
Your performance in both the written and practical tests will play a role in qualifying you, and so will your appearance. Your composure should also be on point. Do not fail to look confident during your test.
4. Practice Test Questions
The worst thing you can do to yourself is to go for your CNA test without adequately preparing for it. There are resources online to help you practice CNA tests for free. You may come across these practice questions during your test proper.
The questions may not be the same as the ones in your practice exam. Nonetheless, they will provide you with enough hints to answer correctly. Taking online CNA practice tests will not only prepare you for the test itself. It would give you an idea of life as a certified nursing assistant.
Conclusion
One of the qualities you’ll have to sustain as a certified nursing assistant is a desire for knowledge. The preparation for your CNA test is a good place to start. Going into the test hall well-prepared is all the confidence boost you need.
