Biggest Challenges Facing CNAs in the Healthcare Industry

There are many different benefits facing certified nursing assistants in the healthcare industry, including an inherent lack of support from coworkers. Hospitals, nursing homes, and other places like these can be extremely hectic, which means that nobody else you are working with will have a lot of time to help you. It will be important that you learn to take care of all your duties and responsibilities on your own. Independence is definitely one quality that will work well for you as a CNA.

Perhaps the biggest challenge that faces all CNAs is their patients. While it is true that many of your patients will be friendly and easy to get along with, there will be others that really make it challenging just to get through the day. This is precisely why it will be important for you to learn how to deal with these patients so you can keep your cool and remain calm. Aside from uncooperative patients, there are those who have conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease and require specialized care.

It is okay if you get a little impatient or angry over a patient once in a while, but you will need to keep calm most of the time, especially when you are around them. You will need to act as professional as possible, even when you are faced when patients that are abusive and uncooperative. It is highly recommended that find out as much as possible about your patients, so you will be in a much better position to help take care of them on a daily basis. Every patient is going to be different in some way, so make sure that you try to develop a rapport with the ones you get.

Although forming close bonds and friendships with patients can be one of the most rewarding aspects of working as a CNA, it can also lead to loss and frustration. Death is very common and an unavoidable part of working in a hospital or nursing home. Those nurse’s assistants who develop close friendships with their patients will find that it can be very difficult to deal with their deaths. It is difficult to prepare yourself to deal with losing someone you care about, especially when it comes out of nowhere. You can, however, deal with it in your own time without letting it affect your job.

Sometimes the actual facility that you work in as a CNA can present some challenges. There are certain places that have an inefficient layout as well as other things that make it difficult to work there on a daily basis. Sometimes your supervisors will also present you with challenges, especially if they are very demanding and put unrealistic expectations on you. Unfortunately, sometimes being a nursing assist means having to answer to people you are not fond of. As long as you know what to expect as a CNA and take on the challenges as they come, you should be very successful at your job, no matter where you work.

Important Personal Traits for Every CNA

Successful certified nursing assistants, irrespective of their physical appearance have certain similar personalities. The most basic strongest ones are confidence, determination, optimism and goodwill. If all these are part of you great! You make a perfect CNA, if not don’t freak out there are mentors and educators who can help you build them. It is advisable to review this list before an anticipated interview, or for self evaluation for those already working. It helps a nursing assistant get the boss point of view of them in comparison to a perfect CNA match

Nursing assistants often work with hospital patients or injured home residents, the elderly, handicapped, possibly due to feelings of loneliness low self esteem, self pity and depression. With such kind of emotions, patients may be dull, inflict verbal abuse or behave in uncooperative manner. CNAs must have the capacity to keep their personal feelings aside and aim in providing best possible patient care. This is under all situations irrespective of the patient’s race, color, gender, nationality and religion. Listening to their charges with care and genuine respect is a step in improving healthcare. This portrays compassion professionalism.

The tasks performed by a nurse assistant, requires them to be observant, sharp and detail oriented. One must be careful when providing patients and residents with correct medication and dosage, noting correctly each vital sign. Patients have to be observed closely to note changes in their behavior, body habits and appearance. Any fluctuations indicating change in their conditions requiring medical treatment to be adjusted accordingly. 

It is of paramount imperative for a CNA to be exceptionally thorough in their duties. Hospitals, medical amenities and nursing home can provide an incubator for bacteria and infections if proper protocols are not strictly followed. Protecting patients and resident’s health, nurse assistants have to keep rooms, beddings, patients themselves and the rest of the health facilities clean and sterile. With quite a big number of patients in most cases, everyday has a tight schedule. Being able to execute your daily assigned duty under pressure systematically and carefully is a valuable trait.

Despite most of nurse assistant’s time being spent with the patients, it is vital to relate well with other co-workers and colleagues. One should be proficient at following instructions either verbal or written and should effortlessly communicate in writing and orally. Certified assistant nurses should collaborate consistently with colleagues to provide best possible care to patients as team.