So you’ve gotten your CNA certification, checked out job listings, sent out your resume, gotten some responses, and a few interviews have been scheduled. How can you maximize your chances that you’ll make a good impression? These are tips you can keep in mind when going for a CNA job interview.

Dress appropriately. This seems like a no brainer, but it can’t be overstated. Your appearance is the first view the employer will have of you, and it will stay with them as they consider whether to invite you back for a second interview. A CNA job may be fairly entry level as far as the medical profession is concerned, but that’s not a reason to show up looking entry level. Jeans, T-shirts, sneakers and the like are all out. They’re just not appropriate for this type of interview.

The best bet is to dress “business casual.” For men this would be dress slacks, dress shoes, and a button down shirt and sweater on top. A tie is optional. For women, conservative skirts or slacks and a blouse is fine.

Above all your clothes need to be clean and well ironed. Even nice clothes can work against you if they are wrinkled or badly laundered. Make sure you look generally as sharp as if you were going to a fancy party or a wedding and you’ll do fine.

Get there early. Again, fairly obvious advice, but it’s important to stress because often the anxiety of an interview leads to forgetfulness. The best way to avoid any hassles is to leave well early, even an hour earlier than you think you need to, arrive early, and wait. You never know what might happen – difficulty finding the hospital or nursing facility, accidents, flat tires, difficulty finding the interview area once you have arrived, and so on. All of these can make you late and there goes your reputation of being punctual.

Be friendly. There is no better way to turn off a potential employer than to seem combative and defensive. Emphasize friendliness. This automatically gives the interviewers the sense that you will be easy to work with, and indeed a pleasure to be around.

Be Confident. Confidence is also important. You need to give the employer the sense that you believe in your abilities. Some people feel that since they are applying for a position like a CNA, they should be self deprecating and deferential to the more “highly skilled” medical professionals they are dealing with. This is almost always the wrong approach. Consider your part of the medical team as important as any other, because it is. Taking care of patients is a team effort, and doctors, nurses, and patients would have a really tough time without your expertise, so let your attitude reflect that.

You are interviewing the employer as much as they are interviewing you. Indeed, this is true. Many times in job interviews people lose sight of this. Institutions seeking CNA’s vary just like anything else does, and you need to evaluate their qualities just as they need to evaluate yours. Do they seem to value their employees? Do they answer your questions with friendliness and straightforwardness?  Do they seem reasonable and easy to work with? What is the reputation of the hospital or other interviewing institution like? You can ask the interviewer a number of questions about their facility, the querying doesn’t need to be only going in one direction. Sometimes it helps to come up with a list of questions before hand and either memorize them or have them written on a sheet of paper that you can glance at. You can ask questions about workplace values, organizational structure, the role of the CNA as the company sees it, CAN turnover rate at the institution, workplace harassment, opportunities for advancement and education, and so on. You can even ask them why they work for the facility and why you should accept the offer of a job from them.

It even pays to do a fairly thorough internet search and find out as much as you can about the institution before arriving. This all has the added advantage of making you seem more knowledgeable and discriminating rather than someone who will just be robotic and not take initiative.

Use good question response techniques. The main point here is to be truthful while always emphasizing your positive traits and experience. Make sure you understand the question and take a moment to consider your answer before replying. Then reply in a positive way that puts you in a good light. Avoid rambling – keep your answers on the topic. There is no need to offer more information than the interviewer asks for. Keep it brief, to the point, and positive.

You can expect to be asked questions such as reasons you’re seeking a job at the facility, your length of time at the last job and the reasons it ended, why they should hire you, whether you like to work independently, whether you think you’re qualified for the position, what hours, you prefer and so on. Don’t let these questions phase you. You can almost always answer a question in a way that somehow highlights your strengths, even while talking about a reason you were terminated or couldn’t find work. It’s mainly a question of attitude.

Use good body language, shake hands and look the interviewer in the eye on arrival and departure. Give the employer a good first impression by shaking hands, making eye contact, and smiling if possible when you first meet them and when you’re standing up to leave. During the interview also look at them directly and avoid fidgeting and glancing around the room or at your feet. This all falls into the body language category and plays a well known role in making impressions that color the job selection process.

Use these tips as well as common sense and you’ll increase your chances of success in the CNA job market. They aren’t rocket science, but they are nevertheless sometimes missed. Above all remember that a positive mind set doesn’t mean just saying anything that sounds good or that you think will please the prospective employer. A good interview mind set means honesty, confidence, and discrimination. It means being secure about your own abilities, emphasizing them, and making sure job situation would be right for both you and the employer.

No tags Hide

Beginning of the career of CNA becomes great opportunity for making an entry into para-medical health service field, with benefits permanency of job, better than average salary offered in any other trade with similar qualifications. One acquires high value professional skills and matured behavior capabilities adjusting according to the situation. Further progress in the profession is goal of every CNA and achievement is possible through continued education options.

The eligibility of a person for undergoing CNA training is just passing 10^th grade diploma or GED. It is so because a CNA gets a short training to familiarize with the job functions, which are carried out under the supervision of a Registered Nurse and gets ample opportunities to learn and to become perfect while performing the duties of CNA.

Comparatively Short Training:

One assumes the job of a CNA after undergoing a short course of 75 to 100 hours of CNA training course at a State Health Board approved school. Many community colleges scattered all over the state are the right places to get the certification training. The duration of such course is of 2 to 6 months depending upon the number of classes one attends in a week.

These training schools impart training complying with the conditions laid down by the State Health Board. These classes include effective communication, observing and record maintenance of the vital signs, personal hygiene, and principles of nutrition etc.

CNA certification program of a school is required to arrange for clinical practices experience at the facilities besides theoretical knowledge of basic biology and health related topics introduction with special attention to safety regulations, CPR, control and management of infection and patient caring. As specified by federal law a CNA is required to capable of demonstrating the perfection in 21 practical skills. The CNA is subjected to a test the state certification examination conducted by State Health Board.

Details of CNA Training Topics:

The nature of topics usually while teaching CNA program are as per details given below:

• Providing help to patients by grooming, giving bath, and changing clothes.
• The patient care is decided on the vital signs observed. Patients need to be moved to prevent occurring of bedsores. Patient’s oral care is essential to bring cheerfulness in them, infection if present need to be monitored till it is controlled.
• Patients who are immobile need help in serving meals and helping patients them to eat for early recovery.
• The room where the patient is living needs to be clean and hygienic besides changing the bed covers daily.
• Patients need Assistance to improve their range of motion with specific exercises.
• Accompanying the patient within the health care facility for investigations and consultation needed.
• Providing assistance to the doctor while medical procedures are carried out on the patient.
• If there is change in the health status of the patient towards deterioration, it needs to be reported to the Registered Nurse to take appropriate care.
• Legal issues involved in respect of the CNA and the patient being treated.
• Medical Glossary.
• Looking after the environment and safety conditions at the health care facility.
• Topics on Emergencies and CPR.
• Standard Communication and documentation practices to be followed.

The Students participation is required in at least 16 hours getting clinical training. This training offers clinical experience, while providing assistance to nurses and patients.

The CNA Jobs Scenario:

Every year there is increase in requirement of health care services. Considering this there is big potential of CNA jobs. Considering the present trend of requirements of CNA in health care, the Bureau of Labor statistics has predicted that by the year 2016 the strength of CNA employment shall increase ten fold in comparison to present CNA’s working.

To meet the present shortage of CNA’s and predicted massive shortage the training capacities of schools affecting enhancement is being considered for implementation.

CNA – Patient Relationship:

The CNA is main source of help to patients physically as well as emotionally during their stay for treatment at a health care facility, hospital or in assisted-living center. The job of a CNA relates to giving personalized help to patients who by themselves are not in a position to take care. With the help of CNA the patients are in a position to regain and maintain daily functions.

The job at certain times poses difficulties, but the rewards are not far away, since one performs a crucial role for assisting persons to live better quality of life, with their temporary disability.

The job of a Certified Nursing Assistant is very versatile and so it at times steps out of medical care industry, and becomes confined to more of personal care industry.

For a successful care of CNA one has to understand why he has chosen this job as a healthcare professional? Although the remuneration one gets for the job is on the lesser side. It is compensated by the mental satisfaction one gets by becoming a helping hand to the patients and influencing some thing good feeling in the minds of people helped, which can not be expressed in words.

There is an exceptionally high degree of compassion, while helping the patients with a service oriented attitudes, which become extraordinary traits possessed by a person and acting as true healthcare professional standards of which have been set by no less than the Lady with the Lamp – Florence Nightingale. These standards are reckoned and still followed with true dedication.

CNA Program through Lansing Community College:

The student strength of the college is around 30,000 every year. Considering it is ranking third Biggest Community College located in Michigan. The School Campus is located in a very prestigious locality called downtown Lansing. The school is conducting 240 different Certificate Courses and Associates Degree Programs. The most sought after course is CNA Certificate Program.

Long Term Care Nurse Aide Certificate:

It is an 8 hour Michigan State Certified Nurse Aide Course, with great emphasis on concepts of Primary Nursing Skills required to perform CNA assignment. The subjects taught in this course class are comprised of controlling infection, Adapting communication skill, the rights of the patients and role of Long Term Health Care CNA. Persons attending this course have eligibility to work in nursing homes and long term health care providers. The students undergoing this course training become eligible to take the State Competency CNA examination.

Class for Acute and Long Term CNA Certificate of Completion:

The program curriculum is focusing on the requirement of a CNA working at Long Term Care facility and awards the certificate regarding acute care needs of patients treated at the facility leading to nurse assistant/patient care technician programs. This 8-credit hour course makes the student capable for working in hospitals, clinics, home health care service providers or at Long-term Care Facilities. The Certificate Program students become eligible the qualifying students for State Competency Evaluation CNA examination.

CNA Program at Washtenaw Community College:

It is situated in South East locality of Michigan and is capable of offering nearly 100 CNA training programs and there are about 20,000 students enrolled every year. The School is in existence since 1965 and all the programs are conducted in the Main Campus of the College situated at Ann Arbor, besides four additional centers situated within Ann Arbor. The programs are offered from it’s School of Nursing & Health science.

Basic Nursing Assistant Skills Certificate of Completion:

It is 3 week duration with 90 hours of Certification program and has facilities of Class Room Teaching as well as provision 26 hours of Clinical Experience conducted at hospitals, clinics and other facilities in the locality.

The school assists in acquiring all the necessary skills enabling students to work at all category of health care facilities and are eligible to appear in the state health board’s administered CNA written test as well as Clinical Competence examination. The candidates after passing these examinations are eligible to get certification from State Registry.

In it’s routine the training session is within the range of 8 to 20 weeks and the candidate learns the necessary functions pertaining to patient caring, introduction to first aid besides all the necessary information topics with both theory and practical demonstration for better learning is taught. The stress is on adequately sufficient mathematical application involved while performing the job are also taught, since a CNA may at occasions required to do calculations at the time of administration of medicines to the patient.

No tags Hide

With the over all increase in the demand of CNA’s through out US, the CNA salary correspondingly are registering increasing trend. Incidentally CNA career is growing at very fast pace globally and the availability of the CNA’s is just partially satisfying the need of health care facilities. A person entering CNA career has many benefits besides appreciable amount of salary package.

Majority of the CNA’s are capable of earning within the range of $20,000 to $30,000 per annum. In exceptional cases one is earning $35,000 annually. The difference is the salary structure is based on one’s experience in the field and location of the work place, out of which experience has more weight-age. CNA’s who have more experience definitely they during their tenure have learned as good as a Registered Nurse. They only difference being that they do not possess medical training. The employers do consider a CNA’s experience, while deciding what to pay?  The CNA’s are working at various healthcare facilities like nursing homes, hospitals, doctor’s offices, companies undertaking home care services and hospice care agencies.

Every industry expects from their staff different job performance and has different pay structures for each category.

CNA Education, Experience Influencing Higher Take Home Salary:

A CNA is required to achieve certification by getting training of CNA program having reputed accreditation at offering class room learning facility or online service of nursing class. The duration of the training varies between 6 weeks to twelve weeks. The long duration courses are evidently rich content oriented.

All most all the CNA’s are required to study Physiology, Balanced Nutrition and Introduction to Anatomy besides Infection control measures, Patient caring and practical aspects Clinical Science, which are complementary to class room teaching. The online CNA training program service adds convenience in achieving all this without going to a class room set up.

Bureau of Labor Statistics is an authentic source to exactly know the salary of a CNA, with details of education and experience with reference to different location.

Job Profile & CNA Salary Relation:

The Job profile of a CNA relates to supporting primary health care service to patients which is carried out under the guidance of registered nurse.  To be more specific CNA job profile requires performance of activities like bathing, feeding, dressing, moving about with the patient and even grooming and besides changing of bed sheets of patients.

The Pay Structure of Certified Nurse Assistant has a relation to the job designation, like Orderlies, Attendants and Nursing Aides.

The general Salary paying guideline of CNA is different for each state. Their wages are worked out on hourly basis, which can mean that a CNA is awarded higher hourly rate in urban areas in comparison to rural areas. Similarly some states pay more hourly rate, which is less in other states.

Besides these salary guidelines factor of experience is considered while fixing the salary of a CNA. Considering all these factors a CNA earns salary within range of $8 to $14 per hour. The nursing Homes depending upon their policy give some additional benefits to attract good CNA’s working for them.

Following Table gives prevailing CNA hourly rates in some selected states showing variations:

S. No.  Name of State    Hourly Rate in US $

1.         Pennsylvania          11.64

2,         California               11.58

3.         Florida                    10.75

4.         Texas                        9.84

5.         Illinois                    10.45

6.         North Carolina         9.73

7.         Georgia                    9.22

Factors Responsible for Increase salary for a CNA:

So as to achieve CNA certification, one is required to go through the training and passing of CNA Certification examination. Thus one is in a position to join a CNA job very conveniently at a healthcare facility and his salary is higher than a non certified nursing assistant. This was the first step in increasing salary.

The second step relates to work hard and gain more proficiency at the job, which the employer can observe and it becomes easy to affect increase in salary by fast gaining experience and involving in continued education facilities available online and at the earliest achieve additional qualifications:

1. Qualifying Administration Program for becoming CNA Administration.
2. CNA Psychology and CNA Anesthesia earn more than a general CNA. Thus one can achieve additional specialty qualification to get higher CNA Salary.
3. Basic Life Support Qualification for earning higher CNA salary.
4. To achieve the fast progression of career become Graduate in Nursing Qualifying for becoming a Licensed Registered Nurse and achieve much higher salary and professional recognition and achievement.

No tags Hide