Choosing to get your CNA Certification online has some pros and cons. A CNA is a certified nursing assistant, very similar to the nurse’s aides of years ago. These helpers performed tasks that were halfway between medical and housekeeping chores, and worked with a few nurses each shift to perform duties that nurses had no time or interest in performing.
A CNA replaces the old fashioned Nurses Aides from years ago. Nurses Aides took care of tasks that nurses didn’t have time for and sometimes just didn’t want to do. Changing beds and handing out bedpans were typical chores that were handed off the aides. It didn’t take a lot of training, and most of the training was done on the job once you were hired.
As laws changed in many states and medical rules and regulations tightened up along with patient privacy laws, nurses aides were phased out and certified CNAs took their place. The instruction program could last anywhere from six to 40 weeks depending on where you went. Colleges and high schools usually offered the program as either part of their regular education or as perhaps adult evening classes.
There are two vital parts of this type of curriculum. One is classroom study where you learn theory, and the other is literally on the job training where you get hands on practical experience working in a medical setting, usually a hospital or nursing home.
There are some programs available that give you a mixture of classroom and online learning. Check out courses that include webinars and white boards where you can interact with your teachers and even other students. Of course, the practical teachings you learn in this manner are still very restricted. You might be able to practice changing a bandage, but when it comes to learning how to hook up an IV bag or maneuver a hospital bed with a post op patient, it’s impossible.
All the coursework in the world can’t replace what you will be lacking in practical experience. If you are hoping to land a good job in a large hospital or rehab facility, you might be out of luck when it comes to job interviews. These facilities need people who have been fully trained in every area, and if you don’t have what they are looking for, you’ll be out of luck.
Just remember – you can pass your program with an A and you can ace your state exam, but if you haven’t mastered all the hands on tasks you’ll be responsible for mastering your first week on the job, you might be forced into taking extra courses to give you the practice you didn’t get the first time around.
If you are hoping to land a job in a large hospital that pays well, you’d be better off enrolling in a program that offers plenty of practical experience. Without that level of training, you might end up at a smaller facility at a lower pay rate.
Make sure to check out Kenny’s excellent writing on CNA Training and Red Cross CNA Training.
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