Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Training
CNA Training in Georgia
For a career as a certified nurse aide you need to have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED). However, a high school diploma generally is not required for jobs as home health aide. Hospitals may require previous experience as a nursing aide or home health aide.
Georgia nursing care facilities often hire inexperienced workers, who must complete a minimum of 75 hours of mandatory training and pass a competency evaluation as part of a State-approved CNA training program within four months of their employment. A nurse aide who completes this program becomes a certified nurse assistant (CNA) and is placed on the certified nurse aide State registry. Those working in mental health such as a psychiatric nurse aide in Georgia learn additional skills on the job from other experienced workers.
Certified nursing aide training in Georgia is offered by high schools, practical-technical centers, some nursing care facilities, and some community colleges. The nursing aide student will learn about body mechanics, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, infection control, communication skills, and resident rights. Personal care skills, such as how to help patients to bathe, eat, and groom themselves, are also part of the knowledge a nurse aide must have.
Some Georgia employers provide classroom instruction for a new CNA graduate, while others rely exclusively on informal on-the-job training by a licensed nurse or an experienced nurse aide. CNA training may last from several days to a few months and the nursing aide may be required to attend lectures, workshops, and in-service training.
The Federal Government has guidelines for a home health nurse aide whose employers receive reimbursement from Medicare. Federal law requires the home health nursing aide worker to pass a competency test covering a wide range of areas: communication; documentation of patient status and care provided; reading and recording of vital signs; basic infection-control procedures; basic bodily functions; maintenance of a healthy environment; emergency procedures; physical, emotional, and developmental characteristics of patients; personal hygiene and grooming; safe transfer techniques; normal range of motion and positioning; and basic nutrition.
In Georgia the home health nursing aide may receive training before taking the competency test. Federal law suggests that a CNA receive at least 75 hours of classroom and practical training, supervised by a registered nurse. Training and testing programs for a CNA may be offered by the Georgia employing agency but must meet the standards of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The National Association for Home Care offers national certification for a home health nursing aide. The certification is voluntary and shows that a CNA has met health care standards. Some States also require the nursing aide to be licensed in that state and meet specific health requirements. A physical examination, and specific screening tests such as those for tuberculosis, is required to work as a nursing aide. A criminal background check also is usually required for employment in Georgia.
Becoming a nurse aide can help individuals decide whether to pursue a career in health care. In Georgia a nurse aide needs additional formal training and education in order to enter other health occupations. The most common health care occupations for a former nursing aide in Georgia are lab assistant, licensed practical nurse (LPN), and registered nurse (RN).
Employers look for those nursing aide applicants that exhibit certain attributes. As a CNA you should be tactful, patient, understanding, emotionally stable, and dependable and should have a desire to help people. The nursing aide needs to be able to work as part of a team, have good communication skills, and be willing to perform repetitive, routine tasks. Those working as a home nursing aide must be honest and discreet, and must be able to drive their own car or have access to public transportation to reach patients' homes.