Roll of the nursing assistant
Nursing assistants interact with the public as well as acting as a liaison between patients and registered nurses or licensed practicing nurses. Duties of a CNA may include: * Gathering Information: CNAs test vital signs, order blood tests, take temperatures, and ask questions of patients to form a dossier of information so that the nurse or physician can get right to the point when they see a patient. * Keeping Records: Maintaining records of patient information is largely the purview of billing and coding specialists, but as the primary gatherers of certain types of private patient info, CNAs are an integral cog in the medical data tracking machine. * Bedside Patient Care: CNAs may need to care for disabled or anesthetized patients while they recover, sometimes on a continual basis. Patience and empathy are crucial skills to stay happy as a CNA. * Availability: Many CNAs work in residential facilities, and must simply be available if a client needs them. This means working nights, weekends, and holidays