Covid-19 has seen a dramatic increase in nursing and medical school applications, with some schools receiving up to 25% more applications than in previous years. With so much attention given to those in the medical field, you might be thinking of stepping into this worthwhile career path yourself.
One rewarding role that you could pursue is becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). To become a CNA, read on for the fastest way of making your dream a reality.
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What is a CNA?
A CNA provides essential care to patients and assists other nurses and medical professionals with certain tasks, like taking vital signs and helping with procedures. They will often assist recipients of care with essential daily tasks, such as dressing, eating, and personal hygiene.
How to Become a CNA
If that sounds like something you’d love to spend your day doing, you might be wondering how exactly to become a CNA. There are different options to enter the field, so let’s look at the fastest options.
Qualifications Needed to Become a CNA
All accredited courses will require you to have your high school diploma. However, you don’t need a college degree or any other official qualifications. The most important quality you need is compassion and determination. Nursing isn’t an easy career, so you need to be truly dedicated to your career.
Find Accredited Courses
When it comes to finding the right nursing assistant training options, you need to make sure you take accredited courses. Otherwise, you’ll finish your course but still not be able to actually practice as a CNA.
These courses will cover CPR and other health training requirements. You can find state-approved courses online to find the most convenient, practical option for you.
You can also become a CNA online, although some parts of the course, such as practical experience in a medical facility will still need to be completed in person. However, you can still do a lot of the foundational training online.
If you’re wondering ‘how to become a CNA online’, then it’s often a good choice for independent study that you can do in your own time. That can often make it the fastest option, as you can run through the self-study sections as quickly as it suits you.
How Long Does it Take to Become a CNA?
Of course, for anyone who wants to start practicing as a nurse as soon as possible, the question of ‘how long to become a CNA’ is probably their first priority. It really depends on how long it takes to do foundational training, but some courses can have you trained in as little as two months.
Remember, however, that you shouldn’t be in too much of a rush to start practicing. It’s better to take your time on quality training and enter the field well-prepared than rush it and feel out of your depth.
Keep Learning
The journey to becoming a CNA shouldn’t be rushed, but it’s good to know that, in times where we need hard-working nurses more than ever, you could become a CNA in as little as two months.
To discover more about careers in the medical fields, browse the articles in our health and fitness section.
