subject: The Characteristics of Effective CNA's: Patience [print this page] The Characteristics of Effective CNA's: Patience
Certified Nursing Assistants play an important role in the reception, treatment, recovery and discharge of patients in a health care facility. This important support staff assists the other health care professionals in ensuring that the patients get the health care they require. This involves interacting with a diverse set of persons at any given time. To this end, in addition to the professional qualifications and competencies a CNA must have, there are certain characteristics that the CNA must have in order to be effective in their duties.
Interpersonal skills are one of these quasi professional characteristics. Dealing with many patients and other health care professionals can be a tough balancing act. This is because the CNA is required to retain a certain level of neutrality and professional etiquette at all times during the course of their duties. In order to do this, every CNA that wishes to be effective in their profession must cultivate patience.
Patience is the ability to endure mostly stressful and unfavorable conditions without losing focus of what is important. This could not be any truer than in the CNA profession. Almost all healthcare facilities have a number of patients coming in at any given time for treatment, in addition to the admitted patients in that health facility. Due to the nature of illness, most invalids tend to be irritable, impatient, and uncivil, amongst other unsavory personality behaviors. Despite this, the certified nurse assistant is required to patiently attend to all of them and give them unbiased, professional service.
Another challenge that the nursing assistant has to contend with are tired, stressed and more often than not, imperious health professionals. These could be doctors, nurses or any other professionals in the health facility. Due to this, the CNA must cultivate patience in dealing and interacting with them. This ensures that both sides deliver their duties without any side shows.
The duties of a CNA include cleaning rooms and changing linens, transporting patients from one treatment unit to another, preparation of patients for surgery and other medical procedures, etc. These duties are usually routine activities and may tend to seem mundane to the CNA. Discharging these duties effectively and professionally require patience which in turn fosters a strong work ethic.
