subject: The Characteristics of Effective CNA's: Confidence [print this page] The Characteristics of Effective CNA's: Confidence
An effective certified nursing assistant must exude an air of confidence at all times. A nursing assistant is constantly around patients, whether at a hospital, in a doctor's office, a rehabilitation center or a long-term nursing facility. People who are ill, in pain or who are recovering from any kind of accident or illness are often lacking in self-confidence. They often also lack confidence in their own abilities to recover. A CNA must be positive enough to be able to give patients the support and boost in confidence that they need.
A nursing assistant's tasks are varied, with their main role being to take care of some of the tasks that would otherwise fall to the registered nurses to handle. Their help is very needed in busy hospitals and wards as it helps to relieve the pressure on the nursing staff and gives the patients a high quality of care. In summary a nursing assistant helps with a patient's more basic needs such as aiding them when they are getting in and out of bed, assistance with bathing, feeding patients who are unable to feed themselves, aiding patients in using the bathroom or bedpans, changing adult diapers, turning bed-ridden patients so they do not get bed sores and they are usually also responsible to take a patient's vital signs several times a day.
The greatest boost in any health care situation is the addition of confident, cheerful and helpful nursing aides. Patients usually take great delight in communicating with those who are caring for them and nursing assistants are usually closest to the patients, interacting with them many times throughout their shift. A confident CNA can be very helpful in encouraging and comforting fearful or apprehensive patients, thus actually aiding the patient ultimately in their recovery. Because a CNA interacts so closely with patients he or she much also approach tasks in a very calm and confident manner as signs of insecurity can only worsen a patient's fears and doubts. A confident and thoughtful nursing assistant can make a real difference when it comes to the quality of care patients receive.
