What Does a Certified Nursing Assistant Do? A Guide

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide crucial support to both patients and nurses, playing a vital role in patient care. This is an entry-level health care job that gives direct patient care, promotes comfort and well-being, and works under the supervision of nurses in various health care settings.

The demand for health care workers is growing for many reasons, including an aging population, the retirement of baby boomers, and overall growth in population. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), health care jobs are expected to grow at a much faster rate than average for all occupations between 2022 and 2032, creating about 1.8 million job openings per year [1]. 

If you're interested in a career in health, then you might consider becoming a CNA. Read on to learn more.

What is a certified nursing assistant?

A certified nursing assistant assists patients with daily living and provides basic care. Most CNAs work in nursing homes, home health care services, and hospitals. In this role, you work under the supervision of licensed nursing staff, like registered nurses (RNs) or licensed practical nurses (LPNs). In many cases, a CNA serves as a patient's main caregiver.

What does a certified nursing assistant do?

As a certified nursing assistant, you'll perform a wide variety of tasks, from measuring a patient's vital signs to helping them bathe, eat, or get dressed. You'll likely be the primary daily caregiver within a nursing or residential home, and you'll often be your patient's main contact throughout the day. 

Depending on state and institutional regulations, you may be asked to take on additional responsibilities, like administering medicine. Working as a certified nursing assistant can be a deeply emotional and rewarding job since you're in constant interaction with your patients, and you're directly impacting their quality of life. 

CNA salary and job outlook

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for a CNA in the United States is $38,130 [2]. The BLS predicts that demand for this job will rise 4 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is faster than the average rise for all occupations [2].

If you wish to pursue a nursing career after a few years working as a CNA, you'll benefit from a significant increase in salary. The BLS reports that the median pay for registered nurses is $86,070, while the number of available jobs is expected to rise 6 percent between 2022 and 2032 [3].

CNA vs. medical assistant

Certified nursing assistants often work in hospitals and in nursing care facilities. Other CNA jobs can be found in home health care services. In almost any setting, the CNA's job remains the same—providing direct care to patients under the supervision of a nurse

While both provide patient care, medical assistants primarily perform both administrative and clinical tasks, while nursing assistants are more directly involved with patient care. 

Certified nursing assistants are also not the same as licensed practical nurses (LPNs). LPNs must take additional classes and pass a national licensing exam called the NCLEX, while CNAs need initial training and certification to work.

How to become a certified nursing assistant

In order to become a CNA, you'll need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. You'll also need to complete a state-approved education program in order to become certified. 

CNA training programs can take as little as three weeks to complete and are often available at high schools, community colleges, vocational schools, and hospitals. Within your CNA training, you can expect to learn how to perform some of the following tasks:

• Ensuring patient safety

• Checking vital signs

• Moving patients safely

• Caring for personal hygiene 

• Administering CPR

Some people choose to work as a CNA while attending nursing school. Others take a job in this field to help them decide if nursing is the right calling for them before investing time and money in becoming an LPN or RN. 

Skills needed 

Working as a CNA can be a demanding job. As a health care worker, you need to be constantly attuned to the needs of your patients, especially in a setting where medical emergencies may arise. It's also important to have a good bedside manner since your behavior can affect your patients, many of whom may be elderly or vulnerable. Effective CNAs often possess the following skills:

• Empathy: You’ll often care for patients facing difficult health situations or other hardships.

• Dependability: You play a role in following a patient’s plan of care to help ensure their well-being.

• Time management and organization: You may be working with multiple patients and with limited supervision.

• Critical thinking: Emergencies do happen in the health care field, so it’s important to be able to think and react quickly.

• Observational skills: You likely spend more time with a patient than their doctor or nurse, so it’s typically your job to report even slight changes to their mental or physical health.

Certified nursing assistant career path

Working as a CNA is often a good entry point into the nursing profession. It will expose you to many of the tasks required of a nurse and will allow you to get practical, hands-on experience as you learn what it's like to work in health care. Some people use their CNA training as a starting point toward becoming an LPN or RN.

Get started with Coursera

If you want to pursue a rewarding career in the health care industry, working as a CNA is a great place to start. Get a feel for whether patient care may be a good fit for you through a beginner-friendly course, like Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us from the University of Pennsylvania or Career 911: Your Future Job in Medicine and Healthcare from Northwestern University.