17 Key Skills You Need as a Nursing Assistant To Succeed!

1. What is Reflective Practice in Professional Development?

Technical skills are typically the skills you can teach, learn, or measure. You can develop and practice these technical skills through your education and job training. 

Below are the most crucial hard skills that a CNA must have to efficient patient care. 

1. Patient care skills

Patient care skills are the first and foremost skill you need to have as a CNA. You must have to learn, develop, and practice patient care skills in your CNA training program. 

Always keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to care. It totally depends on the patient’s health condition. 

However, let’s have a look at what is included in basic patient care or what skills you may need. 

• You have to help the patients in showering, dressing, and brushing their teeth.
• You have to keep accurate medical and treatment information 
• Change the bed linens to ensure the comfort and cleanliness of the patient. 
• You have to assist the patient in eating
• Ensure the safe transfer of the patient from wheelchair to bed, washroom, or chair.
• You have to learn mobility aids. 

2. Vital signs monitoring

It is another crucial technical skill for the CNAs. They have to monitor the vital signs under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. 

You can learn these vital sign monitoring skills in your CNA training program and you will be tested on them for the certification exam. 

However, you should work with LPNs and RNs to accurately track the number of vital signs and help the professionals in treating the patient. 

3. Infection control and prevention

The certified nursing assistants are the frontline health workers. So, infection control and prevention is a must-have skill for them. 

You need to understand the basic principles of infection control to protect yourself, your team, and your patients. 

Here, you should have proficiency in personal protective equipment and knowledge of waste disposal. 

To control infection and prevent it, you have to take on some responsibilities. Such as- 

• You have to maintain sterilized areas.

• Always ensure to disinfect your hands before patient care

• You have to assist the patients to maintain cleanliness.

4. Medical terminology knowledge

In the CNA job, you are likely to serve as a middleman between the doctor’s assessment and the patient’s understanding. 

In this case, you will have the responsibility to help the patients to understand what the doctor’s options look like. 

So, you should learn the basic medical terminology to understand and convey the doctor’s recommendation clearly to the patients. 

Medical terminology knowledge also enables you to make referrals to specialists confidently. 

5. Accurate documentation skills

Documentation is the accurate and clear method to keep track of everything that happens to the patient. 

But what does a CNA document about their patient? – plenty of things! Including-

• Level of consciousness or alertness

• Bowel elimination

• Measurements of vital signs

• Intake and output

• Activities and care and patient’s response to it

• Height and weight and so on.

Actually, documentation is not very difficult. But you have to do it properly. For example, you should try to document the information as soon as you get it. 

Moreover, you should be systemic in the documentation. Always try to chart in the same way. Furthermore, you should notify the nurse of anything important. It also includes your entry. 

6. Medication Administration

Generally, doctors spend very little time with their patients leaving the responsibility of routine care to the CNAs. So, assisting the patient in taking medicine is often a part of your role. In this case, you have to ensure the following things in this case.

• Right drugs 

• Right dosage and 

• Right time 

• Right patient 

You should double-check the labels and safety protocols to prevent serious health risks. Moreover, observe the patients for any side effects and reactions. If you notice any, inform the professional immediately. 

7. Multitasking and time management skills

In the busy healthcare industry, time management skills are essential to ensure productivity and efficiency. 

As a CNA, you may often have to struggle with multiple tasks at a time. But your time management skills can be your lifesaver in this case. You will be able to effectively prioritize the tasks, and allocate the resources. 

Moreover, time management will also allow you to meet the deadlines of the tasks even without affecting the quality of care. 

8. Rehabilitation

For many patients, rehabilitation is the process of their recovery. And here as a CNA, may have to assist those patients in physical therapy exercises and encourage them. 

You should get proper training to learn and develop the skill. Moreover, you can also consider working closely with physical occupational therapists. They can guide you on how you can help the patient in rehabilitation effectively. 

9. Adaptability in the workplace

Healthcare is unpredictable inherently. That’s why adaptability is a crucial skill for the CNAs to be prepared for any situation, any emergency. 

Moreover, CNAs have to work in different work settings. It can be hospitals, nursing homes, or home care settings. 

Each of them has different challenges and requirements. It demands both mindset and practice flexibility to offer exceptional care to patients in any healthcare setting. 

10. Medical equipment proficiency

As for the last one- medical equipment proficiency. You must have these skills to ensure high-quality patient care and also to succeed in this role. 

As a CNA, you will regularly work with medical equipment like thermometers, blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, and so on. 

In this case, you should have a clear understanding of how to use them, and how to ensure accurate reading and hygiene. 

You should also have proficiency in emergency medical equipment. Such as 

• ECG monitors

• Incubators

• Ventilators

• Trauma boards

• Jump-bags

 Key Interpersonal (Soft) Skills That Matter for Nursing Assistants 

When you think about becoming a successful CNA, technical and medical knowledge skills may come to your mind first. 

But interpersonal skills also matter the same as those technical skills. These skills help to connect with your patients better and make them feel comfortable. 

11. Effective communication skill

The nursing assistants must be good communicators. That’s because they have to relay information effectively between the patients, families, and other healthcare professionals like nurses or doctors. 

So, you have to be able to communicate clearly and emphatically and listen to your patients actively about their concerns. 

12. Empathy and compassion

Patients often deal with difficult situations with illness, pain, or distress. Here your ability to show genuine care to them as a CNA can truly make a difference in their life. 

Moreover, you should also have a compassionate and caring attitude towards your patients. Show them empathy and offer them emotional support as they are having a hard time. 

In this case, active listening plays an important role. You know you only can provide passionate care when you really take in what their needs are or what they are going through. 

13. Teamwork and collaboration

A major part of being a certified nursing assistant is that you have to work with a patient care team. 

This may consist of doctors, surgeons, nurses, assistants, or any other. You have to collaborate effectively with the team for a successful patient outcome. 

For instance, 

• Share your patient’s information accurately 

• Follow the direction of your seniors or supervisors 

• Provide observation and suggestions when needed 

• Work in pairs in busy or difficult situations

You can improve efficiency and ensure patient safety with effective collaboration. Moreover, you will find yourself working in a supportive environment with efficient teamwork and collaboration.

14. Physical and emotional resilience

No wonder the certified nursing assistant job is physically and mentally demanding. 

The CNAs have to handle the tasks like lifting the patients or standing for hours. You must be healthy and physically fit and prepared for this physically demanding situation. 

Emotional resilience also carries the same importance. You often have to deal with difficult patients or face challenging medical conditions. Hence, you have to keep yourself mentally strong. 

You can use mindfulness and relaxation techniques in this regard. They can help you a lot to manage your stress and to remain mentally resilient.

Considerations for Nursing Assistants Beyond Essential Skills 

To be frank, it goes beyond the interpersonal and technical skills for a nursing assistant to succeed in their role. Some of such important skills are as follows. 

15. Attention to Detail

The CNAs are responsible for many important routine tasks. For instance, 

• Administering medication 

• Taking vital signs or 

• Assisting the patients with their daily activities. 

Hence they have to be detail-oriented to ensure the accuracy and the safety of the patients. 

It can bring up significant consequences even with a small error in the medication dosage administration or in the documentation of the patients. 

As a CNA you should pay attention to detail so have to avoid the mistakes and ensure a high standard of care. You have to be able to identify any change in the patient’s condition and report it promptly. 

16. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to solve problems and make quick decisions quickly. 

When you are taking on the responsibility of the CNA, you have to be able to think quickly in any unwanted emergencies. 

You will need to figure out what has gone wrong or what you can do to help right away, for instance, in case your patient’s situation worsens! 

This critical thinking ability enables you to make the right decisions and actions in a challenging situation. 

17. Patient Safety

It is another responsibility of the CNA besides offering proper care. You will need to ensure the safety of your patient from any harm. 

Just for example, you should double-check the prescription before administering medicines to avoid any small health risks. 

Moreover, you need to ensure that the living environment of your patient is hazard-free from falls or infections. All in all, you just need to be careful in every step of your patient care so that they can feel protected.

FAQs

Now, at this point of the discussion, we’ll cover some mostly asked queries about the CNAs. Let’s check it out to make things more clearer. 

What are the best ways for nursing assistants to stay adaptable? 

Embracing the change- is the best way to stay adaptable for CNAs. Moreover, you should ask for advice from your colleagues or supervisors to handle challenging situations. Always self-reflect on what has gone well or what can be done better. 

What are the benefits of lifelong learning for nursing assistants? 

Lifelong learning for nursing assistants can improve the care they provide to others. That’s because it improves confidence and you can feel a sense of personal achievement. Moreover, it can also lead to enhanced staff satisfaction, motivation, and retention. 

How do nursing assistants maintain professional growth over time? 

When you want to maintain professional growth over time as a CNA, then you should continue your education and career advancement. Moreover, you can consider specializing in a specific area and participating in the continuing education unit. 

Final Words 

Certified nursing assistants play an irreplaceable role in the healthcare industry and there is no denying! So, undoubtedly, it’s a wise choice to be a CNA and serve those who really need it. 

But when you want to succeed in this role, you have to learn, develop, and practice some skills we mentioned here. 

These skills will enhance your ability in patient care and your relationship with patients or teams. Hence, practice those skills and become the trusted CNA you are dreaming of!