Is A Nurse Assistant Career Your Best Move?

For most of your tenure as a certified nursing assistant, you spend your time assisting lead nurses in the care and maintenance of the elderly. There is a great demand for CNAs and much of it falls within the scope of caring for geriatric patients. Despite the realities of the profession, however, some CNAs, if they diligently pursue it, get the opportunity to work with children as part of the CNA vocation. Although on the other end of the age spectrum, the work is no less demanding. If you choose to pursue this line of your CNA path, there are some important things to consider. This article will explore some of the considerations in working with children as a CNA.

CNAs who work with children are usually needed in situations where the child is disabled, ill or both. And in many cases, the job requires working with children who are gravely ill. These children need much of the same kind of care and attention as elderly patients, and duties include helping the child move around the hospital or home environment, feeding them, taking temperature, monitoring vital signs. As well, ill children are children and need someone to play with, communicate with, and generally be a child. If you decide to pursue working with children, then you’ll need to enjoy reading stories, comforting children who would much rather be at home, and keeping them calm in the hospital setting.

Today's Young Patients

One of the reasons it is difficult to find a job working with children as a CNA is simply because so many CNAs want to do it. In fact, many enter the profession with this sole purpose in mind. And while children are lots of fun, they aren’t that much different than grown ups in many ways. They get bored, restless, and as cantankerous as a senior citizen, so be sure you have the temperament and patience to work with children before you decide to follow this path.

Furthermore, some of the children you’ll be working with are terminally ill, and, of course, these situations are tragic with the death of a child. While the loss of anyone causes the caregiver to mourn, children are especially heartbreaking, because of the life cut short. So, you should make sure that you can handle the emotional aspect that comes along with working with children in these situations. And finally, of course you have to like children, but still be professionally separate enough from them to be able to let them go home or let them... go, should the case arise.

Lastly, working with children is simply a lot of fun, especially when you get to know the child over several years and can see them transforming into the adults they will become. Bright, cheery and optimistic, kids are resilient in their attitudes and hopeful in their outlook. But before you make the move to work as a CNA, be sure you have the right attitude, temperament and emotional makeup to take on the challenge. If you do, you’ll love this career path as a CNA.

The blue sky scrubs™ Article Series

This is part of an ongoing series of articles from blue sky scrubs™ on the latest career trends in the nursing industry. blue sky scrubs™ is the leading supplier of the industry’s most stylish medical scrubs, scrub accessories and nursing uniforms to professionals in the nursing field. The company, based in Austin, TX and online at www.blueskyscrubs.com, is focused on high-performance and stylish scrub uniforms that give medical professionals fresh clothing options on the job.