Nursing Students CNA Training Tips

This article is about being a good nurse, no matter who you are. It seems like I can't leave the house these days without someone stopping and asking me about CNA training. I always find it surprising that nursing is such a common conversational topic these days. It used to be far more obscure, almost rarely talked about. My life really took a turn when I was featured in a popular Nurse's Assistant magazine. Since then my mailbox has been flooded with inquieries. Some folks consider me somewhat of a legend in this area but I don't let my ego get the best of me.

One of the most common questions I get is how I got started. I usually point them to an issue of Nursing 101 and tell them to start reading. There's an old saying where I am from that you should read and reread Nursing 101 a hundred times before you even try to help patients. However, starting these days has become as a much simpler process than it was for me. When I first began, you had to work the front desk, clean bed pans and take a temperature before I could even get your feet wet. Today, all you have to do is hop online and all of the information you could ever dream of about free CNA training is available at your finger tips.

Frankly, today's nurses are just not the same because they lack the dedication we had. You new guys have too much information, and you're always looking for the golden egg. Here are some questions I hear every single week:

-What is the cheapest place to buy scrubs?

-Is there a particular book on nursing I recommend?

-What can I do to take blood pressure better?

Take it from a pro who has been around the block many times. CNA classes has nothing to do with how good of a nurse you are on the first or second time through it. It's more about really just diving into the material and discovering something new each time around. I remember trying to apply bandages my first time like it was yesterday and it was not a pretty site. Although they were helpful, my colleagues who introduced me to my life's work were probably filled with remorse because I simply could not stop talking about it all. It was too exciting for me. My epiphany came eventually but it would take a long time. It happened when I finally put down nurseforums.com and started concentrating on the fundamentals. I lost interest in the best hospital and instead focused my efforts on genuinely helping patients in the simplest way possible.

I was absolutely amazed as I watched my patient complaint numbers reduced to nothing. My self-awareness peaked and I really saw the light. Many people ask me what the key to teaching others to nurse is and I always say that only 35 percent of what I do is actually teaching about treating sick patients. What's left, the 65 is merely a matter of sweat, tears, and anguish. Your clients need to know what kind of commitment this is and follow through with it. Always keep in mind that there are worse things that can happen than if you spill a urine sample. You can lose a patient for example, so keep aiming for the stars and you'll hit the moon on your path toward glory.