Day to Day Duties of a Hospital CNA

Certified nursing assistants in a hospital are usually assigned to a specific department and are expected to work on that unit only. Like other settings, a hospital CNA also provide direct care to the patients. These nurse aides are expected to handle patients of all age groups (i.e. from children to elderly people). Depending upon the medical condition of the patients, their duties can fluctuate, but one thing you can always expect from these professionals is a compassionate care.

Your job description as a CNA may be divided among different units in a hospital. You may work in the neurology department, intensive care unit, neo natal intensive care unit, OPD, cardiology or coronary care unit, operation room, post anesthesia or emergency department, etc. Here, we have discussed the basic duties of CNAs in hospitals, along with the functions they have to perform in different departments:

CNA duties in operation rooms of hospitals:

In operation rooms, CNAs are expected to assist surgeons and specialized nurses during different operations. Sterilizing scissors, operating knives and other equipments are also a part of their duty. Besides this, they are also expected to prepare the patients for operation and solve their queries regarding the operation procedure and treatment.

CNA duties in OPD of hospitals:

Here, you are expected to attend incoming and outgoing patients, provide them prescribed medicines, do some paper work and perform other common functions.

CNA duties in intensive care units of hospitals:

Nurse aides employed in these units assist registered nurses in taking care of acutely ill patients. You should be very careful while handling these patients, as they are usually hooked up to heart and oxygen monitors or ventilators. Under the guidance of registered nurses, you are expected to provide a complete bath and other needed care to the patients needing critical care. The salary packages provided to the hospital certified nursing assistants employed in intensive care unit are very lucrative.

CNA duties in emergency rooms of hospitals:

Nursing assistants in these departments take vital signs of the patient, answers patients’ call lights, provide them assistance with toileting, change bed linens and clean their room.

Basic Hospital CNA duties:

Mostly, the certified nursing assistants employed in hospitals take care of day-to-day activities of the patients, like bathing, brushing teeth, shaving, feeding, etc. They are always present to assist the patients in whatever they do, like walking, exercising, taking shower, etc. These patient care technicians are also responsible for taking vital signs of patients periodically. Basically their duties depend on the patient’s condition, like in some cases they need to stay with the patient to insure their safety. And if they are taking care of a diabetic patient, then they are expected to test their sugar levels at the beginning and end of their shift. They also take care of the nutritional supplements to be provided to the patient.

It is very clear that the job responsibilities of these patient care technicians may differ from one department to another. As discussed above, the job duties of nursing assistants deployed in operation room differ from those working in OPD. But no matter where you are employed in a hospital, you need to be dedicated and careful towards your job responsibilities.