One of the coolest aspects of working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is workplace variety. Throughout your career, it’s possible to secure work in a wide array of CNA job settings. While some of these are better suited for specific CNAs, there are several job settings that are just plain awesome.
CNA Job Settings
Whether you’re currently working as a CNA, or are researching career options before starting CNA training, the following job settings are as easily accessible as they are awesome!
Home Health Aide Agency
Without a doubt, this is one of the most popular CNA jobs throughout the entire country. Unlike standard CNA jobs, which are in nursing homes, a Home Health Aide actually works with patients in the patients home. This provides a unique and rewarding opportunity to transform the lives and daily comforts of those who truly need it.
As a CNA with a Home Health Aide Agency, you’ll receive comparable pay to the industry standard, but that’s not the coolest part. If you wish to work with a smaller number of patients, then this position is for you. Instead of being responsible for up to a dozen patients, like you would be in a hospital, you’re only responsible for one client.
Along with being able to focus your attention on a much smaller number of patients, the biggest benefit of working with a Home Health Aide Agency is significantly reduced stress. For CNAs who want to have greater flexibility with their scheduling, this position is ideal as it can supports shifts around the clock. Perhaps the biggest downside of working with a Home Health Aide Agency is dealing with the loss of a patient. Because you primarily work with only a handful of patients, if not only one, dealing with the death of your patient can be a traumatic experience.
Hospitals
It’s no surprise that hospitals are among the most sought after workplaces by CNAs. By working in a hospital, you receive hands-on experience surrounded by some of the most talented professionals in the health care team. In fact, most CNAs regard working in a hospital as one of the best positions a CNA can obtain. Because of this, hospital CNA jobs are notoriously difficult to secure.
When looking for a hospital CNA job, you should not only consistently check the hospital career page, but network with professionals who currently work in the hospital. However, one of the easiest ways to secure employment at a hospital is to enroll in a training program that partners with local hospitals. This not only offers you on-site training, but oftentimes leads to a direct hire after graduating.
While there are many advantages to working at a hospital, such as full time work and supervision by leading medical professionals, there’s also several drawbacks. Most notably of these is its difficulty to find, but once you have the job, shift hours can be intense.
