CNAs are considered the most dependable and responsible professionals in the hospital because they are the ones that have direct contact and services for the patients. If you or one of your family members wanted to become a professional CNA in the future, they must know what the values and qualities of becoming a good CNA are. The qualities of a CNA are not taught by anyone or inherited, but it is acquired inborn. Let us go through some character traits that a good CNA should have.
1. Compassion
Individual needs to be compassionate and kind in dealing with other people in daily lives. The majority of people we may meet are our workmates, friends, and people in social gatherings. But both physically and mentally will be dealing with the nurse when it comes to trauma patients because they are distressed about trauma and looking for comfort and healing on health caregivers.
Dealing with the persons who are healthy is easier, but most of the time you are surrounded by the patients that need your assistance, then it is required for you to face them in a kind and compassionate manner. Health care teams and especially nurses are the ones who understand what patients are facing because they are hands-on in giving health services.
2. Communication skills
As said earlier, a nurse is a health caregiver or practitioner. In this profession, it needs good communication skills in order to ask patients what’s their concerns, relay to the physicians and even in the whole health care team that managing the patient. When it comes to communication especially in the healthcare profession it is more than interviewing and asking some questions, and talking to the patient. The manner of talking to the patient and significant others must be polite and soft, firm in a way of advising, instructing exercises and taking meds.
Also one of the aspects the nurse will be needed is becoming a good listener. It is more than listening to what the patient is needed but it consists also of forming a nurse-patient relationship that has reliance and trust. You must be good at communication and must be able to influence patients. You must cope up with them with patience and politeness without showing any sign of irritation or anger. Thus you must be caring and understanding of nature.
3. Physical strength
Becoming a professional nurse is not like office work where you will just sit and do some paper works from your desk. The nurse’s duty is aiding the needs of patients, following doctor’s orders, and doing documentation. There are lots of situations that can be considered stressful in everyday duty. In emergency cases, nurses must provide immediate assistance or help.
During a series of examinations, nurses must document, record, and follow up according to the instructions of the physician. When it comes to the time of duty, nurses may encounter duties that on-call, the shift will be extended; in case there are under-staffing nurses must know to prioritize and be systematic in their works.
4. Mental stability
Professional nurses are health caregivers that act as a bridge between the family of a patient, the patient itself, and the physician. There are lots or some questions that the family of the patient may ask the physician but because of a lack of time and communication barrier they cannot ask this to the Doctor; in that way, nurses become an advocate of the patient in the health care team.
The family members may ask about the depth of the illness, if the patient may encounter pain and agony, even how long the patient may last in serious cases, and many more. Mental stability must be possessed by the nurse because if he or she doesn’t have this in case of many patients he is handling he cannot follow the doctor’s order correctly.
5. Discipline
There is no margin for errors for CNAs, as committing even a single mistake can worsen their life. Committing a mistake can also prove harmful to patients. The reputation of a facility/hospital completely depends on the performance of the employees. Hurrying things up is not a solution, as it will lead you nowhere but towards physical strain, and ultimately towards failure. Thus certified nurse aide must make sure that they perform all the activities professionally and calmly.
6. Patience
CNAs are vulnerable to stress, as their job is both mentally and physically demanding. One thing that helps an individual in such a situation is calmness. You must never panic in difficult situations. Instead, you must be alert and all set to help your teammates in getting positive results. You must focus on one task at a time and must be flexible.
There is no substitute for hard work. You need to stay fit all the time and work efficiently. Things become easy when you work towards it. Thus all a CNA will require is to follow these traits with sincerity. This will not only be beneficial for your career but also for the health sector.
7. Calm and attentive
You must avoid taking your work too seriously. Although you have to complete your tasks within deadlines, that does not mean you start neglecting the patients and the co-workers in the process. Working in a team requires you to be proactive and interactive and you must assure it. You must be calm and attentive. You must enjoy your work, clear your doubts and share your problems with close ones.
8. Aptness
There are many changes in attitude, values, manner, and approach from the time of Florence Nightingale who used to be the founder of modern nursing, because of the advancement in technology and modernization. In the nursing field, there are unlimited discoveries of new diseases and illnesses, medications, modernization in the technology of giving health care services. This is why nurses need to have the urge on learning because the medical field is updating and changing from time to time and nurse’s training modules could change as well.
9. Observation
It is needed for the beginners to be observant on their functions as a nurse and be alert because we are dealing here on the lives of our patient. Nurses must be very observant of the unspoken needs of the patient, know how to provide assistance and care in an emergency situation, knows how to be in charge and handle situations if the physician is not present, and many more. The nurse must be alert especially in emergency events because any delay on the nurse’s part maybe becomes fatal to the patient.
10. Flexibility
Nurses must possess also the manner of adapting to change because every day is a new environment, maybe new workmates, new patients, new medication prescribed and ordered by physicians, and new cases of diseases and illnesses. Every person hospitalized has different needs and wants, that’s why there are also different ways or approaches to handling the patients. The patient has their own rights that are why every nurse must be also flexible.
11. Willingness
It means that nurse has an inborn will on helping other persons regardless if it’s their job or not. It is like the manner of compassion which tells that when you’re doing help to other persons you are not waiting for a payment or a return from them. It means also that nurse is willing to help and make the patient to be put in a comfortable state.
12. Empathy
Care is one word that must be permanently affixed in a CNA’s dictionary. The job of a certified nurse aide is all about caring. Patients always require their assistance and time. You require being well aware of the schedule. Everything must be done at the right time. Patient care includes assisting in brushing, bathing, dressing, grooming, as well as during walking and exercises. Maintaining sanitation, monitoring vital signs, maintaining records, and reporting on time are the other responsibilities of a certified nurse aide.
All qualities that said still need the most important aspect which is to be compassionate. It consists of Mentally composed, strong in the physical aspect, dedicated to the job. We all are aware of the fact of how important a certified nursing assistant is for the welfare of the health care sector. Taking care of patients is the main aim of every health care facility and certified nursing assistants must serve it. The growth of the health care sector vastly depends on the performance of CNAs. Thus certified nursing assistants are highly important and must perform their duties effectively.
To make this happen, a certified nurse aide needs to be active, disciplined, and hard-working. Keeping in mind these traits while making a resume will also help increase your chances of selection in the health care facility of your choice. Thus in the end, what’s important is to be positive and to inculcate these traits with the willingness to do something big and good for the welfare of the people.
