The medical field is growing and there are plenty of jobs available in the field for anyone who is interested in either getting into a new career field or expanding their career. One of the popular careers in the medical field is nursing. There are many areas in nursing one can seek, and that includes a certified nurse assistant.
What is a certified nursing assistant or CNA? It is a person who specializes in helping or assisting patients with their daily health care needs, such as bathing, dressing, and transportation. They work under the supervision of a registered nurse. CNA’s can work in various health care settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and hospice.
If you have finished taking the CNA training and are ready to start your career as a CNA, there are 4 things you can do to find employment.
Career centers
You can contact the college or career counselors at your school to help you find employment. This should be done before you finish the training but is okay to do after the training is finished as well. The career and college counseling center will have access to many job opportunities available for you to choose from. The counselors will help you focus on what area – hospitals, clinics, hospice, etc., you prefer to work in. The counselors can help you decide on a job based on your interests and skills.
Network
Join any organization for CNAs that are out there. This is a good way to get additional training, referrals, and get noticed as a CNA in your field. Many organizations will more than likely have job listings as well. Or you maybe able to find referrals through someone you network with within the organization. Word of mouth is still the best forms of advertising. Nurses may also be affiliated with these organizations. Nurses will have more knowledge about job openings at different locations or have inner contacts that can help you get your foot in the door.
Publications
Subscribe to publications and websites. Not only will this provide you with valuable information about your career and any possible career advancements you may be interested in the future, there may be job listings listed in them. These publications and websites will have listings on various hospitals, hospices, home care settings, and clinics that you can contact regarding job opportunities.
Visit and ask
Like many job seekers, you may have to visit the hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices to find employment. Many times positions are not advertised so you will need to go to the location to see if there are job openings. Lastly, if you know of any elderly people or know people who do, ask them if they are aware of places that hire certified nursing assistants. Elderly people will know other elderly people who live in home care settings so this could be a good avenue to take.
Author Bio:
Tess Young has written several career-related articles for various websites for more than seven years. She has worked as an Administrative Assistant for more than 15 years. For more information on CNA training, she recommends visiting cnacertification-training.com