Certified Nursing Assistants, sometimes called nurses' aides, orderlies, patient care technicians, and home health aides, work under the supervision of a nurse to help patients with daily living tasks. Please feel free to use this as a tool to communicate what is going on in your world as a CNA and even possible employment opportunities. If you have any suggestions of sites or links we can add that would be a good reference or recourse, please let us know. History of the CNA:
The nursing profession, like any part of the medical profession, has a fairly intricate history and certified nursing assistants are only one part of it. However, CNAs have had their own roles to fill in the history of nursing and doctors and though it’s the most recent piece of the puzzle, it’s not diminished by it. World War I
World War I was one of the most death ridden events to hit humanity and certainly one that caused a ton of injuries. At the time, the Red Cross was the main power behind providing healthcare and injury care for the wounded soldiers. Unfortunately, given the massive burden of wounded soldiers, they could not keep up with it all and so took on a group of untrained volunteers who would largely assist in the menial labour and basic care of the soldiers. They were known as the Volunteer Nurses’ Aid Service and they had a fairly rough time of it, though many would point it out as being very fulfilling too. Post World War I
After the war, there was a continued rise in the need for good healthcare because of the rise in the aging population. However, things didn’t come to a head until the eighties when the generation that survived the war and came during and after it grew older. A public outcry began against the treatment of seniors in nursing homes where people were often warehoused until they died. In order to fill that demand, the American government set down legislation dictating the education, abilities and requirements of nursing assistants who would work in nursing homes to provide better care for the elderly. This legislation was known as the Omnibus Reconciliation Act and it set down the guidelines for trained certified nursing assistants. Today
Today, CNAs are seen in most walks of nursing life, from hospitals to clinics to dentist offices to children’s doctors and yes, to nursing homes! The CNAs abilities are always in demand and often new CNAs are learning skills that their predecessors did not know, owing to changes in medical knowledge. CNAs form a cornerstone of stability in the nursing profession and plya an important role in the wellbeing of any clinic or nursing home! Certified nursing assistants have a solid history of providing care and stability everywhere they work. It’s a good background and one that you can be proud of joining when you become a CNA yourself. Source: http://www.certifiednursingassistantemployment.com/the-history-of-certified-nursing-assistants.html
