If you are interested in going through CNA training and becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in hospice, you should first understand what this kind of career involves. Working in hospice is not for everyone. It takes a lot of skill and compassion.
What is Hospice?
Hospice is a caring philosophy that helps patients as they near their time of death. Caregivers provide patients with emotional and physical care so that the patients can be comfortable in their last few days. Any symptoms of the illnesses that patients have will be managed so that the patient and his or her loved ones can have quality time free of pain. The focus of this philosophy is not to prolong life or to end it prematurely, but to make the last moments as good as possible.
Patients usually use hospice when traditional medical treatments are no longer able to take care of their illnesses. It is usually not used until a patient has been given six months or less to live. Treatment is give at hospice centers to relieve the symptoms of the disease. This care is typically given 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if it is given in an actual hospice center.
Care can also be administered in a person’s home. The CNAs and nursing staff will sometimes stay with a patient full-time, or may only visit a patient for a few hours every day. Part-time care is usually only done when the patient has a family member or friend that is able to stay with him or her on a constant basis.
What Does a CNA do in Hospice?
CNAs are responsible for many parts of hospice care. They will most likely be responsible for taking vital signs, helping a patient bathe, and helping to transport patients from one area to another. Here are some other tasks a CNA might do in a hospice situation, many of which they are taught to do in CNA training.
- Changing bedclothes and performing some light housekeeping chores
- Changing dressings
- Helping patients change positions in bed
- Shopping and preparing meals
- Helping a patient remember to take medications
- Reporting any changes to the nurse
What Type of CNA Training Do You Need to Work With Hospice?
There are certain qualifications that must be addressed before a person can be a CNA in Hospice. If you want to be a CNA, you will need to be over 18 and have your high school diploma or GED. Some states require you to take classes and pass a state test to receive a special certification that allows you to work as a CNA. Many hospice centers also want the CNAs that work for them to have some experience working in a hospital or nursing home before coming to work in hospice.
Aside from these qualifications, it also takes a special kind of person to work in a hospice setting. CNAs in hospice need to be kind and compassionate. They must be able to separate themselves from their work as well, because they will have to face a lot of death. If you are going to go through CNA training with the intention of working in hospice, it is important that you are aware of how stressful, but fulfilling this job can be.