How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)

It may seem odd, but the best way to learn how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is to ask your prospective employer. Although it may seem like putting the cart before the horse, different facilities have different training programs, requirements and ways for the aspiring CNA to implement in how to become a CNA.

So the first step in learning how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant is to research the facilities in your area. You are going to have to decide whether you want to work in a hospital or a long-term care facility. Both types of facilities usually have websites with complete information in the human resources section on how to become a CNA on their staff.

They will explain whether they want applicants who have already received training and certification or if they have a training program that prepares the applicant for the CNA exam within their institution. This is the ideal method of how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant because the training is usually free of charge and there is a strong possibility of employment once you have successfully completed the exam. Even if that particular employer does not hire you at the end of the certification process, you will have obtained certification for little or no cost.

The other approach is to do it independently. There are several training courses and programs available. They can be found on the internet, in the classifieds of the newspaper and even on television. These agencies charge for the classes but financial is usually available to those who need it.

In your research on how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, you will also come across online Certified Nursing Assistant training courses. These are a good option for people who need more flexibility in their schedule. However, at some point in the training, you will need to be able to practice the hands-on skills necessary to pass the Certified Nursing Assistant exam.

Once you have determined the source of your training and completed it successfully, the final element in how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant is passing the CNA exam. This two-part test is administered by the state in which you will be employed and must be passed in order to receive certification.

The test consists of approximately 70 multiple-choice questions and a skills test of 5 tasks which must be completed before a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse acting as an agent for the state.

 

 

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How Do You Teach the Creation-Evolution Debate?

Do not shy away from the creation-evolution debate. While not critical for younger children, high school students need to have some understanding on both sides of the debate. Although we did not shy away from the debate in our homeschool, I wish I had covered the topic even more. It is a major topic of discussion on college campuses today – especially on Christian college campuses. You do not want your student to be unprepared for the challenges they will face to their views on this topic.

Students need to become informed so they can provide reasoned arguments for their beliefs. Without understanding the issue, they cannot reasonably form their own belief system. They need the information for some tests, particularly the biology AP and CLEP exams.

As they leave your home, they may begin to question their beliefs. I felt that I had done a good job of covering the issues. We had numerous books on the topic at home, and we used Apologia sciences, which has an explanation of the creationist viewpoint. We did not shy away from evolution, and some of our school books had an assumption of evolution. My children understood the concepts of evolution, and could explain their beliefs to others.

Even so, one of my children have since wondered if I did not cover evolution enough. I carefully explained (again) our many discussions and books on the issue. I think he was remembering only the creationist material, and had forgotten the other material. It was interesting to me that he would have preferred MORE information on evolution. He felt that it could have prepared him better in college.

If you are concerned about evolution in your home, consider carefully the age of your student. At some point you want them to become an adult, and learn about variety of different opinions so they can develop their own. You want them to face the culture with their beliefs firmly attached – beliefs based on fact, rather than ignorance. With information and discussion you can strengthen your child’s ability to stand firm.

Do not be afraid of this discussion. There is strong evidence for your beliefs, whether you hold a traditional creationist beliefs or more recently, belief in Intelligent Design. For information on the latter, check out the Discovery Institute in Seattle, Washington. They have many leading scientists who argue that the complexity of the universe and life on earth is far to complex to have developed through random chance and mutation. If you get some of their material, your students will be well armed.

 

 

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Free College Tuition? Aren’t You Going to Take It?

It happens to be one of the most overlooked perks you can get at a job – discounted college tuition. Just imagine – when you are a teenager, looking fearfully at the terribly expensive tuition involved in getting into college, thinking about student loans that you’ll be stuck with for the rest of your life, looking at the stingy aid packages you get from the government – didn’t you wish there was someone out there who could just pick up your college tuition tab and let you be in peace? Well, at many American companies, that is exactly what you get. More than half of all American companies have some kind of tuition reimbursement program where they help you pay for your undergraduate education or grad school. As long as you get at least a B, you get something from 75% to 100% reimbursed for what you pay in college tuition.

The college tuition perk is a program you’ll find at every one of America’s hundred most sought-after companies to work for. Google does it, McDonald’s offers partial reimbursement even for part-time workers, and UPS does it as well with their Earn and Learn program. UPS has actually given out $50 million over the past 12 years or so that their program has been up and running. All of these are companies recognize that the more they ingratiate themselves to their employees, the better educated their workers are, the more successful they will be.

So how exactly does a college tuition plan work? At some companies, they will only finance your college if it has something to do with your work. That’s the way it is with Morgan Stanley or with Citi. Some companies will even allow employees time off to study for particularly difficult courses. They call them executive education programs and give their employees paid leave for study and for examinations. And they even give them a promotion when they get back. If you have a job with a company that is generous in this way, it would be a big mistake to not take advantage of the program.

Getting yourself out of the comfy and familiar surroundings of your cubicle and putting yourself on the line learning new skills, trying hard to stretch yourself, placing yourself among a young and motivated generation to learn with them – all of these can be great experiences have. It’s a kind of opportunity you never get anywhere else in life. You get paid to be better. It’s the closest thing in life that anyone will have to a guaranteed lottery. Make sure you buy a ticket.

 

 

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