How Healthcare Works, LLC

In nursing, there are many different titles given to those working in healthcare. Since the last post was about Certified Medical Assistants, here Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) will be discussed.  Certified Nursing Assistants complete high school training. Some high schools may even offer a CNA completion program. CNA training is typically comprised of lecture and clinical hours. For example, a local community college offers a CNA program of 75 lecture hours and 100 hours clinical training. Some employers, like nursing homes, also offer CNA training programs. The Red Cross offers a CNA training program, as well. If completed in a full-time fashion, the program may take 6 weeks to complete. During CNA training, topics covered include patients' rights, roles of the health care team, legal issues related to the CNA, medical terminology, infection control, body mechanics, communication skills, documentation care, basic patient care, and patient room upkeep. According to the Burea...

A patient enters a doctor's office, and sees someone wearing scrubs sitting at the front desk with a stethoscope around their neck. On their name tag it says Person Persons, CMA. The CMA stands for Certified Medical Assistant. Certified Medical Assistants complete post high school training through either a one year certificate program or a 2-year program leading to an associates degree. In order to take the CMA exam, an individual must have attended a program accredited by CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs) or a program accredited by ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools). Coursework may include human anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, keyboarding and computer applications, record keeping and accounting, coding, clinical and diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, medication administration, first aid, office practices, patient relations, and medical law and ethics. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual w...