Oregon CNA training explained

Oregon CNA training is not limited to Portland. Find out more by reading on.

Oregon CNA training is offered around the state, but not on Mount Hood. Photo by bretvogel on Flickr.If you want to change careers or enter the nursing field, you might consider becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Oregon CNA training is necessary if you want to work as a nursing assistant in the state.

Most CNA certificate programs take just a few months to complete, or longer if you're a part-time student. In a short time, you can have a job in a hospital or other health care facility.

As a nursing assistant, you help registered nurses with their jobs. You work under the supervision of a nurse and follow her directions.

Your main responsibility is to care for patients. This includes monitoring their vital signs, helping them take medications and taking care of their personal care needs such as bathing. Your patients are mostly the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill. The work is demanding, but it can also be rewarding if you like helping people.

In Oregon, the training programs have to meet certain requirements. This is why the Oregon Board of Nursing has a list of approved training programs in the state. Oregon CNA certification has two levels: CNA 1 and CNA 2.

The initial certification is CNA 1, which includes a written exam and a manual skills test. Once you pass the exam and receive your certification, you are eligible to complete a CNA 2 training program and take the CNA 2 exam. CNA 2 certification shows you have in-depth training on acute care.

Programs exist throughout the state, so you can apply to a program that is conveniently located near you.

Learn nursing skills. Find local and online Oregon CNA training now!

While many programs are in Portland, Ore., you can find programs on the coast in cities such as Newport or Astoria. Courses also run elsewhere in the state, like Bend, Eugene and Salem.

You can complete your CNA training at nursing schools in Oregon. Some community colleges, junior colleges or vocational schools provide CNA programs. With the wide range of options available, you can easily find a program that meets your budget and schedule requirements.

Online CNA courses are also available. Online programs are a good place to take continuing education courses when it's time for certification renewal.

CNA classes cover all the subjects you need to pass the certification exam. The coursework gives you the knowledge and skills you need in the workplace. The subjects include science courses in biology and anatomy. Other courses teach you about:

    • Hospital procedures.
    • Sample collection of blood and urine.
    • Communication skills.
    • Take a patient's blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and other vital signs.

Although the coursework can be done online or in a classroom, you still have required clinical training in a hospital or nursing home to teach you how to apply these skills to real people.

Wherever you live you can find an Oregon CNA training program that meets your needs. Once you finish the program and pass the exam, you can then become a nursing assistant anywhere in the state.

For more information about other nursing careers, visit the Reply! website.

Read "How to become a nurse" for a more thorough understanding of nursing.

Photo credit: Mount Hood, Ore., bretvogel via Compfight CC.