By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Describe the CNA role within the healthcare team, including scope of practice, communication pathways, and professional expectations.
- Apply legal and ethical principles, including resident rights, confidentiality (HIPAA), consent, boundaries, and mandatory reporting.
- Demonstrate infection prevention and control practices, including hand hygiene, standard precautions, PPE use, isolation awareness, and cleaning/disinfection basics.
- Promote safety and prevent injury by using proper body mechanics, transfer techniques, fall prevention strategies, and safe environmental practices.
- Perform and document routine measurements and observations, including vital signs, intake and output, pain cues, and reporting abnormal findings using appropriate communication methods.
- Provide person-centered assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), including bathing, grooming, oral care, toileting, dressing, mobility, and comfort measures while maintaining dignity and privacy.
- Support nutrition and hydration by assisting with meal set-up, feeding techniques (as permitted), aspiration precautions, and reporting concerns such as swallowing difficulty or poor intake.
- Provide basic restorative and supportive care, including positioning, range-of-motion assistance, skin integrity awareness, pressure injury prevention, and comfort-focused interventions.
- Use therapeutic communication skills to support psychosocial needs, including respectful interaction with diverse populations and care considerations for dementia and mental health conditions.
- Demonstrate accurate, timely documentation and reporting aligned to facility expectations and state-tested CNA competencies.
- Respond appropriately to common emergencies and changes in condition by following facility protocols, recognizing warning signs, and escalating concerns promptly.