Working with Children as a Certified Nursing Assistant

For the majority of your time as a certified nursing assistant, you may well end up working with the elderly or the ill; this is where the bulk of the work is done and where most of the certified nursing assistants are needed. However, if you work hard and are fortunate, you could end up working with children as a certified nursing assistant, though the work will be just as difficult and perhaps more heartrending in the end. It's up to you whether or not to pursue this side of being a nursing assistant, but it's important to know what you're getting into first.

CNAs are required to work with children typically in the case of disabled or ill children, especially those who are gravely ill, need surgery or are terminally ill. These children need the same level of care as elders; they require someone to walk them to and fro throughout a hospital or home, they usually require things like temperature readings, help eating or other basic functions and of course they need someone to play with, talk to and tell them stories or keep them company, especially children who are homesick, confused, angry and upset over their situation. In essence, you will be doing many of the same things you did with seniors or others who are ill.

Generally, you'll be working in a Children's Hospital, ward, or clinic if your education takes you in this direction. You may also be working with the government in half way houses or orphanages, depending on the laws of the state you live in or the country you're working in. If you want to work with children, you should stick with hospitals and keep your eye on children's hospitals; this will give you the best chance at finding work.

The main reason why it's so hard to find a job working with children as a CNA is simply because it's so popular; many nurses dream of working with children over adults or seniors because children are cute and fun to be around. This isn't entirely the reality though; children are people too and furthermore, they get bored, frustrated, angry, and tired just as quickly as the most ornery senior, so make sure that you are patient enough to work with children before you start putting yourself out there. Furthermore, working with children can be quite heartbreaking; especially if you end up working with terminally ill children and you have a death. A dead child is generally more heartbreaking than a dead senior because of the loss of potential and the shortened lifespan, so make sure that you are emotionally prepared for such an eventuality. Finally, of course you have to like children, but still be professionally separate enough from them to be able to let them go home or just let them go, should the case arise.

Of course, working with children can also be a lot of fun, especially as you get to help shape them into adulthood should they live that long and many children have a very cheerful outlook or are simply fun to be around. But before you plunge into the idea of working with children as a certified nursing assistant, make sure that you have the experience you need in order to handle kids and that you will be emotionally prepared for the roller coaster that they will bring with them. If you have both of these things, then it is usually a matter of luck, preparation, and careful job hunting to find a position that will allow you to work with children as a certified nursing assistant.