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Technology has been changing STNA training for decades now, whether you believe this has been for better or worse. Those who have had careers in nursing for years now have likely seen changes both big and small in their field due to emerging technology. Advances such as the Internet, social media, and smart phones have all made their mark on advancing STNA careers. So what does this mean for you and your future in nursing?

Likely you, too, will see many technological changes in the future of your career. Here are some tech changes you may encounter in the future.

Patient Education
While this can sometimes feel overwhelming, with a patient trying to overshadow your professional opinion with one they’ve read online, the future improvement of online medicine may actually improve your patient’s visit. As the Internet continues to advance and provide more stable and accurate information on patient’s symptoms and potential conditions, patients will be able to better relate their ailments and possible or preferred treatment options.

Laboratory Testing Online
One such example of technology taking life as a STNA to an advanced level is Life Labs, a Canadian laboratory testing company. This month Life Labs announced their new online portal dubbed “My Results”, in which patients will be able to check their test results online, instead of waiting for a phone call or reporting in to their doctor or nurse. Test results including cytology, histology, genetics cytology, colon cancer checks or any other specialty tests will not be shared online.

Robots
That’s right, it’s finally happening. If Home Depot can have robot helpers, so can your hospital or nursing facility. While robots are not likely to be replacing nurses or doctors any time soon, their enhanced abilities certainly offer unimaginable help in the medical field. These robots are used in the operating room, and are even used to deliver supplies, offering nurses more one-on-one time with their patients.

Online Nursing Educations
While online schooling is not entirely new to the world of STNA classes and training, it certainly continues to improve as the years go by. Online training allows future STNA workers a flexible environment to pursue a rewarding career they wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to study. Access to advanced online textbooks, video classes, and one-on-one video conferencing with professors offers more hope for the nursing shortage.

Those who are coming close to the end of their STNA training classes are probably curiously looking to the future of their nursing careers and wondering what kind of STNA they will be. While not all STNA’s are the same, there are 10 key traits they possess in order to get their tasks accomplished. While not all of these traits come naturally, all are necessary and beneficial to your career in the nursing field.

1. Empathy
Having fellow feeling for your patients is an extraordinary personality trait that will make all the difference to both you and your patients. As a nurse, you will be dealing with injured and ill patients, as well as their families and loved ones every single day.

2. Physically Capable
As a nurse you will be standing and doing physically demanding labor for most of the day. Good physical endurance is key to being an STNA, as lifting patients, helping them perform bodily tasks, and being on your feet all day is a regular part of the job.

3. Reliability
In any job, reliability is a well-favored trait. Your employers need to know that you are going to show up on time, do your job effectively, and be ready for whatever circumstances may come up. All the more so in the STNA field when you have not just co-workers, but patients relying on you for help each day.

4. Impartiality
As a STNA your job is to care for every patient who comes through your door, regardless of the color of their skin, their background, or their beliefs. Having an unbiased, impartial attitude toward your patients will show that you care and help you avoid picking favorites.

5. Able to Make Quick Judgment Calls
During your training you were likely taught that things can move fast in the nursing world, so when an emergency arises and your patient needs treatment fast you’ll have to think on your feet and make a judgement call without hesitation.

6. Trust and Respect
Earning the respect and trust of your patients and the staff around you, as well as giving it back in return will make you a valuable asset to your team. Your patients are not always going to be in the most dignified of positions, by showing them respect and dignity your patients will learn to trust you and will feel more at ease during their stay.

7. Attention to Detail
As a STNA you are responsible for remembering details and facts about each patient, including their medications, allergies, and personal details. Having a fantastic memory and great attention to detail will help you in this regard.

8. Emotional Stability
As a nurse you go through a myriad of emotions while on the job. Some are amazing, such as seeing a patient recover and finally get to return home, and some are devastating, such as the loss of a long-term patient. Many STNA’s develop close bonds with their patients and will need to brace themselves should anything take a turn for the worse. Emotional strength is a key trait for continuing as an STNA.

9. A Hard Work Ethic
Nursing is not an easy job, in fact many say it’s quite difficult, but if you are determined and have an excellent work ethic you’ll go far in your new career. Patience, endurance, and a willingness to take on new challenges are all part of having a hard work ethic.

10. Communication Skills
Having great communication skills is not only useful in everyday life and relationships, but it is one of the best traits you can have in the nursing field. As a nurse, having regular, clear, and open communication between your patients, their families, the nursing staff, cleaners, and doctors will make you extremely effective at your job.

Are you looking to become a State Tested Nurses Assistant, but aren’t sure what to expect your first year of STNA training? A career as a state tested nurse aide can be a rewarding path, if you are willing to put the hard work and effort into your training and classes. Here are some items of interest you can expect from your first year as an STNA.

Quick Placement and Job Security:
In this day and age, many college and university students are struggling to find work post-graduation. Lucky for you, our STNA course has a 95% success rate with job placement, meaning after taking just under three weeks of training you will be likely to find placement. There is a worldwide need for nurses, and always an abundance of jobs available throughout the USA for nursing assistants; whether you choose to work in a hospital, retirement home, hospice, or for private home care.

A Fast-Paced Environment:
Being an STNA is not for the lazy or the faint of heart. Working as a STNA, you will sometimes be put in a fast-paced working environment with plenty of roles and responsibilities heaped on you. Working at a retirement or assisted living home, you may be assigned many patients/rooms in a small amount of time, meaning you will be trying to care for a dozen people’s needs and desires, such as bathing and dressing, all at once. With proper training and a good attitude, you’ll be able to handle yourself just fine. If you feel overwhelmed, take a 2-minute timeout just for yourself to focus on breathing and remaining calm. A positive attitude will carry you a long way. Remember, you are there to help.

Uncomfortable Tasks:
While you may not think twice about helping out your family member with an illness, helping a complete stranger can be a little uncomfortable at times, especially when dealing with their excrement, or washing their genitals. Because we are not used to caring for someone else’s needs in this way, it can be a little jarring at first. Remind yourself that this person is sick and they need your help. Treat your patient as you would like to be treated in such an awkward position, offering them dignity and respect by the way you deal with them.

A Rewarding Career:
While not everyone goes into a career as STNA with a desire to change people’s lives, you will inevitably find that this will happen. You will change people, and they will change you. Your job as a nursing assistant will be difficult at times, but its discomforts are far outnumbered by the numerous rewards brought to you when you see how your attitude and care can change a person’s life or experience.

Women comprise the majority of STNAs (State Tested Nursing Assistants) within the U.S. The median pay within this field is around $10.48/hr. Generally, earnings vary from $8.77/hr. to $13.11 per hour. Location includes the biggest factor that affects pay for this industry, followed by the particular employer and career length. Though the greater portion lack health benefits of any type, over 2/5 enjoy medical insurance, and 1/3 receive dental coverage, as well. Job satisfaction is stated as high by most workers.

STNA (State Tested Nursing Assistant) Job Description
A STNA (state tested nursing assistant) will hold an entry-level position within the medical industry. STNAs will work in various medical settings, which include retirement homes, hospitals, as well as home health aides. The educational requirements differ depending upon the state, yet usually involves a high school diploma or the equivalent, 100-hr. training program, as well as extra instruction in first aid and CPR. Also, most states require a supervised clinical rotation prior to certification.

STNA (State Tested Nursing Assistant) Tasks

• Feed, position, dress, bathe, and help patients with grooming and additional tasks.
• Monitor patients’ conditions, record and measure liquid and food consumption as well as output and vital signs, report changes to expert staff.
• Helps with direct patient care underneath supervision of the RN or additional medical professional.
• Offer patients assistance with exercising, walking and moving out of and into bed.

Common Career Paths for STNAs 

• STNA (State Tested Nursing Assistant)
• LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse)
• RN (Registered Nurse)
• RN (MDS Coordinator Registered Nurse)
• RN (Emergency Room, or Licensed Vocational Nurse, Registered Nurse)
• RN (Operating Room Registered Nurse)
• NP (Family Nurse Practitioner)
• ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner)
• Certified Medical Assistant
• LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse)
• Certified Medical Phlebotomist Medical Assistant

STNAs, at the upper end, moving into an RN (Registered Nurse) role may wind up with a hefty rise in pay. The median income for RNs (Registered Nurses) is $55,000 a year. One typical career progression for a STNA includes becoming a Medical Assistant or Licensed Practical Nurse. As compared with STNAs, Licensed Practical Nurses earn $15,000 more on average, and Medical Assistants earn $5,000 more.
What are you waiting for? Contact Premier Choice Health Training Services to enroll in STNA classes in Columbus Ohio today. Before you know it, you will be in rewarding careers as a STNA!

Within the health care industry, support staff such as STNAs assist patients’ needs for basic bedside care. In the state of Ohio, as a STNA you are certified to work in nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities. STNAs have a number of job responsibilities that are under the direction or supervision of a registered nurse or physician. Working as a STNA, you are the one that has the most day-to-day interaction with patients so if their conditions change, you will be the first to notice and inform senior staff. Here we have broken down a few of the basic roles a STNA is responsible for:

Basic Personal Care: A large part of a STNA’s responsibly revolves around basic personal care for patients. This involves assisting patients with using the restroom or bedpan, assisting with bathing or providing sponge baths, and other personal hygiene depending on the patients’ mobility.

Basic Nursing Care: STNAs preform basic nursing duties for their patients. As a STNA if your patient is bedridden, they will need to be regularly repositioned to prevent bedsores. Vital signs, blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, and respiratory rate typically need to be checked and documented.

Physical Activity: STNAs assist their patients with staying physically active. They often lead patients in low-impact exercises that are designed to preserve their range of motion and overall fitness. As a STNA you will work with patients and provide support for their regular physical activity.

Working within the health care industry as a STNA can be a rewarding and demanding position. There are a number of job opportunities within this field and after completing the training to become a STNA, progressing in training is always an option to continue into nursing.

Business may be booming for STNAs, CNA’s and home health care aides, but so are the number of people looking for jobs in the field. The more skilled and networked you are as a job seeker, the more likely it is that you will land a position in a highly-sought STNA role. PCHS offers a number of ways to help make this happen.

Our two-and-a-half week long STNA classes are highly regarded, with an unparalleled 98% pass rate for the state certification exam. We’re a training program that approaches with the goal of getting our students all of the skills they need to pass the test. PCHS offers unlimited reviews, unlimited access to our facilities to practice, and sample computerized tests. Our thorough program ensures the highest pass rate in the state of Ohio.

In-facility clinicals during the course of the class allow our students to practice the skills they’re learning in a practical environment. There is no more effective way to study for the state test. Classes that offer anything less are not doing their students justice.

On our website, you’ll also find our STNA job board. This is a fantastic resource for our graduates to explore opportunities in the Central Ohio area and see what facilities are looking for highly-qualified candidates. Most courses are just that: only a course. PCHS is a person-driven, in our care style and in our course material. We support your growth as a professional and not just as a student.

Check out our calendar of courses available online, as well as our STNA job board. Are you ready to jump start your career in home healthcare? Contact PCHS to learn more or sign-up for a class.