Hospitals in the community provide a number of inpatient services for patients. Most have emergency rooms, intensive care units, pediatrics, medical areas, operating rooms, surgical units, and obstetrics. Specialty hospitals may also have areas for burn patients, severe trauma, like auto accidents, and organ transplants. Many hospitals have CNAs working in all of these areas; others do not have CNAs in the emergency or intensive care areas.

Rehab (ilitation) centers provide care to people who need physical therapy, mental or substance abuse help, or medical care that can be provided outside of a hospital. CNAs can perform their role in all types of rehab centers.

Sub-acute care centers have risen up in recent years to care for patients who are recovering from an acute problem, illness, or surgery and no longer need hospital care, but are not yet ready to return to their homes. Again, CNAs play an important role in these settings.

CNAs also work in for home care agencies as they provide services to patients in their own home or apartment. Most of these patients are elderly, but some can also be children. For example, many elderly people want home care in order to stay in their own home despite the fact that they need help with their activities of daily living (ADLs) and health state monitoring for a long term illness like heart disease. Likewise, a child or teenager with a long term problem and needs, such as a breathing machine (ventilator), can get good care in the comfort of their home with the help of a CNA and a nurse. CNAs, in the home, perform not only physical direct care to the patient, but also indirect care services like housekeeping and running errands.

There are many different types of group homes that employ CNAs. Orphanages with sick babies and children, group homes for children with special needs or birth defects, drug rehab group homes, and homes for adults and children with a problem that they were born with are all examples of group homes.

Assisted living homes are mostly occupied by the elderly who need some degree of assistance with their activities of daily living (ADLs) and do NOT have any severe health problems, although younger people with the same needs can elect to have this kind of living. Laundry is done for the residents; meals are prepared and served; activities and recreation are provided; cleaning is done for the resident; and transportation to doctors’ appointments, shopping. etc. is also done for the resident. CNAs give these residents the assistance that they need, as well as companionship that enhances their life to maintain a good quality of life.

Nursing homes are also referred to as long term care and skilled nursing facilities. When a person needs more help, or is too ill, for an assisted living home, they enter into a long term care facility, or nursing home. As stated before, a nursing assistant must be a CNA to work in a nursing home. Many of these patients have problems like a stroke or Alzheimer’s disease.

Doctors’ offices also employ nursing assistants. The CNA may take the patient’s vital signs (temperature, respiration, blood pressure, and pulse), take the patient’s height and weight, schedule appointments, and help the patient to fill out their paperwork in a doctor’s office.

CNAs also have wonderful opportunities in outpatient medical and surgical offices. Outpatient medical offices are also called walk-in clinics. These clinics have opened up to decrease the need for emergency room visits when the patient cannot see their own doctor for an urgent need and to meet the ongoing needs of families in terms of physical exams, immunizations, and other routine care. Outpatient surgical areas do all kinds of surgery when it is NOT expected that the person will have to stay in the hospital to recover.

Schools also offer great jobs for CNAs, especially if the school has children with special needs. Many CNAs enjoy these jobs because the work hours closely match the school hours of their children and they enjoy working with children.

Hospices provide care to patients who are terminally ill and at the end of life. CNAs provide comfort to these patients and their family members as they help the nurse lessen some of the physical problems at the end of life. Some of these problems include nausea, lack of hunger, and emotional needs.

Respite is a type of care that gives caregivers “time off” from the stress of giving care to a patient in the home. More and more children, sisters, brothers, and parents give 24/7 care for ill family members, so respite care has become more popular. Respite care gives the caregiving family members time off to relax and enjoy themselves.