After spending two weeks in an accelerated certified nursing assistant (CNA) class, and one day in clinical so far, I have come to many shocking realizations. One realization is that it takes a special kind of person to be a certified nursing assistant, and that these nursing assistants need a thank you.

All throughout my life I have heard families make the promise to never put their family members into nursing homes or other elder facilities. However, that is usually the hardest and a common promise to break because it becomes too much to provide care. Throughout the stages of having an elder in a facility, families experience a lack of control, guilt, or mistrust towards the facility. All of these feelings are normal and are usually assisted by CNAs.

CNAs not only spend the most time with families of each of the residents in a long term care facility, but they spend the most time with the residents each day as well. They perform personal care, hygiene tasks, and much more. Their work is a balance between the art of nursing and the art of caregiving.

After spending only one eight hour shift as a student CNA, I have learned how to perform many tasks that a CNA would do, and learned that being a CNA goes beyond bed-making.

CNAs are openly willing to perform care on any individual, despite their personal or medical needs or preferences. Not only do they work hard in order to do a decent job, but they go beyond their tasks. During clinical, each CNA knew each resident well and could easily tell me about them such as their habits, their favorite foods, favorite songs, and much more. Of course, learning about each resident to such depth takes more than simply performing personal care tasks.

CNAs work harder than anyone gives them credit for. They work long shifts, have minimal breaks and rarely complain about their work. In fact, most of them love their jobs. They say while it is difficult, it is also rewarding. For every hard day there is a magical moment that makes it worth it.

I want to thank every CNA out there. Families trust them with their loved ones and CNAs take that trust to perform great care. They work hard, and they never stop working. Sometimes they are under-appreciated even though they have the closest hands to our loved ones in long term care.

Thank you to our Certified Nursing Assistants. Without you all, we would be without our loved ones and long term care facilities would not run. Thank you for being there, working hard, and being dedicate.