Located a short sixty miles north of the famous city of Los Angeles is Lancaster, California. A lovely small city of 146k, it is a scenic, thriving, and fascinating location that offers a lot of opportunity to those interested in the field of the Certified Nursing Assistant. Not only is the state experiencing a shortage in such well-trained medical professionals, but is expecting a shortage to continue into the future with the anticipated number of new job openings for CNAs in the state projected to be around 3900 per year!
Licensing and CNA Programs
Naturally, this might lead you to immediately become a CNA, but you need to know that this does require some specialized classes. Anyone who wants to be a registered Certified Nursing Assistant must begin by taking a pre-approved course from the California Department of Health, and then must pass the formal state exam.
The programs involve 50 hours of classroom study and a minimum of 100 hours of hands on work in a clinical setting. This part of the CNA training, however, can only be done when the student has obtained CPR, had a proper criminal background check conducted, and has passed a physical exam.
Top Training Centers in Lancaster
Those looking for schooling in the Lancaster area of Los Angeles County can head to the following sites for approved programs and education:
Primary Skills Learned in CNA Training
You will find a list below of the most essential skills required to perform the work in this field. We’d also like to suggest you consider the “non-technical” essentials too, such as: the proper personality and mindset for the work, patience, compassion, flexibility, and a great sense of humor. Why? These are not skills you can learn in school, but are very useful when on the job
The things you will be required to master during your CNA classes include the following skills:
- Learning how to provide services to the supervising nurses and physicians at a medical facility
- CPR
- Mastering how to properly and safely toilet patients. Methods for properly caring for patients, including everything from feeding and bathing, to moving them from bed to a chair
- Using and implementing patient safety techniques
- The basics of human anatomy and physiology
The federal guidelines for your CNA classes might include the dispensing of medications and working directly under the supervision of a doctor. Individuals might also be asked to understand basic housekeeping since they may work as a “live in” caregiver for a client.
Earnings Information
It is interesting to note that these workers are in high demand and yet those in Lancaster will have a lower starting salary. The median annual Certified Nursing Assistant salary in Palmdale, CA is $36,140, as of August 17, 2020, with a range usually between $30,007-$43,323 (Salary.com).
Getting Accurate Information about Jobs in Lancaster, California
So, how and where do you look for employment in the Lancaster region? We suggest that you start with a “wide” search to see what is available throughout the entire area. For instance, a look at the Indeed website show that all types of work is available to qualified professionals.
If you prefer to have openings pre-screened or provided in a targeted manner, it might be best to speak with a staffing service. These are groups that work directly with large-scale employers to fill the different openings. The firm most commonly used by CNAs in Lancaster is:
The Best Employers to Know
Of course, if you prefer to get a lot of “on the job” skills it is going to happen faster when you work for the larger employers. These are the hospitals and medical centers in the region, and include:
If you rely on the different suggestions and resource provided here, you will be able to get your schooling and find work quickly. The best step is to understand the type of CNA work you hope to do and choose a job based on that!
- CNA Training Centers
- Street Address
- Phone Number
| Saint Joseph’S School of Nursing | 816 West Lancaster Blvd | 661- 726-5060 |