Reading Skills for Healthcare Workers

Genat has finished her certified nurse assistant course, and she has found a job she enjoys. She is working at Lakeshore Residence, a long-term care setting, and helping to provide care for elderly residents there. Genat’s nursing assistant education is not over, however. There are some things she needs to do in order to continue to provide the best care for the residents.

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First, Genat must keep her nurse assistant certification up-to-date. The national OBRA law requires that she must complete at least twelve hours of in-service training at her workplace. In-service training sessions can help Genat refresh her skills as well as teach her new skills and information that she can immediately apply to her job.

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On the job, Genat also wants to stay up-to-date on the latest methods of care. She always asks her supervising nurse about any new techniques and equipment at the nursing home that may help Genat do her job better. Genat has also joined an organization called the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants (NNCNA) in order to get to know other nurse assistants and continually gain information about how to improve her skills. Genat is thinking about becoming a patient care technician (PCT) in the future. As a PCT, she would have more advanced nursing responsibilities. Genat knows that keeping updated on the latest health care information will help her if she decides to return to school to become a PCT or a registered nurse someday.