According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are several lucrative employment prospects available for certified nurse assistants and the demand for qualified professionals is pegged to go up by 35% in the next five years. One of the reasons for the unprecedented increase in nurse assistant jobs is the rapidly swelling health care sector, which is growing in leaps and bounds to accommodate the requirements of baby boomers who are nearing their senior years.

If you are interested in the job of a certified nurse assistant, you will need to be over 18 years of age, pass through a drug screening and police records check and attend a short training program that will culminate in two tests to prove your ability to work as a certified nurse assistant.

The first part of test a written exam with multiple choice general knowledge questions while the second part is the more harrowing of the two and includes the never wracking can test, skills evaluation. This part of the certification process will entail testing your performance on 25 core skills required to perform the duties of a certified nurse assistant. Depending on the state that you are in, you will be expected to prove your proficiency in three to five randomly chosen skills in the cna test skills evaluation. The test will be conducted over the duration of half an hour in which time you will be expected to complete all the skills that you are being tested on.

Being meticulous and not rushing through the process are vital factors if you want to get through the cna test skills evaluation with flying colors. Simple, careless mistakes such as forgetting to lock the wheelchairs or raise the bed rails will make things go against you. So, practice the skills in mock sessions at home and start the exam with a deep breath. Although half an hour may not sound like a lot of time, you are just being tested on 3 to 5 skills so if you know what you are doing; you will complete the test well before you reach the end of the half hour duration.

Another way to alleviate the stress associated with the practical cna test, skills evaluation exam is by breaking down the skills based on the time that it will take you to complete each one. For instance the cna test skills evaluation can include:
- Hand wash (1 minute)
- Blood pressure monitoring (1-2 minutes)
- Respiration monitoring(5 minutes)
- Pulse monitoring (1 minute)
- Measuring urine output (1 minute)

This would bring you to a grand total of ten minutes and you will have already completed the demonstration of all 5 skills with 20 extra minutes in hand. However, these are all short and simple tasks, you will seldom get such an easy combination. The examiner will most likely include one or two complex and more time consuming tasks in the combination as well such as making an occupied bed or a giving a modified bed bath. Both of these should not take you more than 5-7 minutes to complete.

When you start off practicing these cna test skills, you may need 14-20 minuets to complete them; however, with practice and by timing yourself, you should be able to get them done inside 7 minutes. So, even if the examiner were to include two long/complex tasks and three short ones, you will still be done in 20- 25 minutes.

Once you have mastered all the skills, make a list of them all and practice them frequently as you time yourself; this is not to intimidate you; however, you will have a clear understanding of the areas that you need to work on by simulating the actual environment of cna test skills evaluation.

Avoiding fatal faux pas in a cna test skills evaluation.

Listen carefully to all the duties that you are assigned by the state examiner; understand clearly what you are expected to do; there is no room for assumption in this test, so clarify with the examiner if you have any doubts.

Washing your hands is the very first task in the medley of demonstrations, so ensure that you do it right. The examiner will be watching your carefully here, so wash under your fingernails, in between your fingers with copious amount of soap and water, use a paper towel to wipe your hands dry and to turn off the faucet.

Always be concerned about the decorum of the hospital environment and the patientâ€^TMs safety when performing the assigned tasks in cna test skills evaluation. The examiner will need to see that you have a clear understanding of these issues. Do not enter the patients room without knocking first; make sure that the curtains are drawn ; unless otherwise stated by the examiner, to ensure that the patient is given as much privacy as possible.

Do not forget to address the patient by his/her correct name and always introduce yourself.

Once you are given a task, think carefully about the correct methodology to complete the job; consider all the information that has been given to you.

If you are going to be in contact or if there is potential for contact with bodily fluids, do not forget to put on a pair of gloves.

Talk to the patient in a friendly tone, explaining the procedure or task that you are performing.

Safety measures are very important in a cna test skills evaluation and will be watched closely, so be very diligent about using transfer belts, placing the call light within easy reach, locking wheel chairs and returning the bed to the lowest position etc.