Certified Nurse Aide Job Description

A Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) frontline healthcare worker who provides basic care and support to patients under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs) or licensed practical nurses (LPNs).

Core Responsibilities

CNAs focus on day-to-day patient care, including:

• Assistance with actives of daily living
• Bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting patients 
• Assisting patients eating and drinking 
• Mobility and safety 
• Turning, repositioning, and transferring patients (ex: bed to chair) 
• Assisting with walking or using mobility aids 
• Patient comfort and emotional support 
• Providing companionship 
• Supporting patients’ mental and emotional well-being 
• Housekeeping tasks 
• Changing linens, cleaning patient areas 
• Keeping rooms organized and safe 

Typical Lifting Requirements

• Frequent lifting: 25–50 pounds 
• Occasional lifting: up to 75–100 pounds (usually with assistance) 
• Assisted transfers: moving patients who may weigh significantly more, using equipment or team lifts 

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Common Lifting Tasks

• Transferring patients (bed to chair, bed to walker) 
• Repositioning patients in bed (turning, boosting) 
• Assisting with standing and walking 
• Handling equipment (wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, supplies)

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Work Settings

• Hospitals 
• Nursing homes and long-term care facilities 
• Assisted living centers 

Required Skills

• Strong communication and empathy 
• Physical stamina (lifting, standing for long periods) 
• Attention to detail 
• Time management 
• Ability to handle stressful situations 

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Education & Certification

• Must have active certification and be in good standing with state.  

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 Work Conditions

• Shift work (days, nights, weekends, holidays) 
• Physically demanding 
• Close contact with patients who may be ill or elderly 

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