State Tested Nursing Assistants (STNAs) are the front-line professionals linking the patient and the rest of the medical team.  STNAs have more contact with patients than other members of the medical team and work under the supervision of nurses and/or doctors.  It clearly is a career that requires astute skills and knowledge in the following areas:  personal care, monitoring and recovery assistance.

For instance, bathing, feeding and dressing patients are daily tasks performed by STNAs to ensure proper personal care of a patient and meeting their fundamental human needs.  Patients’ health status and condition will vary.  In some cases, patients require only assistance in their personal hygiene and grooming, while others may not have the same degree of ambulatory ability.  In this case, STNAs will have to adjust to the needs of each individual patient.

In addition, STNAs are required to monitor a patient’s health.  They are also required to have the skills and knowledge to give or perform simple medical treatments, deliver and disperse prescribed medications to patients, measure fluid intake and output, record and chart vital signs, i.e. blood pressure, temperature, pulse and respiration. This is the most crucial responsibility of a STNA.  It requires the ability to give attention to accurate observations, recording and clear communication with the patient, the family and the medical team. Not only is the patient’s recovery at stake, the patient’s life is at stake.  There is no room for inaccurate or inconsistent recording and reporting.

Simply, STNAs are the “eyes and ears” for the patient’s family, nurses and doctors.  STNAs are an essential part of the healthcare team being the hands-on provider of personal care to the patient, attentive observations of the patient’s health, and detailed reports to the rest of the medical team.  In essence, STNAs are the backbone of a patient’s recovery and rehabilitation.  It is a challenging, yet rewarding, career.