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CNA

Your Path to Becoming a Trained Medication Aide

3 days ago by tims

Working as a trained medication aide can be one of the most fulfilling careers you can have in the healthcare industry. If you’re on the path to becoming a TMA, there are specific courses, prerequisites, and certain steps to take to get you there faster. Keep reading to learn what a TMA is, explore the benefits, and discover what’s needed to get certified in Minnesota.

group of medical students studying together sitting at a large table

What is a Trained Medication Aide?

A trained medication aide (TMA), or medication assistant, is a certified professional who is authorized to administer medications to patients. Working under a licensed nurse, TMAs take care of preparing, distributing, and documenting medication and its administration. Often working in nursing homes, assisted living homes, group homes, hospitals, and other healthcare settings, they are well-versed in the intricacies of medicating patients.

A day in the life of a TMA often includes:

  • Alleviating pain and promoting health
  • Administering medication
  • Documenting medication times, doses, and dates
  • Monitoring patients and reporting as needed
  • Communicating with other healthcare staff

Read More: What Is Trained Medication Administration and Why It Matters

Benefits of Being a TMA

Working as a trained medication aide means that you get to join a career where you help people and make a difference in their lives. There are even more benefits that you can experience as a TMA, including:

  • Great work-life balance
  • Higher earnings compared to standard CNAs
  • Career advancement opportunities
  • Greater job satisfaction
  • More flexible job scheduling

There are quite a few benefits to becoming a trained medication aide in both your career and in regards to helping others.

Young TMA caregiver helping senior woman take medication in kitchen

What Does the TMA Course Include?

To become a trained medication aide, our TMA course at HeartCert is a hybrid class program that includes:

  • 48 hours of online instruction
  • Time needed for independent study
  • In-person lab days once a week
  • In-person final testing
  • One included retest, retraining, or remediation if needed

How to Become a Trained Medication Aide

Now that you have a better understanding of the role of a TMA, you may want to know your path to becoming a trained medication aide. To become a TMA in Minnesota, there are a few prerequisites and training requirements needed before taking the final exam and getting certified. Here’s how to become a trained medication aide in Minnesota.

1. Meet TMA Prerequisites

Before signing up for trained medication administration, there are a few prerequisites you need to have first. To enroll and go on your way to becoming a certified medication aide, you must match these TMA requirements:

  • Must be 18 years of age or older
  • Has a high school diploma or GED
  • CNA-certified

With these prerequisites in place, you’ll already be qualified for the TMA training program when you sign up.

If you need to get your CNA certification, we offer hybrid programs around the Twin Cities. You can also add our Trained Medication Administration (TMA) class when you register.

Get Your CNA License in Less Than a Month

2. Enroll in a Training Program

To enroll in a TMA training program, you need to make sure to sign up early, before the classroom enrollment fills up. You can often find training programs in your local area. Most students enroll a month or more in advance to ensure they get in the class.

If you live in Minnesota, HeartCert offers a variety of classroom locations, days, and times throughout the year to make it more accessible for registrants.

Register and Save Your Seat Today

3. Complete TMA Training

Once enrolled, you’ll be able to attend and finish your virtual and in-person training in under two weeks. HeartCert makes it easy to attend classes with a hybrid learning style. With a couple of in-person labs and the rest accomplished virtually, it’s easier than you think to finish your training.

During the average trained medication aide class, you’ll expect to learn:

  • Knowledge of how medications work in the body
  • Legal requirements and ethical considerations 
  • Basic patient care and safety protocols
  • Patient observations after medicating

With this new knowledge, you’ll have a better understanding of how medications work in a clinical setting. Once you pass your exam, you’ll be on your way to utilizing these skills and helping others.

4. Pass the Certification Exam

With your course finished, the only thing you have left to do before getting your certification is to take the exam.

The TMA training exam tests knowledge around medication and administration, pharmacology basics, patient rights, just to name a few. The exam consists of multiple choice questions, written portions, and a skills demonstration that covers.

Once you pass the exam, you become a certified trained medication aide. The next step is finding an open position if you’re not already hired somewhere as a CNA. With the new certification, you can unlock more work opportunities, higher pay, and more flexibility with your work schedule. 

5. Keep Your Certification Up-to-Date

As with any certification, your TMA license can expire if it’s not kept up to date. Some expire after a couple of years, while others expire after 5 years. However, it’s important to take refresher courses to stay on top of new knowledge and ensure your expertise evolves with the changing industry.

In Minnesota, your certification doesn’t technically expire, but you do need to keep your CNA certification up to date. If it lapses, you may have to take the full course and test over again.

Get TMA-Certified with HeartCert Training

Your path to becoming a trained medication aide can be as easy as taking a two-week course and taking your exam. With HeartCert’s hybrid classroom approach, you’ll be able to get the knowledge for the role without spending every moment in person. If you’re ready to sign up and see what upcoming classes are available, check out our classroom training options while we still have availability.

Register Today Before Spots Fill Up

HeartCert is your trusted training partner for CPR, ACLS, PALS, EMR, First Aid, CNA, TMA, IV, EKG and more, throughout the United States.

Courses include CPR/AED/First Aid, Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Certified Nursing Assistant training, IV training, EKG training, babysitter basics and more. Courses and certifications from both the American Heart Association and American Red Cross are available.We offer virtual courses and certifications, in all 50 states as well as in-person classes at our headquarters, HeartCert CPR Eagan and major cities in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.

 

Filed Under: News Tagged With: CNA, healthcare professionals, HeartCertCPR, TMA, trained medication administration

Why Should I Become a CNA?

5 years ago by Larry Seth Leave a Comment

The pandemic has helped us better understand the hard work and sacrifice of health care workers, from doctors to nutrition workers, EMTs to cleaning staff, and everyone in between. If you’re looking to join the health care industry but don’t want to spend a lot of time or money on school, consider becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant, or CNA.

Certified Nursing Assistants are among the most sought-after professionals in health care for many reasons. CNAs are versatile members of a health care team, working in many different settings and performing a variety of tasks, making them valuable staff members to have on hand.

Register For a CNA Training Course

And, on the flip side, there are many benefits to working as a CNA! We’ll discuss a few of those here.

CNA
photo credit: @karolina-grabowska accessed 4/2/21 via CC0

Ease and Affordability of CNA Training Programs

You can become a Certified Nursing Assistant in a matter of weeks, with an investment of less than $2,000. And because CNAs are in such high demand, it is likely that you will find employment quickly and easily.

A Career that Makes a Difference

CNAs perform daily tasks that help people live safe, healthy and independent lives. They often develop relationships with patients and families, and are a highly valued member of any health care team.

Versatility and Variety

CNAs work in nursing homes, hospitals, in patient homes, and more. If you want to work with a certain population or in a specific setting, you’ll most likely have that opportunity. If you want to make a change, it’s easy to switch to a different health care facility.

Job Stability and Security

In Minnesota and across the United States, health care providers are grappling with a shortage of nursing professionals. With an aging population, this is only likely to increase. This gives CNAs the power to dictate where they want to work, and the comfort of job security.

Identify Passions and Preferences

Beginning your nursing career as a Certified Nursing Assistant will allow you to explore different settings and roles within the health care industry. If you decide to further your career, you’ll already know the setting, role and people you want to serve.

Steppingstone to A Nursing Career

The foundations gained in a Certified Nursing Assistant training course and professional experience allows prospective nurses to start nursing coursework a step ahead.

Don’t wait to begin your health care career. Register for a Certified Nursing Assistant course with HeartCert today.

HeartCert CPR is your trusted training partner for CPR, ACLS, PALS, EMR and First Aid in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota.

HeartCert CPR courses include CPR/AED/First Aid and CPR/AED, Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Certified Nursing Assistant training. Courses and certifications from both the American Heart Association and American Red Cross are available.

We are now offering virtual CPR courses and certifications, as well as safe in-person courses at our headquarters, HeartCert CPR Eagan.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: CNA, HeartCert, nursing, nursing assistant

What is a Certified Nursing Assistant?

5 years ago by bwadmin Leave a Comment

HeartCert CPR recently began offering an American Red Cross Certified Nursing Assistant training course. The certified nursing assistant, or CNA, position is one of the most versatile in health care, which means that it is also a bit misunderstood. To help clear the confusion, we’re going to offer a brief overview of the common duties and responsibilities of a CNA.

assistant
photo credit: @bongkarn-thanyakij-683719 accessed 7/16/20 via CC0

Certified nursing assistants work in a variety of different settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities and private residences. Regardless of the facility in which a CNA works, their responsibilities are similar. CNAs are supervised by nursing staff members, such as registered nurses or licensed practical nurses.

Here are a few of the most common duties of certified nursing assistants:

Perform Daily Care

The most common and essential care that CNAs provide is providing assistance with everyday living tasks, such as cleaning and bathing, hygiene and toileting, transporting to and from activities, serving food and transferring between furniture and wheelchairs.

Measure Vital Signs

CNAs take vital signs such as temperature and blood pressure, which helps nursing staff monitor patient health.

Light Cleaning

As CNAs help patients with daily care, they will also straighten up the living space. Depending on the type of facility, CNAs may also be tasked with deeper cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens.

Provide Medical Care

Patients under the care of a certified nursing assistant will likely have a variety of health issues. CNAs will provide care as appropriate, and will also work to ensure that the patient’s physical limitations don’t create new issues, i.e. bed sores.

Listen to Patients

This is perhaps the most important task of a certified nursing assistant. CNAs tend to spend quite a bit of time with patients, and will get to know them well. By establishing this relationship, CNAs can identify potential issues and help patients get the care they need.

Certified nursing assistants are one of the most vital and versatile members of a care team, and they are also in high demand. Get your CNA career started with HeartCert CPR’s certified nursing assistant training course.

HeartCert CPR is your trusted training partner for CPR, ACLS, PALS, EMR and First Aid in the Twin Cities and throughout greater Minnesota. HeartCert offers a variety of courses, including CPR/AED/First Aid and CPR/AED, Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Certified Nursing Assistant training. Courses and certifications from both the American Heart Association and American Red Cross are available.

Find your CPR class at any of our convenient Twin Cities locations, including our headquarters, HeartCert CPR Eagan.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: CNA, HeartCert, nursing assistant

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