A certified nurse’s assistant is someone who comes in to help make lives a little easier. We provide basic daily living care to those who need that extra bit of help. We help out the nurses who have a million different things on their agenda. We are the understaffed population you see running wild in nursing homes trying to give baths and keep their residents happy and healthy.

I want to clear up some of the confusion that seems to always be mentioned alongside a CNA job description. We are not glorified butt wipers and it is not the easiest job you could have. Sure, we tend to the restroom parts of people’s days but after the first few, you don’t even think about it anymore. You’d want someone to wipe you if you couldn’t, right? This job requires intelligence, mental stability, physical strength, and the heart of someone who cares for other people.

Most CNAs work in nursing homes. We work daily with people who don’t get the opportunity to go to their homes at the end of the day. We interact with unhappy, sad, excited, and sometimes confused people. It is our responsibility that these people have a friendly face to speak their minds to. We have to be available to them at all times and realize that they are sometimes more frustrated than we could ever be. An aide must learn when to breathe and relax. They are the only solid ground for some people and they must be patient and kind.

I’ll be honest with you and say that if you don’t enjoy being with people, being an aide is not the job for you. Most days, I work with many people at a time. I have eight hours to make sure these people are bathed, dressed, fed, and happy by the time I leave. I then hand them over to a second shift of aides who will continue to make sure they are taken care of. You see, these people become a part of you. Once you become a CNA, you spend countless hours of your life with them. You get to know their likes and dislikes and how they like their hair combed or how loud they like their TV.

I can’t imagine my life without the people I’ve met. When a resident tells you they love you or that you’ve made their day, I promise the crazy time restrictions you’ve had all day because one or two people called in sick will not even matter anymore. When a resident kisses your hand or tells you about their family, you will forget the fight you had without another aide over something so small. And if something were to ever happen to any of the residents, you know without a doubt that you’d hurt just like they were actual blood related family members.

One day, I will be a nurse. For now, I am a nurse’s aide. I assist many different people that wish they could do all of the things they used to be able to do. I comfort and reassure them that I love helping them. My heart has fallen in love with them all and their daily living has become my daily priority. No, this job is not easy. I’ve cried after long or hard days. I’ve stopped to breathe when things got tough. I’ve questioned my ability to provide for another grown human being. But, I continue to be an aide because I have a promise to fill. A promise to make a tough life a little easier and brighter.