The teaching of Nursing Assistants is regulated by each state; the curriculum is a set standard. Student Nursing Assistants will learn all facets of what is required of them to pass the state exam as laid out in the NA manual. The manual details each section that will be taught in order, culminating in the completion of the Nursing Assistant course.
Nursing Assistant schools supply the medical equipment that the instructor will use in demonstration and practice for monitoring and testing patients. The usual medical equipment that the Nursing Assistant is required to manage effectively includes stethoscopes, thermometers and blood pressure testers.
Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a required part of the curriculum for Nursing Assistants; individual certification is a requirement for Nursing Assistants to work at any medical facility or nursing home. CPR practice mannequins, used to train NAs, come in man, woman, child and infant models, as methods of CPR differ depending upon the size, age and gender of the person requiring resuscitation.
Along with the CPR certification, Nursing Assistants must also become certified to operate an AED device. The Automated External Defibrillator is only obtainable by certain members of the medical field, although efforts are being made to train the general public as part of a CPR course. The device can check heart rhythm and is used on persons that have suffered a heart attack. Using the AED device can revive a person that has had cardiac arrest by delivering electrical shocks to the victim's chest.
Medical supply outlets carry a wide variety of medical scrubs, the two-piece uniform of the medical profession. Nursing Assistant schools typically supply the scrubs for attending classes and for the practical portion of their training. Medical facilities have a color-coded scrubs system according to the job position. For instance, nurses may wear blue scrubs and Nursing Assistants may wear lavender scrubs. A complete scrubs outfit consists of a top, pants and rubber shoes.