Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are the lifeblood of patient care. In a city like Orlando, where top-tier hospitals and long-term care facilities run at full pace, CNAs are expected to be competent, compassionate, and quick on their feet.
That’s why CNA training in Orlando isn’t just about passing a test—it’s about mastering real-world skills that make you valuable on Day 1.
At Gabriel Health Institute (GHI), we’ve trained over 15,000 CNAs using a proven curriculum designed for both our Fast-Track CNA Exam Prep Program and our State-Approved 120-Hour CNA Course. In this post, you’ll discover the 10 essential CNA skills you’ll walk away with—skills that employers love and patients depend on.
Whether you're on the express path or the in-depth course, these are the skills that will shape your success.
Hand Hygiene & Infection Control
Measuring and Recording Vital Signs
Assisting with Ambulation and Transfers
Providing Personal Hygiene and Grooming
Safe Feeding and Nutritional Support
Bed Making and Comfort Measures
Assisting with Elimination & Catheter Care
Communication, Documentation & Patient Rights
Recognizing Emergencies & Reporting Changes
Emotional Presence & Patient Dignity
Before anything else, you’ll learn how to prevent the spread of infection, especially in post-COVID healthcare settings.
Proper handwashing technique (state-tested skill #1)
How to don PPE (gown, gloves, mask)
When to isolate, and how to maintain clean environments
➡️ Why it matters: Proper hygiene saves lives. A CNA’s ability to prevent cross-contamination is essential in hospitals and nursing homes alike.
120-Hour Course: Goes deeper into transmission-based precautions and facility-wide infection policies.
Exam Prep: Focuses on mastering handwashing and PPE technique to pass the clinical skills exam.
CNA students are taught how to assess and record a patient’s:
Blood pressure (manual cuff + stethoscope)
Pulse rate
Respiratory rate
Temperature
At GHI, we emphasize both manual and digital methods, preparing students for any equipment environment.
➡️ Why it matters: Early detection of irregular vitals can prevent hospitalizations and even death.
120-Hour Course: Includes charting exercises and mock documentation.
Exam Prep: Focuses on accurately measuring and recording values to state standards.
You’ll learn how to safely move patients from bed to wheelchair, assist them while walking, and prevent falls using gait belts and good body mechanics.
Use of transfer belts
Pivot transfers
Ambulating with or without walkers
➡️ Why it matters: CNAs are responsible for most patient mobility—and injuries to CNAs and patients often occur during transfers.
120-Hour Course: Includes mobility scenarios with real patients during clinical externships.
Exam Prep: Teaches required procedures to pass the ambulation portion of the exam.
You’ll become proficient in helping with:
Bed baths
Oral care (including dentures)
Hair, nail, and skin care
Shaving with safety razors
This skill not only keeps patients clean, but maintains their dignity and emotional well-being.
➡️ Why it matters: Many patients depend on CNAs for basic human dignity, especially in long-term care.
120-Hour Course: Includes lecture discussion on psychological impact of hygiene.
Exam Prep: Drills the technique to pass state demonstration of personal care.
You’ll learn how to assist patients during meals, including:
Feeding techniques
Monitoring food intake
Recognizing swallowing issues
Proper positioning for feeding
You’ll also review diet types (mechanical soft, puree, thickened liquids) and fluid balance.
➡️ Why it matters: Malnutrition and dehydration are serious risks for immobile or cognitively impaired patients.
120-Hour Course: Covers the science of nutrition, feeding assistance ethics, and more.
Exam Prep: Focuses on the state-tested feeding skill, including bite size, cueing, and documentation.
Even a task as simple as making a bed has life-saving importance when done by a CNA.
You’ll learn:
How to change linens with a patient in bed
Pressure relief positioning
Comfort techniques (pillows, padding, etc.)
➡️ Why it matters: Poor bedding can lead to bedsores, infections, and falls.
120-Hour Course: Adds training in repositioning immobile patients and comfort care.
Exam Prep: Teaches hospital corners, infection control, and wrinkle-free sheet changes.
This includes:
Helping patients to the bathroom or with bedpans
Changing adult briefs
Catheter care
Cleaning perineal areas properly and respectfully
➡️ Why it matters: Improper care here can cause UTIs, embarrassment, and serious infections.
120-Hour Course: Includes scenarios and externship rotations with real patients.
Exam Prep: Covers the exact perineal care and catheter skill for the CNA state exam.
This is where knowledge meets empathy.
You’ll learn how to:
Communicate with nurses, patients, and families
Report changes in condition
Accurately chart care
Uphold patient confidentiality and rights
➡️ Why it matters: CNAs are often the first to notice subtle changes in a patient’s condition.
120-Hour Course: Offers deeper training on HIPAA, end-of-life rights, and abuse prevention.
Exam Prep: Reinforces the correct communication format for test scenarios.
You’re not a nurse, but you’re the first responder when something goes wrong.
You’ll learn to:
Identify early warning signs of stroke, sepsis, falls
Activate emergency protocols
Provide basic CPR and first aid (certification included at GHI)
➡️ Why it matters: Your vigilance can literally save a life before a nurse or doctor arrives.
120-Hour Course: Includes training on when to escalate and who to contact.
Exam Prep: Covers indirect care principles and emergency awareness.
This isn’t a skill listed on the state checklist—but at GHI, it’s one of the most important.
You’ll learn how to:
Maintain composure with difficult patients
Provide care with compassion and patience
Be present, not just productive
➡️ Why it matters: Being a CNA means connecting with people—especially those at their most vulnerable.
120-Hour Course: We train for emotional resilience, compassion fatigue, and bedside presence.
Exam Prep: Our instructors teach you how to show care even during fast-paced skills checkoffs.
Becoming a CNA is not just about learning tasks—it’s about transforming into a reliable, respected healthcare professional. These top 10 skills aren’t just part of a checklist; they are what define excellence in the field.
At Gabriel Health Institute, our goal is to ensure every graduate is not only ready for the exam—but also prepared for real-world healthcare environments.
Whether you choose our Fast-Track CNA Exam Prep program or our 120-Hour State Approved CNA Course, you’ll graduate with the confidence, skills, and purpose to thrive.
📍 GHI is both a Florida State Approved CNA School and a Regional Exam Site for the Florida CNA State Exam, located right here in Orlando.
📞 Ready to learn more? Speak to one of our admissions officers today and discover which program is the right fit for your goals.
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