Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are an essential part of the healthcare team. As an intermediary between patients and other members of the healthcare team, nursing assistants play many different, but equally important, roles in patient care. Nursing assistants provide emotional, physical and social support to patients and residents. I will educate readers about the role of certified nursing assistants in long-term care (LTC) facilities and their importance as a member of the healthcare team. Certified nursing assistants “perform delegated nursing tasks under the supervision of a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN)” (Sorrentuino & Remmert, 2012). Nursing assistants are trained and certified to “provide basic quality of life care” (Botonakis, 2012), which includes assisting patients and residents with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as: feeding , grooming, hygiene, household chores, toilet; transport patients and assist with mobility. Nursing assistant responsibilities vary depending on state regulations, employment setting, individual employer policy, and individual patient needs (NCDHHS, 2013). Nursing assistants work in many types of settings, including nursing homes, hospices, mental health centers, and assisted living facilities. , home care agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation and restorative care facilities (Sorrentuino and Remmert, 2012). There are many types of long-term care centers. For this article, I will focus on long-term care centers often called nursing homes. These LTCs are “licensed facilities that provide extended care to people who do not need the acute care provided in a hospital but who need more care than can be provided at home” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Affairs...... middle of article ......staff are at the forefront of providing basic care to residents of long-term care centers (Sorrentuino and Remmert Ils, 2012). are essential to the daily operation of these facilities as they assist nursing staff in many aspects of resident care, nursing assistants may be the first members of the health care team to recognize the physical, emotional, and social symptoms that may be present. common to residents suffering from a serious or life-threatening illness (Botonakis, 2012) for nursing supervisors is a very important element in the care of residents. The emotional support and social interaction provided by the nursing assistant play a role. important in the overall stay of residents in a long-term care center. Although not the most glamorous career field, certified nursing assistant is undoubtedly a necessary and important field..