You need to notify your employer that you believe you are having carpal tunnel. They'll ask you a bunch of questions. Is this bi-lateral, or just on one side?What do you think you are doing at your work that is causing the carpal tunnel? Do you do anything else off work that might be causing it, such as bowling, riding dirt bikes? What are your syptoms?
Generally carpal tunnel is caused by repetitive motion of some type. Lifting (such as lifting patients) is probably not going to cause carpal tunnel. Cleaning, scrubbing, that type of repetitive motion which you might do as a CNA would probably be a more likely cause.
Then, they will refer you to one of their panel of doctors. You must see their doctor, not your doctor. They'll have more than one for you to choose from.There is a definitive test that they can do that will show whether or not you have carpal tunnel. Then if it is determined that you definitely have carpal tunnel, they will do a lot of investigation to show whether or not it is work related. I suspect that your employer will be very diligent in fight your claim. This does not necessarily mean he is a bad person, it just means they don't give out worker's comp freely because you think it may be available and nice to have.
Many middle aged people begin to get carpal tunnel, and it may be related to something as simple as the position in which they sleep. I suspect you are not going to be the first person who has tried to attribute carpal tunnel to CNA work, and the medical facility/care entities lobbies and associations are very strong and active in TN (strongest in the USA, in fact) so they will have lots of processes in place to put you through to prove definitively that this is a work related condition.
You did not mention whether your sister in another state is in the same type work as you. If so, what motion, action, work related situation did she say was causing her problems? If you've got it, and it is work related, you are certainly entitled to worker's comp. If it isn't, then it's going to be tough to beat the system and get them to give it to you.