I just recently finished my CNA class, but facilities around here will hire students, so I've been working at a nursing home since February. However, I'm already showing signs of burnout.
I think my facility strives to be a "good" nursing home, but the common perils of LTCs are still there: the toxic work environment, some "bad" CNAs, the mindless repetition of nothing but ADLs, the low pay, the back problems, etc. I dread going to work every day. I really should have known-- the DON told me when I was hired that she's never seen a place where CNAs left so fast. Most new CNAs leave after about six months, and I'll probably find myself leaving before then!
I've really found myself disagreeing with what nursing homes do in general. I feel like offspring dump their parents there to die, and we only prolong the process. So many residents wish they were gone, and yet we only sustain their misery. If it were up to me, all the residents would be receiving home health care, not stuck in an institution.
The only reason I took the job was because it was within walking distance, and at the time we could not afford a car. I have a wife, a stepson, and a baby on the way that I need to support, but I need to get out of the nursing home.
I had a job interview at the hospital (VERY hard to get hired there), and there are some mental health agencies around here I could apply for, assuming transportation works out (we only have one car). But until I find out how things go with the hospital, how can I avoid burnout? I don't want my residents to suffer from poor car due to my stress.