first day at hospital

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I am new to the CNA deal. I have a job at a great hospital and we have orientation for 2 weeks in order to learn and show our skills. The first week was basic sitting down to guest speakers and learning about the facility. But the start of this week I am going to different units and following a CNA preceptor. It was my first day today on the meg/surg floor and I had to follow a lady that I could barely understand. She left me on my own alot of the time so the floor nurses saw that I was just standing there, which made me feel really stupid. She was running around alot and I hated following her every move because alot of the time she told me to hold on because she will be right back and didnt come back for like 10 minutes. I really wanted to learn how to do things in order for me to become a good CNA but this kind of put a damper on my first day. I recieved a checklist that I need to have filled out by my preceptor that tells what skills I need to know and if I accomplished them throughout my 2nd week, basically all the hands on stuff and things like introducing yourself to patients and vitals signs and beds, accuchecks and phlebotomy and patient care plans. I told my instructor that taught my class that I did not understand this lady so she placed me with a different preceptor for tomorrow on the oncology unit.

I have high hopes for myself because this is a great job to have at such a young age, fresh out of high school and I am way ahead of my friends because since I work at my dream hospital as a CNA, I can only go up from here. I am just kind of discouraged at how much I need to learn in such a short period of time and Im scared that on my first day alone I will be kind of clueless as to where equipment n stuff like that is. I also didnt like the way the nurses kinda glared at me like she doesnt have a clue. I know I received my CNA license but I feel like I am a newbie at this whole thing.

Any tips or advice to a young girl who is trying to make her way to become a good CNA and to try and not let others phase me because I know I still have alot to learn? I am working my way towards an RN once I get my pre reqs out of the way.

Thanks :eek:

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab.

Congratulations on the new job!:yeah: Sorry to hear how things went on your first day. I had a few mean-spirited preceptor's to deal with when I was in orientation. But don't let that bother you at all. It is important to understand what you're being taught, so maybe this new preceptor will be for informative for you. Hope things get easier, and enjoy the experience!

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Specializes in 6 yrs LTC, 1 yr MedSurg, Wound Care.

File this day away in the back of your mind so one day, when you are training someone else, you will remember how it felt and what NOT to do!

I'm so sorry you had a bad first day. I hope the next one will be better. You know all of your basic skills, now is just the time that you put them into action. Your best bet would be to get in there and do it. Hands-on is the best way to learn.

Good luck with your new job!!!

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Whenever you get a preceptor or someone who is orienting you and they treat you like that, mostly it is because they don't like their own job and want to try and make sure you don't like it either. Sometimes it's because they just dislike having to train people because it slows them down so they get really annoyed and try to leave you in the dust. That happened to me more than once when I was a new hire at a LTC facility. Personally, I don't understand that attitude at all....if it was up to me to train someone I would really enjoy making them feel welcome and being reassuring about all the things I freaked out about when I first started. I just don't get some people. :confused:

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Whenever you get a preceptor or someone who is orienting you and they treat you like that, mostly it is because they don't like their own job and want to try and make sure you don't like it either. Sometimes it's because they just dislike having to train people because it slows them down so they get really annoyed and try to leave you in the dust. That happened to me more than once when I was a new hire at a LTC facility. Personally, I don't understand that attitude at all....if it was up to me to train someone I would really enjoy making them feel welcome and being reassuring about all the things I freaked out about when I first started. I just don't get some people. :confused:

Yes this is how I feel as well because that is another helping hand with the same CNA position so they might as well train you the best and right way. And I understand it slows them down at times but if you didnt want to be my CNA preceptor then why did you accept the assignment? some things just dont make sense

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Specializes in Surgical, LTC.

you dont always have a choice when you precept. I do not like to orient someone, and they just spring it on you with no notice. its especially difficult when you are the only CNA on the unit and you are with someone who has never been a CNA before. It is extremely complicacated work and you need to do the job, its VERY difficult with someone following you. most places need better plans for orientation also.. dont feel bad doing nothing in front of the nurses, the nurses should be helping you as much as your "preceptor". ASK them what you can do..

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you dont always have a choice when you precept. I do not like to orient someone, and they just spring it on you with no notice. its especially difficult when you are the only CNA on the unit and you are with someone who has never been a CNA before. It is extremely complicacated work and you need to do the job, its VERY difficult with someone following you. most places need better plans for orientation also.. dont feel bad doing nothing in front of the nurses, the nurses should be helping you as much as your "preceptor". ASK them what you can do..

Well, I guess I can understand that there is a lot of pressure involved with precepting someone. You are under the gun to do your own job as well as try to show it and explain it to someone else. Maybe it's hard not to let it show how difficult it can be under those circumstances, however.....the preceptor should try not to take it out on the poor hapless CNA...after all they have to learn somehow. I just remember that I learned a lot more from the people who didn't mind too much having to train someone versus those who really hated the imposition on their time. I always learned much more from the people who weren't all poopy about having to train me. :rolleyes:

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I'm one of those weird people who absolutely LOVES to train. Few things irritate me more than seeing trainers treat their trainees like this - not only because it sucks for the trainees, but also because they aren't being trained correctly, which sucks for the residents. If you train a new aide properly, they will be much more likely to be a good aide than if you just let them wing it and they don't really know what they're supposed to be doing. Then everyone likes to complain about the new people and wonder why they seem lost, why they don't know how to position this person or transfer that person. Ughhh.

Anyway, I've been there. I'd just be up front with your trainer and nurses - tell them that you're brand new, that you really want to learn to do the job properly and you don't feel like you're getting proper training. If that doesn't help, go to your DON and explain the situation to her/him. It's their responsibility to make sure you get good training so you can do the best job possible.

When I have trainees, on the first day I have them shadow me. Just follow me and watch, and I tell them what I'm doing and why. The 2nd day, I have them help out and we do most everything together. The third day, I let them do the majority of the work, but I stick with them to answer any questions and assist. Then depending on their progress, we go from there. I've been told that I was many people's favorite trainer because being trained that way made them feel comfortable. Maybe you could suggest something like that?

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Don't stress out! Being a CNA isn't too bad. I worked med surg and my first day, I worked with a foreign lady and had no clue what she was saying to me. You'll get it though. I had maybe 6 days of orientation and was fine when I got on my own. I work in an ER now and have been here for 7 months and STILL have to ask people where stuff is. You are not going to know everything in 2 weeks and that's okay! You can ask for help. And there will be baths and diapers to be changed many many times when you'll be asking for help regardless of how much experience you have. So don't stress. You'll be okay!

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