I must have missed the chapter on bites

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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So, I took my written and skills test last week, passed (YAY). I go to work on SUnday, and I was helping to transfer a resident from wheelchair to recliner,when all of a sudden my forearm ends up in her mouth. Yes!!!!! she bit me. Never saw it coming. I ended up in the ER cause I didn't have a tetnus booster. I did not pull my arm away, cause I was afraid of hurting myself more and what damage would it have done to her mouth. So I let her stay on my forearm till the supervisor and the other cna's were able to distract her enough to let go. Just another day, I guess!!!

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I have a biter. She snaps like a dog. And turns like one! And watch out for the pinchers.

Did she break the skin?

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From what I've been told by my job, push in and that action makes one release usually.

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My skin was just barely broken, but I do gave one heck of a good black and blue mark. I have already been pinched and kicked at, but to be honest this biting thing did upset me. And I will keep the tip about pushing in for the future, but I REALLY hope this doesn't happen again. :)

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Just keep your arms away from her face! You won't do that again.

:)

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Darn right I'm keeping my hands away from her face. Thanks for listening!!!!

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Specializes in LTC.

I got bitten trying to protect a coworker from getting beat up. I thought I was being sneaky reaching around from behind the woman to hold her arms down so the other CNA could finish putting the lift pad under her without getting punched in the head repeatedly. The resident then proceeded to turn her head and sink her teeth into my arm.

I've taken all kinds of abuse but I have to say the absolute worst was when a resident dug her nails into the distal joints of my fingers. Oh. My. God. I couldn't breathe. I had to scream until someone came running in and pried her fingers off of mine. It hurts me just to think about it.

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Specializes in LTC.

All I was trying to do was brush her teeth!

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yeah, they don't tell you about this part in class. I had a pincher/ scratcher awhile back, that even though she was mostly blind, had amazing accuracy and speed if she decided she was going to get you! I learned quick with that one, to flip her gown over her arms and wrap her in when I needed to roll her to change her. Saved everyone a lot of grief and she was calmer too.

Unfortunately, I didn't know that trick when I had an issue with my face last summer and she got me under the eye with her dirty fingernails. I'm glad that one didn't get infected! The pinchers are bad though, not a lot you can do to get them to release but I hadn't thought of pushing back into that, it might work like a bite release.

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Biting is no fun... most of the people that try to bite me do not have any teeth!

I had a lady tell me she was going to "bite my fingers off" then she pinched me in the middle of a transfer hard enough to leave a mark.

geeze! Not 2 minutes after that she offered me part of her drink! LOL

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Just got all the labs back from the ER visit. Thank God all is clear. She is 93 and has all of her own teeth! :)

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Specializes in LTC.

So far I have not had anyone hit, kick, or bite me. I did have a resident that whopped me on my butt when changing them in bed with another CNA. It didn't hurt, more like a tap that told me he wasn't happy. He recently went to a behavioral facility and is no longer here. Hmm. lol. I had another 90-ish year old resident (a little old lady at that) that said "Don't come near me or I will kick your @ss!!!" with a look in her eyes that told me she would follow through. lol. :eek: :lol2:

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