I'm worried....

Generally speaking, you finish what you're doing and THEN you answer the call light.

There are some exceptions:

If the patient you are currently with is alert and oriented and not a fall risk, if they are sitting on the toilet or something like that and a bed alarm goes off, it's generally best to tell the patient you'll be right back and go take care of the alarm.

Likewise, if you are in the middle of a bedbath or something similar and an emergency comes up, you can lower the bed and take care of the emergency.

However, in most cases, you do not by any means stop what you're doing with one patient and go to another. This is especially true with anyone who is confused or a fall risk. If you hear a call light going off, for the most part you just have to try to finish what you're doing quickly, but thoroughly.

Sometimes you will have multiple call lights going off at once. That's just part of the nature of the job. You won't be able to answer every one right away. After you start to get to know your residents, you will know whose lights need to be answered IMMEDIATELY and who will be okay waiting for a few minutes.

When you are in a patients room doing a bed bath or something other aids or possibly a nurse will try and answer your call lights for you, just remember to do the same for them when they are busy! You will get faster with your skills as you gain experience, so you wont be in one room for too long. If a coworker needs your assistance immediately you can cover the pt. and lower their bed and go help them, the pt must be safe and comfortable before you leave the room. Most of the time when a pt or coworker needs you they can wait until you finish what you are already doing. Good luck with your class!

Usually in LTC there is a shower schedule. Each resident usually gets 2 showers a week, and on the other days you just wash them up.

If a resident is unable to get in the shower or refuses, then you give a bedbath.

"Oh wow thanks for that info!! Here I am thinking they get showers everyday! I guess I need to take a chill pill and wait until school to learn all these things huh?"

I feel your pain, I'm just as worried as you are! I start school in January.I have all these questions floating through my head and I'm just hoping I'll be a competant cna.But I'll do what you say and just chill and wait for classes to start.