Asking Others for Help

[clarinets, CNA]

Hello everyone.

I am new here as well as a new Certified Nursing Assistant. I just

earned my certificate in December, and am happy to get a job now. I am a

new employee in an Assisted Living Facility. I am having difficulty

getting any answers to questions I have about how to work in this

facility. Currently I am in training. Recently, I got a new assignment,

in which I have never worked before. I was filling in for someone who

was sick that day. I asked "Which resident is in the 1st and 2nd seating

at dinner?" I asked three times. No answer. Since I barely knew the

residents, I asked "Who is who?, because I knew only half of the

residents' faces on that list." I got no answers. Finally, someone,

after I asked several times at this meeting, here is who you assist and

remind for dinner. That is all I got. I ended up going door to door

asking most dementia residents, what seating they are for dinner, and

missed a couple. As a result, I was in trouble to next day, saying that

five residents did not get dinner, and was unacceptable. Some residents

said they ate something already, and did not want to eat and two others

were not feeling well.

I was assigned two trainers, that is willing to help, only so much.

However, ask anybody else who knows the answer, they are tight lipped.

One time, one of the other staff, a substitute trainer training me,

seemed frustrated doing this. One time we were in a situation in which

one of the resident's had a massive bowel movement accident. We took her

to the room. I have never encountered a situation like this bad before,

and therefore was trying to figure out what to do. I had no trashbags,

no clue about this resident or her whereabouts of her belongings. I

asked the person training me, and she just looked at me in silence.

Minutes later, she asked me in frustration, "What would you do in a

situation like this?" I felt put on the spot, and did not know what to

do. She just did everything eventually in frustration. She then asked

me at a safety check, who and where are the residents? She seemed

frustrated.

This place is under new management and is "at will" employment. I am not

getting any help. Is it better in a hospital, SNF or as an RN?

The management seems to hide in her office, and does not want to seem to be bothered.

I need some help on how to work thru this.

BTW. I was a teacher before this career change, and do not want to go back to screaming parents.