CNA classes

[daisy16]

I am going to be taking a CNA class in a week and am a little nervous especially about the clinicals! Is there any helpful information you could give me? Also what do the CNA's in training do at their clinicals (it will be a nursing home)? Thanks so much to every one.

[jschut, BSN, RN]

It probably will be at a nursing home. We didn't have clinical anywhere, it was all classroom work....

But you will learn how to help people with baths, dressing and feeding....various duties....

The only advice I can give is to remember that the elderly are people too and deserve to be treated with gracious respect. They are our heritage, after all.

Don't be afraid of them, or act as if you are. Most are happy to have a student and will be glad to talk you through anything you may feel nervous about. And most will laugh right along with you if something goes awry. So relax and have a good time with them! :)

[Love-A-Nurse]

when i took a nursing assistance class (3 months in duration) in 1990, we had clinicals at the nursing home and it consisted of baths, feeding, turn/reposition, etc. all the best to you.

[studentOH]

We went for two full days.

Day one:

Help pass out breakfast/lunch, feed residence that couldn't eat on their own.

Changed a couple messy depends.

WATCHED a lot of what was going on.

Day two:

Got "our" resident up, did peri care, dressed, brushed hair, brushed teeth, got her ready for breakfast basically.

Do all of the stuff from day one.

Rush to check off things like vitals, practice BP, do someone's nails (that was fun for me, I'd never done that before.

We also went in in groups of 5 to help give a shower...thought that was unnecessary but we go to see what to do.

It's a lot of work and you will be dead tired if you've never worked in that kind of setting. You'll learn a lot though, and have fun :).

Brian

P.s. If you're not sure of how to do something ASK THE NURSE. My idiot lab partner tried to hurt our patient a couple of times *sigh*. Good luck!