CNA help/tips please

[zippeh]

So I just recently started working at a Nursing home, after realizing it was practically impossible to get looked at by a hospital after a year of waiting for a reply ;]. Anyways, so I've been through orientation and have worked 5 days alone so far. Right now I keep running into the same problems that I could really use some advice on.

I always seem to have trouble with some patients that are "screamers", it takes me 20 minutes + to change them at times and this is a real stress causer. I need some help, they get super stiff and scream, and of course when you ask them what the matter is, they start talking about the pizza in the oven or something.. haha, but I'm always scared to move them because I'm going to hurt them or something. Also, I have a patient on hospice, and I have a real tuff time moving her in order to change her, she is a little heavy and I'm only a 130lb 19 year old kid. Is there any trick to moving them to their side that is easier or is it just something I will learn after working longer. Other than that, I think I'm starting to get the hang of everything. :]

[interceptinglight, CNA]

You are new at this, so ask for help. Then don't apologize for asking for help, everyone will understand I assure you. You won't need to do it for very long, you'll learn the ropes pretty fast. At the nursing home I work in, we are not to turn hospice patients alone -- especially the heavy ones.

I, too, am 130 lb, and I can handle any resident we have here. Actually the ones I have the hardest time with aren't the big tall ones -- it's the short tiny petite little ladies who buckle their knees and refuse to stand up straight when you're trying to transfer them (I'm 5'8") -- they're the ones who hurt my back the most because I have to bend over to help them. When turning really heavy residents, especially total care ones, I raise the bed to the appropriate level and brace my legs against the side so I can have better leverage, if I don't have anyone helping me.