CNA in Learning doing Clinical Hours- Help!

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Hello everyone, I am a Senior in high school, and I am taking a special two year program that allows you to become a CNA during the last two years of your high school course, however it requires two hours of classes every day starting from my junior year.

During my Junior year, all we did was learn some basics, read alot, brush up on some health care skills, learn the ways of PPE, and just all around the basics of nursing.

Senior year, has been rough. This year, we are required to do two hours three times a week at a Nursing home. I have never had this experience before, neither have the three other girls in my class, but I am the only male. My teacher sticks me with the male residents within the nursing home. I have never had such a terrible time before.

One of the males has left side paralysis, mental disabilities, and his IQ is that of a three year olds. He can be fiesty and swing around alot due to his strokes, and so he is a very had resident to turn, a few weeks in november with him, he had **** all over himself, and I was new to cleaning it, it was my first time doing such a case, and I ended up doing a fairly well job, but I mean he touched it with his hands, rubbed **** on the wall, it was terrible, I was in shock for the rest of the day.

The other male (I dread him) is about 200lbs, and is INSANELY HARD to turn, he is extremely unresponsive and will not help during his partial bed bath (Which is not expected) but I do not have the proper skills to do his full care if I cant turn him correctly. I am a weight lifter at the age of 17, and I still cannot hold him up with one arm as I try to clean his buttox... My teacher usually comes in near the end to assist me in the rest of his care.

At the end of these crucial two hours, I walk out of NY states nursing home flinging my scrub off for some cold winter air, I feel like I had a terrible time, and I ended up writing a FB blog on how nursing home has changed my life. At any rate, I hear the three girls in my class talk about how well they have it, how easy of a day they had with the lady residents.. -_- I have nightmares because I am so unaccustomed to seeing all of this.

So this is more of a vent then a cry for help, but I was just wondering if anyone could help me feel better :( or even any advice.. and if this sounds unjust to anyone!?

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Specializes in LTC.

Welcome to CNA work. That's how it is. You can ask to take care of some female residents but maybe since you're only 17 and a student there's a liability issue or something. Still, I would look at this as valuable experience.

It does get easier. The first time someone is covered in poop and starts "fingerpainting" it's totally horrifying. You have no idea where to begin. After a while you get used to it and know exactly how to deal with it.

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It will get easier. Just think that you would want someone who did a good job of taking care of your loved one if they were in that situation. You do not have to think that it is all fun but the rewarding parts override the bad ones. Some of the residents are really cool once you get to know them. In fact most are!

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Specializes in LTC.

And the girls probably don't have it as easy as you think. They might just be coming from a different perspective.

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I see, alright, thankyou, I appreciate it, I will try my best to continue learning.

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Hang in there, James.

During my 3 clinicals at the nursing home (8 hrs ea), I saw and did and assisted in several things that were a shock to my system. It's just because it's new to you - being a nurse's aide, even being in a nursing home (I assume), so you're feeling the weight of your new responsibilities, and you're in a strange place you don't go to often, with people who may be 100% dependent on you.

Plus you don't have another fellow student to commisserate with, which the females do. It does help to have a fellow classmate there with you, because they are familiar to you, and they're just as lost and unaccustomed as you, so you don't quite feel like you're dog paddling in a big ocean alone.

Our class didn't get divided into males and females (out of 12, 2 were males), but like another poster above said, there may be state liabilities because of your age?

You sound like a brave and mature young man with a strong back and a good heart and a good head on your shoulders, though. You know enough already to recognize a problem and ask for advice. I would also suggest that if you can relay any of these fears/concerns to your instructor after shift, they might be able to bolster your confidence, if not also change your floor.

Good luck... with your clinicals and the class!

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I am a male and aide and can see where you are coming from. If you cannot bathe the patient by yourself you should get another aid to help you. You are not doing the patient or yourself any good by doing it alone. I found that being a male in a nursing home you are volunteered a lot of times to take care of the heavy patients, but it is not wise to try and do it by yourself all the time; you might end up with a bad back (trust me). Get assistance whenever possible.

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