You Know You're A Nurse's Aide in LTC When...

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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-You have to remind yourself that any stories involving body fluids or the words "bedpan" and "pureed foods" must be saved for fellow aides and nursing students (you find them perfectly run-of-the-mill but your family and friends turn green the second they start)

-You justify your post-work ice cream feasts by telling yourself that you MUST have worked off a lot of those calories during the mad rush of your shift

-A new admit that needs only 1 assist and is AAOx3 is almost as good as a Christmas present

-You wish that you could remember some of those "therapeutic responses" your nursing textbooks taught you to use with Alzheimer's/dementia patients

-You get so hungry during your shift that some of the food that arrives on the residents' dinner trays begins to look strangely appetizing...

-You know that when a resident leaves for the evening with their family, they WILL come back and want to go to bed 2 minutes before the shift is over

-You stifle a huge urge to laugh when a resident is horribly distraught over the loss of one cheap, ordinary white sock

-You think about how surreal (and potentially wonderful) a "normal" job would be-where you'd never have to wear scrubs or deal with body fluids and EVERYONE would be walking independently and not confused!

-You've had dreams involving bed alarms, call lights, etc.

Please add yours!

:typing

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I can totally relate to the last one. My first two weeks on the floor as an aide, everytime I slept I dreamt about residents and heard alarms and call lights all the time in my dreams. I felt like I was working 24/7.:D

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Specializes in LTC.

-Nightmares include white scrubs and poop.

-You can identify if a resident is soiled and has a UTI or is dehydrated just by walking past them.

-Nobody asks you how your night at work was, because they don't want the details.

-You've been up to your elbows in poop and it doesn't phase you.

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Specializes in CNA, SPN, LPN.

You work overtime at least once a week or more on a regular

basis and your already a full time employee!:twocents:

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-You know that when a resident leaves for the evening with their family, they WILL come back and want to go to bed 2 minutes before the shift is over. * Oh my that happend to me tonight*. I was unable to put him to bed though since his family left him with a meal. And he wasn't done eating. As well I was already in the mist of my rounds. So it was either tend to the residents who was on pegs and were wet and bed ridden or run to his needs.

- When most of your residents are on pegs.

-You know your working in LTC when you are always running out of diapers since every resident is wearing them.

-When you never see some residents family members and all they got is you.

-Nobody seems to want to eat lunch since they are so full from breakfast. Most elderly don't like eating 3 meals a day. So you have to document that Mr. and Mrs... refused to eat.

-Running out of cream from diaper rashes and 1st stages of pressure sores from being wet for periods of time.

-Nobody asks you how your night at work was, because they don't want the details.( Great one Casi) LOL

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As a nurse in LTC I can totally relate!

Thanks for some laughs.

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Specializes in LTC.

When you can be finishing a bite and start changing a dirty brief. Or be sitting in the break room talking about the consistency of so and sos BM with the nurse!

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Specializes in LTC.

The term fingerpainting no longer brings to mind images of someone drawing pretty flowers with brightly colored paints.

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Specializes in LTC.

You can get ALL the overtime you want. (I do make rules for myself regarding working extra, if they call me in I MIGHT come in on my day off, depends on my mood, generally though I won't come in on my days off but I will work 12 hours on the days I am scheduled)

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Alzheimers, Special Needs.

You Know You're A Nurse's Aide in LTC When...

- The discussion of various bodily fluids over a meal doesn't bother you.

- When the smell and thought of poop doesn't phase you.

- You know that when a resident leaves for the evening with their family, they WILL come back and want to go to bed 2 minutes before the shift is over. Exactly, always happened.

- When you plan for various disasters durring shift change.

- When you find yourself competing with the other CNA's over who's had the biggest mess.

- When you become aware of your own intake and output.

- When scrubs ARE your fashion statement.

- When on your time off, you think about what you'd be doing at that moment if you were at work.

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Specializes in Psychiatry & Geriatrics.

How about when you spend so much time in "their world" that you forget where fantasy ends and reality begins! And then wishing that you could stay in their world because it seemed "more fun."

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What a great thread! Now I don't have to work LTC, since I benefited from all your experiences. I owe you one!!

I don't drink, but 'this Bud's for you and all you do!'

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