Need Advice - new cna orientation

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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hey everyone! I am a brand new cna, just finished school and never worked in the field before. i just got hired on at a nursing home and I have one day left of my 3 day orientation. The problem is, I am no where near ready for being on my own. I mean, its like everything I learned in school is worthless because that's not how its done in the real world. I could see 3 days being enough if I was just coming from a different facility, but not for never having worked as an aide. I passed my class with am A+ so I know I'm smart enough, and I know I'll be good at this job, but I really think I need more shadow time. Also, the aide I've been shadowing is jess than helpful. She has basically looked at this as a chance for her to do less work, she's left me alone in many situations that I have not been comfortable in. Like expecting me to move someone by myself who is a two person transfer, or move or lift someone that I've never seen how they do it first before. Also our facility policy is you must use a gait belt on every transfer, and she NEVER does. Not once.

I want to bring my concerns to the DON and ask for a few more days orientation, and with someone different. I don't want to 'tell' on this aide, but I want to do whats right for myself and the residents.

Can you guys give me some real world advice? Would it be ok for me to ask for more time or will I be drowned upon? And I don't want issues with this aide down the road, but she's been out of line a few times and its made me really uncomfortable.

Thanks for the help!

I'm discouraged. . . .

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I would voice my concerns especially the gait belt issue. She could be the cause of a big law suit. I have seen it were I work. A CNA who thought she could transfer a patient with out one let him fall and his family sued. She actually lost her certification because in NC it is now a state law that you have to use a gait belt or lift with every transfer.

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I would deffinetly ask to be orientated with someone else. It's good to orientated with different people because everyone has there own way of doing things and by seeing all of them, you can choose which way works best for you. As far as asking for more days of orientation---I'm not sure if they'll let you but I felt like I wasn't ready either to be on my own but I just made sure to ask about the things I didn't know. A lot of it, like as far as getting to know the residents, you learn as you go. Do not attempt to lift someone you feel uncomfortable lifting, if she won't help you, ask for someone elses help. Even those that are two person transfers and you feel like you could do it yourself, do not attempt it. You may hurt yourself or the resident. Don't feel like you would be telling on her either. Even though you may not be doing something wrong but you see it and don't say anything you may get into just as much trouble as the one who was doing it wrong. But you will find that a lot of people don't use transfer belts even though they're soppose to.

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Thank you all for your advice! I did talk to the DON and I got 1 more day, which even though it's not alot, it helped so much! I am all on my own this weekend! Say some prayers for me!!!:cool:

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I was in the same situation you were this week. I am a nursing student and just got my CNA cert two weeks ago, and I got a LTC position last weekend. I was originally going to get 2 days orientation, but the DON decided to give me 4 total. I was so stressed out after my 3rd day, that I quit before my 4th day started.

My two big issues: transfers (each pt different), and not knowing the patients names (so I can match their food, clothes, wheelchairs, rooms, etc).

I feel like a big whimp for giving up too early:sniff:. I do have readings to do before school starts in a few weeks, so I'll just concentrate on that.

Good job for speaking up for additional orientation, and using your gait belt:yeah:. Prayers of support coming your way this weekend--you go girl:bow:!!

Take care...

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Good luck!! My husband just graduated and had his 3 days of orientation however he feels that he needs more too, I totally see where he is coming from, I am a CNA and have been for almost 2 years and I happen to work at the same LTC place he is working at and I'm going in on Sunday to help him out (unpaid of course) on his last round so that he can get some "real" training (from me) :) Let us know how the weekend goes! :)

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Well.....:redbeathe I was on the floor on my own both Sat and Sunday. All went pretty well I think. I am still rather slow... I didn't get all my residents out for breakfast on time. We start at 7 to get them all out by 8, and I got my last res out there at around 8:10 - 8:15 ish ??? After breakfast the morning runs pretty smoothly until after lunch, when it all hits the fan because just about ALL of my res are lay downs after lunch. So from about 12:30 until the end of my day at 3 its non stop running and sweating and moving. No time to stop at all! No major meltdowns though, from me or any of my residents, lol. Although I can see I already have that "one resident" :rolleyes: who is just going to drive me up the wall.... heehee. I really love all of them, but this one, well lets just say she really takes me there! She is alert and oriented x3, which is why I think she drives me nuts, because I am a little less forgiving when she is so mean to me. And boy, is SHE MEAN! Now, I have another little old lady who is mean and nasty one minute, and so sweet the next, so who can be mad at her because she can't help it, right?

But over all, I would say it was a GREAT weekend. Even though we were short staff, I still hung in there, and I told the other aides to please give me honest feedback if there is something I need to do better. They all said I did great and can't believe this was my first time on the job alone.

As exhausting as this job is, I feel an amazing sense of happiness at the end of the day, and pride knowing I am working so hard to enrich and better the quality of these peoples lives. :redbeathe Thank you all for your positive encouragement!

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I'm glad everything went well. Don't let that one resident get to you, everybody has one. Were I work we have a little old lady that we had to put on one on one care because she is so mean and demanding. She curses and slaps her CNAs. I always hate woring with her. :banghead:Those are the days I Thank God for Ativan.

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Specializes in cna snf.

Hey I'm about to start as an STNA at a nursing facility at MetroHealth in Cleveland. I'm so nervous! I will get 2 weeks of orientation and i will be working the evening shift.Is being a nurse assistant real hard? I'm scared and nervous and excited all at once.I will have 10 residents.Is that considered a lot? Any advise will be helpful please Icor:9 24 your new how do you like it?

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TLWSTNANOH,

congrats on your new job! yes, it is very hard work! i tell anyone who will listen to me lol that this is the hardest job I've ever done. But it also is absolutely the most gratifying. At the end of the day, I go home exhausted, bruised, and too worm out to function for any other purpose than eating and showering and watching tv lol. But I feel happy and satisfied knowing how much I helped my residents. They will make you laugh, and most certainly cry, and sometimes not for reasons you'd think!

Soak up your ten days cuz that's alot and you should be able to get a good handle on their ADLs and routines etc. Take notes in a little notepad. I made myself a cheat sheet with the help of am experienced aide - and it broke down hour by hour what I need to do with each person. This helped so much!

Be patient with yourself and enjoy the care your giving!

Good luck, update us!

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Hello! I shouldn't be surprised, but am discouraged as you are to hear this. I am a new nursing assistant looking for a job right now and found the exact same problem in the facility where I trained. Nobody used a gait belt and people were made to transfer by themselves on what should have been a two person transfer. I am so proud of you for asking for more orientation days. :yeah: I would have had the same concerns about bringing those issues up too. You didn't say whether or not you told the DON about the aide's behavior. Did you decide to leave her out of the conversation for the sake of having any future problems with her?

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When I did my clinical the CNA took big credits from us because we were students they also looked for less work. The nursing home was dirty residents was not clean enough and their private ares was red. One residents we gave shower to him and he told to us thank you nobody gave me shower for two weeks.

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