CNA on rehab unit in hospital

[tmow86]

hey guys!

I have an interview next week at the hospital in which I am attending the school of nursing for RN starting in June.

It is full-time for now until I start nursing school and then I will go casual while I am in school.

It is on a rehab floor. I am a new CNA but figured it would be great to get my foot in the door for the hospital in which i would love to work for when I am an RN.

Does anybody have any experience in rehab unit? I am in LTC care now. This is obviously a teaching hospital so I feel like I should be excited but also nervous of the unknown.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! THANKS!

[yousoldtheworld]

I worked on one for a while.

If your hospital is anything like mine was, you'll have a good mix of people on a rehab floor. Lots of geriatrics, recovering from falls, strokes, etc (which helps, as you're used to that population after working in LTC). Lots of completely alert and oriented people, some confused people. Nice people. Total pains in the butt. Etc.

You'll have the people who aren't used to being dependent on people so they are hesitant to ask you for anything, but you'll also have the people who aren't used to being waited on and think "HECK YEAH, SPA RESORT VACATION!!!" and drive you crazy.

One big thing on a rehab floor is that you will likely have some tricky transfers. We would have people learning to use their legs/feet/arms/etc again after hip replacements, severe injuries, strokes, heart attacks, etc. So it's really important to pay attention to each patient's mobility and how they transfer, etc in report.

The nice thing about the hospital is that you will get a complete report at the beginning of each shift, since the patients change daily. Staffing is usually a lot better. When we were fully staffed with a nearly full census, we'd have 5 patients per aide. On an average day, we'd have 6 or 7. It's a nice change from having 12 - 15.

I didn't really care for working at the hospital, but the vast majority of aides that I know who have worked at one LOVE it. (My dislike of it is simply caused by the fact that I do NOT have the patience for a lot of those people, hahaha. I didn't really like geriatrics, either. :) )Good luck! :)

[Vicky Laursen]

wow i cant imagine you have so many patients to one personale. I complain because on weekends i have 4 demens patients alone!

[kserasera]

I work in a rehab/LTC facility. Just like yousoldtheworld said, there will be many people coming in and out with different things. You have to know how they transfer, how they turn while in bed, if they can have showers, what is allowed or not. They come and go. You'll get a couple of days off and when you come back, you'll see a new face you've never seen before and have to learn their routines. You have to do Range of Motion on patients who need it.