CNA Skills fair

[stema]

Hello,

I am the staff development coordinator in a SNF and I am preparing to host a skills fair for our CNAs. I am trying to come up with ideas to make it engaging so they have fun. I want a station on skin breakdown (in order to emphasize repos, lotioning etc) but I am having a hard time coming up with an associated activity. Does anyone have experiments, demonstrations etc that could help? Or do you think an info board with gnarly pressure wounds is enough? Looking forward to your ideas!

Also, if you have any other input regarding a skills fair I would love to hear it!

[Golden_RN, MSN]

When I was a DSD I decided to do annual CNA skills check offs with actual residents instead of a skills fair. I did rounds with the CNAs, including showers, catheter care, repositioning, dining, etc. It was more fun for me because it allowed me to spend time at the bedside.

One skill that was fun to practice, though, was code blue. I set up a dummy in an empty room and I gave each participant a card that indicated their role in the code I.e. 1st responder, 2nd responder, crash cart, etc. They had to take turns doing each role. It got very lively!

[amoLucia]

I once set up a pt room with all kinds of WRONG things and I would ask the CNA to record how many WRONG could be found. Things like pt all the way down in bed, one siderail down, no call bell avail, oxygen tubing blowing away on the floor, no avail water, sunlight glaring in the pt's face, dentures on a food tray, etc. All kinds of things poss. Only you knew there were 12 things wrong.

A favorite of mine was to have one CNA REALLY feed another CNA breakfast cereal. One CNA would be all slumped down in bed and the other CNA had to feed the buddy - fast, dribbling, watching TV, talking to someone else, etc.

I also liked to greasy-up plain reading glasses for CNAs to wear, like pts who had to wear dirty glasses. (Pet peeve of mine.)