CNA Student - clinical experience

[irish_spring]

hello. i need advice mainly on how to survive clinical days. i really have no nursing experience at all. zero. zilch. nada! one time, i felt so dumb when an actual cna asked me to make the bed. i didn't know how and although she showed me, she made a side comment that i should know it from class. i told her that this is my very first time being exposed in a clinical facility. so what do i have to do there when we've not been given enough time to practice skills in class yet???!!?? i just want to hide for now.

what also gets me is that our ci shows/discusses the "proper way" of doing these skills but in reality, these "proper ways" are not implemented on the floor. i can now understand why many of these nursing homes lose their license. most cna nurses are non-compliant. remember, i said most, not all! i apologize in advance if i have hurt anyone's feelings but really, no offense meant. just venting out my frustration. i understand that it’s not an easy job and it can be highly stressful, especially when there’s more than 4 residents assigned to one cna nurse. again, what am i to do when i hardly know the skills??!!?

i just want to practice how to do the skills correctly and going to the skilled nursing facility doesn’t help. i wish to pass the darn class, get my license, and move on rather than deal with impatient cna nurses. i am almost tempted to tell them that once, they were also students.

can anyone relate?

[casi, ASN, RN]

Just go with the flow and learn.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are three ways to do things.

1.The Wrong Way

2.The Right Way

3.The Other Right Way

What you are seeing in the nursing homes is probably just the other right way. A lot of the skills you are taught in class are right, but rather impractical in many situations. You are taught the basics in order to see how it’s done and understand why it’s done. Once you get hands on with a resident you need to adapt that knowledge to fit their needs. Unfortunately you might also need to be doing a bit of adaptation in order to fit into time constraints as well.

If you see something you don't understand find a polite way to ask why or if you're not comfortable with that skip on back here and ask.

[RNfaster]

I just finished my clinicals and I had some CNAs that were good trainers and some that weren't. After talking with one of my classmates, I learned that a trainer that was condescending to me was the same way to him. I think she was stressed out and simply didn't realize the way she was coming across.

Don't feel silly about asking about bedmaking. I made beds military style and carefully (stripping most of them entirely) until the very last day (when a trainer made a bed in my presence ---she used some great short cuts!!!). I copied them. I am going to be working in a hospital soon, and will gauge whether or not the shortcuts are permissable.

I think some short-cuts and "other ways to do things" are okay. But some might not be. For instance, we had a trainer show us a "short-cut" way to deal with catheters that really isn't a good idea in my mind considering the high rate of infections from improper catheter techniques.

No question is stupid.

[hikernurse]

Clinicals are for you to learn, whether from a CNA (especially in the beginning when you're learning fundamentals) or a nurse. If you knew everything, you wouldn't need to be there, right ?

Besides, all the book learning and labs won't prepare you as much as jumping in and doing it. Even if you feel silly at first

You'll get there :)

[allantiques4me]

Hang in there!! We all start somewhere.youre always going to meet difficult ,judgemental people.No matter what career you choose.Just try to remember what youve learned and do it the best you know how.

[miss h.m]

we all have to start somewhere and I beg to find one CNA or RN for that matter whos first day of clinicals went 100% perfect...you wont find one!! if someone tells you any different, i think they thought they were 100% right...in their minds.....its a learning experince and clinicals are ment to teach...heck.. health care proffessionals upgrade their trainning constantly...so dont feel so bad...the only bad question is the one that isnt asked. I think making mistakes helps you remember what not to do, and asking questions shows you are paying attention and thing. :smilecoffeecup:

[cursedandblessed]

I haven't started back to school yet, but I've decided that the main thing I have to do, is to go with the flow, and watch, do and learn. Don't let the little things others may say get you down.