CNA in telemetry

Hi, I work as a CNA in a Tele floor at a hospital. It was my first job as a CNA. I started this past November. I work day shift 7am -730pm so my job will be slightly different than yours since you might start at 3 pm. This is what my day is like.

7-Vitals and round with RN's to get report (Normally about 7-9 pts)

830-9- Make sure pt's got breakfast, take trays, bring pt's new gowns and wash cloths to wash up with. All of our pts are washed up every day. Some pt's cant do anything for their bath and I do it all, some pt's take showers and are very independent.

1045- Finsih baths and take a quick break.

11- Start next set of Vitals on all of my pts

12pm- Check blood sugars and make sure pts order lunch.

1- Pick up lunch trays and cover someone else's pts while they go to lunch

2- Take lunch break

230- Chart I&O's

3pm- Check new assignment. We have evening shift people arrive and some 8hr day shift people go home so our pt load changes because we have less staff after 3pm. Next round of vitals on my pt's starts.

430- Make sure pt's ordered dinner, check blood sugars.

*Try to find time to take my last break*

6- Collect dinner trays.

7- Night shift arrives and we have a 1/2 hour overlap of shifts. During this time answer call lights and say good night to pts.

That's a basic day. Our floor is always very busy and we run all day! In the middle of all of this we help our pt's to the bathroom/commodes. Walk them 3x a day. Get them off to their appointments or tests, work around the doctors and visit with the pts as much as we can. We also have emergencies that come up and throw schedules off as well as pt's that go to the cath lab. When they come back the CNA's are allowed to pull the sheaths out of their leg with a RN doing the charting. (That's one of the coolest things we get to do. I would imagine that not every tele floor allows CNA's to do that.) Also, we have to make sure the tele boxes are connected and change the electrodes on our pt's chests every day.

It's a busy day and in the end you get completely wiped out, but it's worth it. You will always have days where you dont know how you can continue but something or someone always shows you why you are there. Like I said, I had no prior experience doing this, I was just taking pre-req's for nursing school before I started working as a CNA. I love it. The first week or two is very hard if it's really busy. But it will get better. Also, always ask for help if you have questions. If you are orienting with another CNA ask to do their work so you get a hands on experience and know what to do on your own.

You have to work as a TEAM or your job will be really hard. I just love it when I get to work some days and have pt's with some nurses. You can definitely tell who has been a CNA before and who has not! Thank goodness for the ones who have!

Good luck and let me know how it goes! Hope this helps.

~A

My day is similar to what allio put down except we don't have people that work 8 hr shifts, we all work 12 hour shifts and a typical patient load for us is 11-12pts.

Thank you very much for your very detailed response!! I just completed my first week of orientation in the classroom, so I already feel much more confident than I did.