A friend of mine said that the private school she's planning on taking her CNA training classes requires that the students perform peri-care on each other, according to someone who told her this about that particular school. She also said that when she reacted in a shocked manner, this person added that it is now "mandatory" for future CNAs during their training, and that it is done so that both the males and females become comfortable with it before doing clinicals in LTCs or hospitals.
Suffice it to say, I told her that that didn't sound right to me, based on things I've read and researched on the all nurses site. I told her from what I've read, it appears that peri-care is performed first on mannequins in classes, and then on some residents during the clinicals. I mentioned that I did read that students do vitals on each other like BP, pulse, respiration, etc. within the classroom, but that is about the extent of it.
I'm going to be starting my NA classes in September through an Adult Ed program, and if this is required between the students, I will not continue this program. If I were incapacitated or unable to do this to myself while in a hospital or LTC, then that is another story! But I cannot imagine doing this in a classroom setting with other students!! Something just doesn't seem right with what my friend shared. I told her that I think it isn't true, but if this private school does require this, I told her that I think it would be best to search elsewhere for CNA training.
Have any of you who are current CNAs been required to do this during your training, or have you ever heard of such a thing??
