Daily Schedule Ideas?

[KelseyAdams]

I will be starting my first CNA job in about five days and I obtained my CNA license about a year ago. I know I should probably know most of this and I am trying to refreshen my thoughts from my clinicals, but that being a whole year ago is hard for me. I was thinking back to my clinicals and thinking about my job starting soon and was wondering is there any set schedule that residents go through daily. I mean of course everyone has a schedule, but how will I know what to do and when to do it and is it the same everyday for every resident? I'm sure each LTC home has their own policies about this and I go in tomorrow for paper work and policies and regulations. I am just very nervous and do not feel prepared as much I should be. I have been going over my CNA book that I studied with last year for my classes and have been jotting down useful notes over vitals and everything else that I presume is important! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

I've worked in 2 LTC facilities and the routine in both is pretty much the same... do AM care on some of your assignment; breakfast; AM care on the rest of your assignment; lunch; rounds. On second shift you do rounds; supper; HS care; rounds.

That's the minimum. In case you don't know, "rounds" are when you toilet everyone, or at least change them. You're supposed to do them every 2 hours but it can be really hard to get them done that often AND get your care done (obviously, AM/HS care counts as a round). It depends on how ambitious the CNA is, how heavy the workload, and how strict the facility is... sometimes residents will only get rounded on twice a shift. When you're brand new, that's all I would shoot for until you get used to the place and figure out some organizational tricks.

When the residents get out of bed on dayshift depends on the facility. Some residents have to be up for all meals, so they get up before breakfast. Others eat breakfast in bed. Some are on turning schedules and don't get up until right before lunch. You will have to ask your coworkers about the people on your assignment. The same goes for where people eat. Most people eat breakfast in their rooms and at lunch and supper a lot of people (but not all) go to the dining room. Some facilities have more than one dining room or different groups that will eat in the same dining room at different times.

Vitals are usually done by one person, before lunch on 1st shift and before supper on 2nd shift. Ambulatory residents are walked during last rounds on 1st shift and during 1st rounds on 2nd.

On first shift you are generally responsible for your own residents all day until after lunch, then everyone works together to do last rounds. On 2nd shift, people work together to do first rounds and after supper you worry about your own residents for the rest of the night.

Hope that helps!

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

Every LTC facility is going to have a scheule for breakfast, lunch, dinner (at least a schedule of when those meals will be served in the dining rooms...residents can always choose not to attend).

Otherwise, each resident will have their own schedule and the more you try to make their schedule fit yours, the more trouble you will have. For example, a resident perfers to stay up later, say 10 pm...you decide that it would fit your schedule best if you did PM care and put them to bed at 7pm. More times than not, this resident will get out of bed, and the results of which could be, well, not so good.

The staff who has been at that facility for a longer period of time will fill you in on each resident's preferred schedule--i.e. who likes to get up early/late, who wants/needs a nap in the afternoon, etc. etc.

Good luck to you!