Day in the life of a CNA?

Kirbiea · Jun 11, 2015

Hi!

I am 19 and I have been a CNA for a year now. I am currently in school to become an RN.

I am full-time and I work 3, 3-11 shifts and 2, 7-3 shifts in a week.

I work at an ALF but its specifically for memory care.

I love my job! Sure, I can't wait to be an RN but I love all of my residents and my coworkers and I very rarely leave my workplace upset. It is very challenging to balance full-time school and work but I make it work, and so far I have been lucky to have my supervisors be very supportive with my schooling.

If I work 7-3 my daily routine involves getting all of my residents up in the morning, getting them breakfast, toileting, activities, laundry, lunch, more toileting and more activities. If I work 3-11 it isn't as busy, usually when I get there we have an hour until dinner and then after that we do an activity and then put everyone in bed/showered and once everyone is in bed we just make sure everyone is changed and toileted until the night shift comes in.

I hope your class goes well and that you have a good expirience! :)

hookyarnandblanket · Jun 11, 2015

I work in a small hospital, usually 7a-3p, occasionally 3p-11p. There are times I have to work a 12. I generally clock in at 0615 because I am in charge of getting vitals on the acute and skilled patients and providers want that information before they do rounds at 0800. Report is at 0645, and once it is done, we get everyone up for breakfast at 0730. From 0730 to 0830, patients eat breakfast and we assist with feeding those who need it. Once trays are collected, we begin bathing patients; our cadre of long term care patients get first opportunity for the tub if it is their scheduled day. The morning consists of answering call lights, changing bedding, baths, toileting, oral care, assisting radiology, PT, and lab if they need help with patients, dismissals, admits, and doing some restorative work. I collect and q4 vitals at 1130. The CNAs get lunch at 11, 1115, and 1130. Lunch trays go out a noon. After lunch, we toilet patients, put them in bed for a nap or in a chair. From 1330, we answer call lights, pick up all trash and dirty laundry, take out the trash, complete admits and discharges, pass ice and snacks, and do more restorative work. We chart, do last bed check, and report off to the next shift, and I leave at 1445. My fellow CNAs on my shift leave at 1500.

The 2nd shift has a totally different routine; I don't particularly enjoy it as the 2nd shift CNAs are not patient-oriented and spend their time focusing on themselves. It is also usually slower and the shift seems to go slowly.

T_angel96 · Jun 11, 2015

Thank you guys so much for your input!

slilly · Jun 12, 2015

I've work 7a to 7p a lot at my job since we only do 12 hour shifts and so its filled with giving showers and baths, helping feed, toilet, transfer, and give care after they pass since I work at hospice. Most of the nurses do the trach care if the patient can't do it themself even though I was trained to do it as a cna 2. Oh and a fun thing I do is remove fecal impactions those are fun when the patient is hard of hearing and doesn't fully understand your directions.

mindofmidwifery, ADN · Jun 14, 2015

I start my CNA classes in a month and I'm so excited! I'm curious and love hearing about others experiences as a CNA. I've seen other threads, thought I'd make a more recent one if anyone who hasn't would like to share! Some of the questions I have are:
What shift do you work?
Where do you work? (LTC, assisted living, hospital, etc.)
How do you like it?
And if you wouldn't mind just sharing your daily routine as a CNA (I'm curious to know how certain shifts differ from others) and anything else you'd like to add!
Again, thank you! :)

I work night shift at a LTC facility, 10:30PM-7AM 5 nights a week.

I like it for my schedule under current circumstances, but miss being around when everyone is awake. I miss evening shift

My routine:

-I come in, chat with everyone (I usually come in to work 30 minutes to an hour early)

-Rounds

-Get stuff ready to stock in all the rooms (wipes, bedding, washcloths, Tena products, etc.)

-Stock all the rooms

-Roll silverware for the next day

-Rounds at 2AM

-Rounds at 5AM

-Get some residents up for the day

-Chart

And throughout all the bullet points I answer any lights that go off. I'm usually the aide for two out of four hallways, unless I happen to be the only aide then I'm the aide for everyone yayyyyy.

techlife72 · Jun 18, 2015

I currently work third shift. It is 1900-0700 three days a week. Although most weeks I can pick up one to two days of overtime if I want. I did my training and orientation on day shift, however it was only for a couple weeks. So far I absolutely love my job. Yea I get stressed out, annoyed, tired, etc. but I cannot think of working in another profession ever again. In my opinion there is no better way to help people than to help when they need your help the most. I am working at a fairly large hospital and more specifically on a Pediatric unit that also doubles as a urology and med surg. floor.

My typical day begins by arriving to work between 1830 and 1900. For the first few minutes I spend my time chatting with day shift and talking to everyone I will be working with that night. Then by at least 1900 I will start getting report from who ever is giving me their group. I usually have between 8-12 patients, but have had as many as the entire floor by myself (24), but that doesn't happen very often. After I get report I begin my 1st set of vitals. I usually try to chart in the room, but sometimes I am just too busy and write them down to chart later. After I get through with my first set of vitals, I walk back through and check on all of my patients and see if they need anything. This includes baths that day shift didn't get to, bed changes, water, etc.. Then once everyone is taken care of I sit down and chart. At my hospital we chart ADL's every two hours. I do all of my ADL's on the even hours so it is easy to keep up with. After I feel like I am caught up on charting I will do another round on all of my patients and then, if no one needs anything else, I start doing things to ensure that I stay caught up the rest of the night. I will set up any empty rooms in case I get an admission, file any papers possible in my pts charts, stock the pantry, make sure we have enough linens to get through the night, and other things I can't seem to think about. Then by this time it is usually time to begin my midnight vitals. I will start my midnight vitals by 2330 and hopefully be done by 0030. When my midnight vitals, ADL's, and I&O's are charted I will make one last round with my pt's and then go eat. After I get back from lunch I check on all of my pts and then start filing all of the pt's labs that have been brought up. Usually after this I have a chance to sit and talk to other coworkers and just relax. Then around 0300 or 0330 I will start my last round of vitals (4 O'clocks). During my 0400 vitals I empty all of my catheters and get all of my daily weights. After vitals are done and charted I will go around and collect hourly rounding sheets in each pt's rooms and make sure I filled it out for each pt I had. Then I hang up all of the new ones for the next shift. After I finish that I pass out ice and water to all pts around 0600 and make my last round. Since we are a pediatric unit I also collect any diapers or feeding sheets the parents save so that we can keep track of the I&O's on the kids. From 0630 to 0700 I check all of my charting for each pt, put in any I&O's I have not charted, and then prepare a report for the oncoming shift.

All of this is what I attempt to get done in a shift. But you will soon learn that every shift varies. I may have a ton of down time or hardly any down time. A lot of that depends on the acuity of my pt's that night. I may get all of it done or I may not get half of it done. Another thing that factors into this is the individuals I work with. To run an efficient unit your workers have to be able to work together as a team. This becomes especially pertinent in emergency situations such as Rapid Responses or Codes.

Some random things that might happen during a shift are rapids or codes, pt deaths, pt transfers, admissions, pt's turning into 1:1's, having to float to other units, turning of Q2 pt's, helping nurses start IV's, walking pt's, discharging pt's, helping with dressing changes, and/or prepping pt's for surgery in the morning.

If that was too much info in a couple paragraphs the condensed version of that is getting report, getting vitals, doing rounds, stocking, getting vitals, rounds, filing papers, getting vitals, passing ice, chart checks, giving report, and everything else that happens in between.

The main difference I see between each shift is day shift has a lot more staff because the administrators have this weird misconception that people sleep at night in the hospital. You also have more people to deal with on days. Physical therapy, doctors, food service, distribution, administrators, family, and lots of other people are all there during the day, when at night they are reduced in numbers or non existent.

Good luck! This job isn't for everyone, but it is very rewarding.

WCSU1987 · Jun 21, 2015

I am curious how CNA work is. Been working as a tech on a psych floor it's burning me out.

Typical day similar to CNA. Normally 2 of us on for 10 to 20 patients. Split up who's doing rounds first abd who is covering vitals. First few hours is vitals, blood sugars, EKGS, and any blood work that needs to be done.

Normally set up patients for dinner. Most on my new unit are ambulatory and can self feed. Not as much on this unit as other with feed assistant. Also less use of PT equipment or moving people in chairs or walker's, but the occasional come through.

There are times might have to assist them with bathing and tolieting. Again my old unit was a mix of geriatric and bariatric patients si happen a lot.

Never been on a medical unit so not sure how fast paced it is.

Glycerine82, LPN · Jun 22, 2015

Here's a play by play if you can get through it ;-)

https://allnurses.com/cna-ma-nursing/a-day-in-965336.html

Nursing24/7, LVN · Jun 23, 2015

I'm a CNA on the PTU unit at a medium sized hospital. I've been working there 5 months & I love it. I also work at an assisted living a few days a month, which is a slower pace, less physically demanding, you really get to get to know the residents & it's a very laid back & fun atmosphere.

I worked at a nursing home & subacute prior to the hospital & @ both places the managers, RNs @ LVNs & other workers just really treated their CNAs so badly, it really sucked.

On my unit at the hospital, everyone treats everyone equally, with respect & we work as a team. Our hospital does things for nurses at our hospital thoughout the year to show their appreciation for our hard work & our manager brings in lunch for us a few times a month.

Now not to jade you but not all units (other units in our hospital aren't as teamwork focused as my unit that's for sure) or hospitals are like this...you really have to research the hospital or facility that you are going to work for. If there is a super high turn over rate, that's a red flag. Both the nursing home & subacute I worked for multiple people quit every week, no lie. At the hospital I work for, most nurse staff including the CNAs have been there 3+ years & there are even more who have been there 10 years or more. The large majority of the CNAs that leave after a year or two is usually because they go back to school and then become RNs, RT's or PT's but usually they stay at the hospital on the same unit or transfer to another unit in the hospital.

A word of advice...Don't be afraid to try out a few different facilities to find the right place for you...some hate nursing homes/ltc some love it, some can't hang with the chaos & extreme movement at a hospital while others love it etc, etc. It really is trial and error that first year as a CNA. But one other note of advice try stay at a place 4-6 months (1 year is even better) at least before quitting if you decide it's not for you, so your resume looks solid & not erratic you don't want to "look" like a job hopper either í ½í¸‰ even though you are a lil bit lol.

Ok sorry that I got a little off topic there for a minute lol...

On my unit there are usually 3 CNAs on the floor, if we have 21-30 patients & 2 CNAs on the floor if census is under 21 patients. I work the 7a-7p shift. We clock in though at 6:30 am because we have nurse huddle/meeting from 6:30a-6:35/6:40 am.

6:40-6:50 am we get report from night shift on the patients in our assignments that day.

6:50-7:00 am we print up our patient cardex sheets, fill our linen carts & get organized.

7:00-7:40 ish,we make our first rounds to wake our patients, help our patients that need to go to bathroom, update the white boards in our patients rooms & pass out fresh ice water.

7:40-9:00 am patient breakfast.

9:00-11:00 am bed bath & change linens rounds. I usually start with my patients who have morning procedures or surgeries & my total care patients. I chart in between patient baths.

11:30-11:40 CNA break.

11:40-12:30 more baths, changing linens & answering call lights. More charting in between. We usually try & finish all our baths by 12:30 but if it's really busy, which it usually is...we sometimes don't get done with our baths until after 2 pm.

12:30-2:00 patient lunch.

2:00-3:30 pm CNA lunches.

3:30-4:00 pm charting, answer call lights.

4:00-6:30 pm patient dinner (5:30-6:30), throw out trash and change out linen hampers in patient rooms, tidy up patient rooms, final rounds to make sure total care patients are clean & dry. 6:30-6:45 pm give report to night shift CNAs.

6:45-7:00 pm charting.

7:00 pm go home!

LovelyLocs, ASN, BSN, RN · Jun 25, 2015

All of these posts are so helpful, thanks everyone!

marie4nursing · Jul 11, 2015

I have been a CNA for a year in LTAC and I love it! It can be stressful at times but very rewarding.

I work 3-11 because I am a pre-nursing student and take classes in the morning. I clock in and get my report from 1st shift since I have a permanent assignment. Then I pass ice, do vital signs, change people on diapers, and get people ready for dinner. After dinner, I do the 2nd round which is the busiest round of the shift, because we start putting people in bed. I take out the trash or linen, then do my ADLs, and do a final round. Give report to third shift and clock out.

This may sound routine, but sometimes the unexpected events messes things up. Like a resident seizes during lunchtime or a CNA calls out sick.

I am glad I became a CNA because I mastered the basics and focus on the more advanced skills once I get accepted into LPN school. I wish you the best in the CNA field!