day shift cnas in ltc please help, I need ro be a bit better at it, been an aide for

Missingyou, CNA · Feb 23, 2014

Sometimes it may be hard to move along to the next resident when they want to chit chat with you but, you have to. :sorry: The little chat can put you behind. Just apologize and tell them you'll check on them later. Then move along.

Use every second. When you're waiting on your hallmate to help you transfer from bed to wheelchair, get briefs out for when they will lay down later, chart, do whatever you can possibly do...change a bed, reposition another resident.....even if you can't finish it, do what you can, so it's less to do later.

When I am pressed for time, I don't bring my dirty linens down after each and every resident. I tuck the bags under the resident's bed or by the door. I collect them a short time later all at once. It doesn't sound like the "best" way to do it, but sometimes you just gotta do whatcha gotta do to get it all done!

Make every "trip" count. I wait to get Fred his snack until I have to bring dirty linen to soiled utility room, since the nutrition room is right next door. I'll stop at the nurse's station to chart when I pass by. Two less trips down that long hallway! Fred may have to wait a bit for his snack (I'm sorry), but if everything is going to get done.....he won't wait forever, just maybe a few minutes more.

Another tip I've noticed....if a resident can get themselves down to the diningroom, I let them do it. I may have to transfer them to their chair, but once they're in, if they are able, they're on their their own. Why walk that hallway to bring them there if they can do it. Seems like only 1-2 minutes, but if you think about it, that adds up. Not to mention the added time if another resident stops you to ask for something, another aide asks for help when u pass by(since your in the diningroom)....on and on...

D_Angelo25, CNA · Feb 23, 2014

Ok but where I work, I have no such thing as a hallmate, I mean we helo eachother with hoyer lifts and what not, but as far as helping get people up, we dont. Its just the way things are here. so when will I become a pro at this stuff, I noticed some very good aides that do extra care and still get in and out. Its like, how do they do it.

D_Angelo25, CNA · Feb 23, 2014

Ok but where I work, I have no such thing as a hallmate, I mean we helo eachother with hoyer lifts and what not, but as far as helping get people up, we dont. Its just the way things are here. so when will I become a pro at this stuff, I noticed some very good aides that do extra care and still get in and out. Its like, how do they do it.

Missingyou, CNA · Feb 24, 2014

Some may be taking more short cuts that they don't tell anyone about or maybe they've been doing it for so long, they have a system that works. I also know that some "groups" of residents are a bit more challenging than what other aides have. One aid may have a resident that takes a long time to get ready for bed, or a resident who is always on their call lite, or who is forever setting off bed/chair alarms. Some CNA's have easier groups..... It is what it is....

You just may need to get more experience/time doing the job. If you haven't been doing it very long, it takes time to learn the residents and their preferences and little tricks to get things done. ...for example, putting Fred down by the nurses station since he's forever setting off his chair alarm. Others will be able to respond to his alarm as well instead of you doing all the running to catch him. Or getting Fred into bed 1st since he's always trying to self transfer. If he's in bed, he's happy and quiet.

If you don't have a "hallmate", then plan with your other co-workers on who and when to get residents down. My hallmate/co-worker and I have a system. We get all our residents changed and any hoyer slings under them (in my facility each resident has their own sling).

When we are done with that, we get the "one assist" residents up while we wait for the other aide to finish getting their 2 assists "preped for transfer".

Then we get ALL the hoyer lift residents up (hers and mine),

then we get ALL the sit to stand residents up.

Then finish up with the one assists.

After a meal, we do just the opposite. Get ALL the sit to stand residents down, then the hoyer lifts down. Then we each get our own one assist residents down. Once everyone is down that wants to be down, we go back and remove the slings, change briefs and provide any other needed care.

wonderchic24 · Feb 25, 2014

Hello!

I felt that way when I first started at my day shift on LTC. I felt like I couldn't get anything done at all and that I was letting down my residents and my coworkers. Here are a few items that I would suggest:

1) Missingyou has a lot of great tips. If you can make every trip count, that will make life A LOT better! If I walk down the hall to throw garbage away, I will bring back clean linens for a bed I have to make. If a person is brushing their teeth, I will make their bed and set out anything for the next time they will be in their room.

2) Figure out what each person needs and start figuring out your process for them. I know that one of my clients won't get up before breakfast. So I put out a brief, wipes, clean clothes, and her wheelchair before I serve her breakfast. When I finally get back to her, I am not scrambling for the supplies. I can then focus on the task at hand.

3) Relax and take a deep breath! You will not get to everything done on each shift that you want. Since you are new, you may not know what you don't know and that comes with time at the job. If you keep them safe, dry, fed, and as happy as they can be, you have done a good job for that shift.

Keep your head up and remember to smile! :)

Brook

D_Angelo25, CNA · Feb 25, 2014

Aww thanks you guys, that made me feel better, I guess the transition from 2 to 10 to 6 to 2 was a bit of a culture shock to me, I mean the other aides say I am fast and a good aide, but I beat myself up, and like I said, its only been 4 years I have been an aide, 2 on day shift, when I started, I guess 2 to 10 was the basics, then 6 to 2 became something more advanced. Also I just started working at this facility so I am trying to adapt. I dont want to become a nurse, I love doing direct care very much, and if this is what im gonna do for my life, I feel I should get better, but like you two said, it takes time. Only thing I can do is show up to work all the time so I can get a grasp of what my groove is there. Because a bjnch of older aides I talked to, say its all about finding your own rhythem. And missingyou, shortcuts, I was taught to do it the right way, like im not saying I so it by the book bwcause anyone who says they do things strictly by the book as an aide is probably lying lol. when I hear shortcuts, to me a shortcut would be double briefing or something, those are what I dont do, now I do find shorter ways of getting them dressed faster, example, a reaident goes to have a bm every morning when I come in, I put the resident on the toilet, before I take her I set her clothes, glasses, makeup wash rag in the restroom and dress her after she has had her bm. Things like those shortcuts I take. If they really are considered that or just a multitasking system. What do you guys think? Oh and sorry for misspelling, im typing on my galaxy phone lol

Missingyou, CNA · Feb 26, 2014

no no no... by "short cuts", I do NOT mean double briefing a resident!!! I don't mean "be lazy" or skip washing someone up. nonono.

What I meant by "short cuts" are exactly what I stated in my posts.

You never want to put a resident at risk!

But there are things you can do to get more done. Using EVERY SINGLE MINUTE is one of them.

If you can't finish everything on your shift, there is another shift coming in that can pick up where you left off.

D_Angelo25, CNA · Feb 26, 2014

I got ya, by no means I didnt interpret that like you said be lazy or put residents at risk, using every single minute with them, yeah I see what you mean, do you just pick up on short cuts as an aide, the ones that are ok to use.?