Do any of you LOVE where you work?

[yousoldtheworld]

Since many of our threads on here deal with our complaints about the difficult things about being a CNA and the sometimes bad condition of our facilities, I thought it might be nice/encouraging thing to have a positive thread where we can talk about the good things about our workplaces.

After working at a few facilities that caused me to regularly question my career choices, I can now honestly say that I am working at an AMAZING facility.

It is a "Memory Enhancement Center" and it is one part of a large retirement community that consists of independent living cottages, assisted living apartments, and two "health care" buildings that are more like traditional nursing homes. In all of the buildings in the community, residents have huge, beautiful private rooms with private bathrooms and showers. They are full of natural light and are made to look like homes, not a facility. The community itself has a library, hair salons, a thrift store, a chapel, restaurant style dining, all kinds of amenities. The buildings are all beautiful.

The Memory Enhancement Center, however, is especially amazing to me. It is a secure building for residents in the early to mid stages of Alzheimers or dementia. The building can house up to 48 residents, and it's divided into four "neighborhoods" in order to keep things small and cozy for the residents. It is beautiful and filled with decorations, toys, and items from the 20s-60s in order to trigger long term memories and put the residents at ease.

These residents are otherwise in good health (if health is an issue, they are instead in one of the health care buildings.) Because these patients are ambulatory and mostly continent, the focus of your work is behavioral. It is very quiet and serene, and because of a combination of this and using the Montessori method (validation therapy rather than reality orientation...or, we are trained to "step into their world" instead of trying to orient them to the present) of dealing with dementia, behaviors are drastically reduced.

On a regular day, I will give 2 showers (though all of the residents but one or two are limited assists), pass out breakfast and lunch (they have restaurant style dining), do some of their personal laundry, remind those who might forget to toilet, and the rest of the time is focused on recreation and socialization. In the mornings, we talk about current events and horoscopes, and do trivia or play some sort of verbal game. After lunch, we might bake or color or make collages or watch a movie. Sometimes a couple of the residents who play the piano do so, and the others sing with them. They also have a Wii that the community shares and one day every 2 weeks or so we play some Wii bowling. There are more activities after dinner, as well.

I can honestly say that I love my job. Though of course there is still a lot of walking and it can still be tiring, there is much less strain on my body. Though there are trying days and some behaviors do still happen, it's not nearly what it'd be in a crowded nursing home where those with behaviors can "feed" off of each other. It is the most rewarding thing I have ever done and I can honestly say I no longer dread going to work.

I thought I'd post this to give those of you who are discouraged with your workplaces some encouragement that there ARE better places out there.

if you work someplace you love, please tell us about it!

[Katie89]

That sounds like a wonderful place! If only all LTC was like that.

I also love my job. :nuke: I work in a hospital birthing center, and I also do GYN. On occasion, I float to Peds and NICU. I'm third shift, so when I'm on OB I mostly sit in the nursery. It's like glorified babysitting (but upwards of 20something infants!), with a more medical focus (i.e. inluding infant vitals, hearing screens, blood sugars/state infant screens, weights, first baths, pictures, car seat tests, etc.) in addition to the regular feeding, changing diapers, rocking, etc. On occasion, I'll be in the PACU (recovery) or even the OR, where I get to see c-sections. Then I take the baby after it's out/seen mom and take it to PACU to be checked out, get vitals, and hook it up to the warmer. This is just some of what I do if I'm doing the birthing center that night. Each unit is different.

What's more is that the people there are SO, so nice. The nurses chat with the CNAs (some are even friends outside of work), work with you, help you out even with CNA-type duties if you're really busy, don't condescend, etc.

Heh- reading this back it almost sounds like I'm bragging (not trying to, really! I don't mean for it to sound like that.) I just feel really lucky every day that I managed to get into this place. The hospital experience is great because I'm also a nursing student.

This is a cool idea for a topic, OP. It's good to be reminded that although it can be hard and frustrating and discouraging, there's so much good about this job too.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

I really like my job, but I'm at a loss for words when it comes to why. work in a LTC facility with a good reputation, but there's nothing particularly exceptional about it. The wing I always work on has a really good mix of people- a few A&O ad lib people and a few total cares, but mostly confused or demented people who need assistance with all ADLs. A couple of them are combative, a lot of them are high maintenance, but they all have their quirks. My favorite part is being able to laugh and have fun with the residents. Some of them are a riot.

[yousoldtheworld]

I have always wanted to work in a mother/baby or birthing unit. That sounds amazing. Newborns are so perfect! And no, it's not bragging! Sometimes we need to focus on the good around here!

And, fuzzywuzzy, I've also loved some jobs that were at less-than-EXCEPTIONAL places. THe residents are what usually make it great.

Thanks for sharing. :)

[tsalagicara]

Wow!!! That sounds awesome and like my dream job!! :) May I ask you where you live? I ask because I would LOVE to get a CNA job in Mom/Baby or nursery. How did you get the job there? Was it hard to land? Any tips on how to go about getting one? Thanks in advance! And thanks for sharing your experience! :)

That sounds like a wonderful place! If only all LTC was like that.

I also love my job. :nuke: I work in a hospital birthing center, and I also do GYN. On occasion, I float to Peds and NICU. I'm third shift, so when I'm on OB I mostly sit in the nursery. It's like glorified babysitting (but upwards of 20something infants!), with a more medical focus (i.e. inluding infant vitals, hearing screens, blood sugars/state infant screens, weights, first baths, pictures, car seat tests, etc.) in addition to the regular feeding, changing diapers, rocking, etc. On occasion, I'll be in the PACU (recovery) or even the OR, where I get to see c-sections. Then I take the baby after it's out/seen mom and take it to PACU to be checked out, get vitals, and hook it up to the warmer. This is just some of what I do if I'm doing the birthing center that night. Each unit is different.

What's more is that the people there are SO, so nice. The nurses chat with the CNAs (some are even friends outside of work), work with you, help you out even with CNA-type duties if you're really busy, don't condescend, etc.

Heh- reading this back it almost sounds like I'm bragging (not trying to, really! I don't mean for it to sound like that.) I just feel really lucky every day that I managed to get into this place. The hospital experience is great because I'm also a nursing student.

This is a cool idea for a topic, OP. It's good to be reminded that although it can be hard and frustrating and discouraging, there's so much good about this job too.

[Katie89]

Wow!!! That sounds awesome and like my dream job!! :) May I ask you where you live? I ask because I would LOVE to get a CNA job in Mom/Baby or nursery. How did you get the job there? Was it hard to land? Any tips on how to go about getting one? Thanks in advance! And thanks for sharing your experience! :)

Hey tsalagicara; I think I was actually just really, really lucky to get in here. One thing, though-- it's third shift, which was a big compromise for me, but I think it's worth it. I think it's easier to get 3rd shift positions in general b/c they're less desired and so fewer people apply. I also think it helped that I mentioned that I was a nursing student. My manager wants be to be a nurse intern when I get into clinicals and then hopefully become an RN on the floor, so I think it was appealing to her that I would stay with that unit long-term (since CNA positions and third shift positions both have pretty high turnover rates. I guess she had some problems with people taking that position and then quitting soon after, likely because of the difficult hours. It's full time nights.) So yeah, I guess all I can say is maybe be willing to make some sacrifices, i.e take a night or pool position, at least for a while/at first. Just keep applying, applying, applying. It took me a while to get a job!

You might also try getting a job on a different unit in a hospital, and then look for internal postings in OB/GYN. They'd probably be more likely to hire someone who's already been trained in that hospital than somebody from 'outside.' Good luck! Oh, and I live in Wisconsin.

--Katie