Flu hits the LTC

[DawnRh]

While waiting to start nursing school I decided to become an NAC to gain experience and to find out what the job entails so that I can understand what they are going through when I become a RN.

I have 30 years of work experience in various jobs but yesterday was the hardest day of work that I have ever experienced. Several residents in our wing of the LTC came down with the flu. I cleaned up one of my residents and his bedding three times in the first hour. I helped a fellow NAC clean up another gentleman later in the morning who was sitting in a pool of liquid feces. I agreed to work a second shift because the evening NACs called in sick. My fellow NAC also was to work a double shift but started puking about an hour before the shift started. I am blessed with a weak sense of smell and also was plagued by a head cold but it didn't matter, about halfway through the second shift the smell started affecting me I dreaded walking into the next room. I also was starting to not feel well. I changed the previously mentioned poor gentleman and his bedding a total of five times, someone could have stood there all night changing him. That's the way the day went, many residents had it coming out of both ends. I don't understand why we had to wait until some time in the afternoon for a 'blanket order' to come from the doctor before imodium could be given to any of the residence who can ill afford to become dehydrated. Guess I'll find out later.

It was a good experience for me that i hope to remember so that I can appreciate my NACs and thank them every day.

[interceptinglight, CNA]

You sound just like me. I have decades of experience in the medical field doing transcription, medical coding and billing, front office and back office work, even medical assisting.....and nothing compares to the heavy workload and pressure of being a CNA. The barrage of excrement you deal with can be very alarming, especially when it's in epidemic proportions.

As far as getting things you need done for residents, such as meds and other changes that need a doctor's order.....it seems that in LTC facilities you sometimes have to wait for unreasonable lengths of time to get their needs met. All in a days' work.

[LaterAlligator]

Ugh, this is going around at my job too. I think we went through more bleach today than we normally do in a week, trying like crazy to keep it from spreading. And collecting stool samples to be tested for Norovirus. I worked a double today to help cover the sick call-ins. Ouch, am I ever beat.